The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-02
FAMOUS FIGHT OF
THE BLOODY FIFTH"
1T is RECALLED BY KNUTE,s RE.
FUsAL TO MAKE SPEECHES
IN MINNEAPOLIS
EDWARD WEBSTER,
THE W0ULD-BE MAYOR

Turns Out to Have Been One of G,
F. Kindred's Lieutenants I'm the
Fiery Contest That Gave That
Congregational District the Appel
Iation of "BIOOdy" That Clings
So Tight.
Knute Nelson has thrown down the
gauntlet to his committee IT will mott
speak in Minneapolis" he informed the
state central committee Sunday.
Inc announcement was like a thun-
derbolt from clear sky. The senator
from Alexandria has been an indefa-
tlgabde worker on the stump in past
campaigns and in this one. too, I'D 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
line republicans OF Minnea polls have
peen looking forward to him as an
apostle Of peace who should swing parts
OF the Scandinavian people of that city
into line for Eustis and Webster. the
mayoralty nominee. Senator NeIsonS
had made no objection to this plan.
except that he wanted to talk as IargeY
~ as possible to his own people. and
old not want to tax his strength to the
extent of addressing a meeting in a.
large nall, such as the exposition audi
forum. 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
for congress from. the then newly cut
OH 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 connects
ed with big Eastern railroad system.
Kindred was quite generally supported
by the Mississippi valley lumbermen in
fiuences, which were not 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 territorial mis-
understandings in Dakota, perhaps ap-
| proximated 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 cleo
ton Of Nelson and the determination
on Kirdred's part to pull up stakes and
get out of the state.
HIS OLD ENEMY WEBSTER.
The man who was looking after Kim
| dred's interests at and around Moor
head, then the most important town by
far in the Minnesota section of the
Red river valley, north Of Fergus
Falls, was this same man Webster,
who is now running for mayor Of Min
neapolis. Mr.. Nelson did 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 there
Monday.
He did not come, either.
Nor is he coming. K.nute is 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 first 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 generation ago.
GOODBYE, HENNEPIN.
1t was a body blow to the Webster
people, who have feared all along that
Lind would carry Gray through the
Scandinavian wards with whoop and
hurrah, unless Nelson was able to
stem the tide, as they hoped he would
be. It 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.