The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-13
THROUGH THE GREAT WEST
EMPIRH TO THE WESTERN
COAST.
A "REMINISCENCES AND A MORAL
neer's Edifying Narrative OF the
Early Days.

state historical society met at the cap
itol last night, and well repaid they
were for their venturesome trip. Elk
Gov. Ramsey presided, as usual, and
after Arthur H. Chase, New Hamp-
shire's state librarian, was elected a
corresponding member, and w. G.
White, Of st. Paul, an annual mem
Der, Secretary Upham made his report
Of the donations to the museum and IL
brary for March
Judge Charles E. Flandrau then read
an interesting paper on Estate Build
ing in the Northwest" which deserved
larger audience.
The judge started with a reference to
the effect that environment had In the
development of the human character,
and suggested semi-seriously that 1t
was fortunate for this country that It's
settlement had begun on the rock
bound coast of Massachusetts, rather
than in the vine-clad, gold bearing hills
of luxurious California.
Coming down to the settlement and
development Of his theme, Judge Elan
drau recalled the time when the North
west territory, later so-ealled, was
part of Virginia. He followed its de-
velopment with the growth Of the
American fur industry and the wrest-
ing of its profits by John Jacob Aston
from the Englishmen who had hitherto
controlled it. The voyageurs who
were engaged by the fur company in
this business Judge Flandrau cited as
the conspicuous figures in what he was
agreeable to term, with others, che he
roic age Of American commerce, when
men were ready to risk all dangers and
even lay down their lives in defense Of
the property Of their employers.
He referred to the cosmopolite char
acter of the population which devel-
oped the Northwest territory, including
the poor white trash of Kentucky and
Tennessee, who drifted into what is
now Southern Illinois, the New Eng
landers and other Fasteners who fol-
lowed the star Of empire via the great
lakes, and the races Of Northern Eu-
rope. who, in following the tendency of
immigration to follow climatic lines,
found homes in this section.
The first state treated politically was
Missouri a clause in the old Virginia
laws insuring freedom to all men in
the Northwest territory having, as the
judge explained, forestalled any serious
political conflicts in the organization Of
these states.
In Missouri however, 1t was different,
and the contest which ended in the
Missouri compromise was followed by
one still more bitter when Stephen A.
Douglas nursed his presidential boom
by an appeal for "squatter sovereign
ty'' in Kansas. Beside the spirit Of
that campaign, said the speaker the
asperities of the recent national con-
test paled into insignificance. He re-
ferred, however, to Kansas, as the
home Of an impulsive class, the de-
scendants Of the denizens of the early
and bloody days, who could be looked
for to espouse any ism" that might
appear with an enthusiasm unrlvaled
elsewhere.
The judge then crossed the noun
tains to California, and the gold ex-
element, and it's organization, as that
of oregon, were picturesquely treated.
Nevada. too. was considered, the
speaker having spent some time there
during the excitement following the
opening Of the Washoe silver mine.
when, he said, the new country was
overrun by the worst elements of the
already polyglot population of San
Francisco, as well as the toughest por-
tions of the rest of America. At that
time, he solemnly averred, he was one
Of the vestrymen Of an Episcopal
church which held its services over a
saloon. but the church boards never
went up stairs, and on one occasion
raised the rectors salary in the saloon
by the device of chipping in" around
the table down stairs
Every inducement, he observed. had
been held out to immigration by the
Western states. regardless Of the de-
STABILITY Of the throngs thus secured
1t was time to call halt, he believed,
Men of every stripe and of every ma
ton had been freely endowed with the
rights Of citizenship. Nevada, with
only $4,000 people, scarcely more than
two ST Paul wards, stood on the same
footing in the federal senate with New
York, with millions Of people Could
1t be done over again, he would favor
not admitting any territory to state
hood that could not show a population
Of half a million.
The time had come he believed. TO
do something to check immigration.
The Chinese had been ruled out on
the single ground that they reduced
the price of American labor The same
reason should be applied to other
races in the same cause. The China
man waved no red flag, nor did he ad-
vocate a government by a proIetariat
He had no fault to find with the pres
ent government, yet he had been ex-
cluded. The United States could, and
it should, defend it's own labor. He
had been inclined to free trade doc
trines for many years, but this doc
trine had been considered solely, al
most, in It's relation to the product Of
labor. 1t was time for the American
people to consider che Protection Of its
labor.
The judges deductions from the con-
ditions were 50 alarming as to be
termed almost pessimistic, but he
warmed his hearers into a happier
vein when he brought them home to
familiar scenes and incidents in con-
nection with the development of this
state, in which he has played SO prom
inent part. The Indian he paid
high tribute to as a warrior, declaring
that however he might be accused Of
treachery and savagery, it must be
admitted that he had mastered the
whole philosophy of war, which was to
kill your enemy and not let him kill
YOU" For every Indian who had
been killed in the march Of the con-
quering white, the reds had sent 20
Of their aggressors to bite the dust.
KILL THEM BOTH.
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