The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-02
FAMOUS FIGHT OF
THE BLOODY FlFTa"j
1T IS RECALLED BY KNUT,Ts,s RH.
FUSAL TO MAKE sPEECHEs
IN MINNEAPOLIS
EDWARD WEBSTER,
THE WOULD-BE MAYOR

Turns Out to Have Reen Ono NJ n
f. kindred's Lieutenants In the
Fiery Contest That Gave Tint
Congressional District The Appel
lation of "BloOdy" That CIinrs
So Tight.
Knute Nelson has thrown down the
gauntlet to his committee. "I will not
speak in Minneapolis" he informed ths
state central committee Sunday.
Ine announcement was like a thun-
derbolt from clear sky. The senator
from Alexandria has been an indefa-
t1gable worker on the stump In past
campaigns and in this one, too. up to
last Saturday night, so his sudden re-
fusal to participate in the fight In the
Mill City, where it was proposed to
thrust him this last week before elec-
ton, was the more surprising to the
committee.
The Republicans Of MINNEAPOLIS bsvs
been looking forward to him as an
apostle Of peace who should swing part
OF the Scandinavian people of that city
into line for Eustis and Webster, the
mayoralty nominee. Senator Nelson
had made no objection to this plan.
except that he wanted to talk as large.
ly as possible to his own people and
did not want to tax his strength to the
extent of addressing a meeting In a
large hall, such as the exposition audi
torium. He had assumed that the tick.
ct was all right. But he learned the
latter part. of last week something
which he did not know before.
STORY RUNS BACK.
Away back In 1882, Knute, who had
been in politics in Wisconsin, and knew
| some of the tricks, became a candidate
| Tor congress from the then newly cut
| OF Fifth Minnesota district, which
| comprised practically all of the state
north of line forty miles north of the
| Twin Cities. Mr.. Nelson was a farmer.
representing a farming community In
! his canvass. His chief opponent was
Charles F. Kindred, one of the early
residents of Bra,nerd, but now connect-
ed with a big Eastern railroad system.
Kindred was quite generally supported
by the Mississippi valley lumbarmen in
| fiuences, which were rot then, how.
ever, as powerful especially in that
district, as they are now.
| The fight was probably the b:tterest
| that Minnesota has ever had. The
| Bragg-Delaney contest in Wisconsin,
| and some of the earlier territor al mis-
| understanding in Dakotl, perhaps ap-
rroXimated this one in intensity, but
nothing in this vicinity since has been
so fiery Money was spent like water;
mud throwing was constant, and all
dignity was thrown to the winds in the
bitter fight that ended with the elec-
ton of Nel-on and the determination
on Kindred's part to pull up stakes and
get out of the state.
HIS OLD ENEMY WEBSTER.
The man who was looking after Kin
| dred's interests at and around Moor
head. then the most important town by
far in the MINES sofa secti-n Of the
Red river valley north OF Fergus
! Falls, was this same man Webster,
who is now running for mayor OF NJ n
neapolis. Mr.. Nelson dill not know
this until Saturday. His memory
brought up, however, some OF the
things that transpired during those
fearful days Of 1882 and he promptly
wired the local committee In Mime
apolis, that he would not be tn rs
Monday.
He did not come, either.
| Nor is he coming. Knute is a fighter.
He owes no particular allegiance to
the present gang, which is at present
running the Republican machine in
Minneapolis, and he was actuated by
motives of party loyalty rather than
personal friendship in consenting to
come in the fir-t place.
But he could not swallow the insult
of being asked to stump the city for
the man who was against him in the
bitter fight of half a generation ago.
| GOODBYE, HENNEPIN.
It was a body blow to the Webster
neople. who have feared all along that
Lind would carry Gray through the
Scandinavian wards with a Nhoop and
a hurrah, unless Nelson was able to
stem the tide, as they hoped he would
| be. 1t was a worse blow TO Eustis
Now they are left in the lurch at the
last minute, and to add to their discom-
fort they meet with the consoling as
surance:
If Eustis does not carry Hennepin
this time. the county need not look for
ANYTHING at the hands of subsequent
Republican conventions.
Very Small, Very Tame.
| CALEDONIA, Mimi. Nov 1.-(Special)-
1t was the tamest and smallest political meet