The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-14
TRY A LITTLE COERCION
KEEPERS FRIENDS GROWING
CAPT. BURGER TO OBsCURITY

They First Threatened to Attack
His Pension If He Wouldn't With
draw His Independent Candidacy
Failing In That They Are Now
Seeking to Have His Sem Dis
charged from Mr. Horst's Office.
Capt. Joseph Burger may be forced
to give I'D his ambitions to become
alderman in the Second ward. The
Kiefer people have given him his choice
OF having his pension cut down and
having his son discharged from his
place In the city treasurer's office, or
giving up his Independent candidacy,
Capt. Burger has been a Republican
all his life; he was dishonesty. beaten
out of the nomination for alderman on
the Republican ticket, but his pension
is necessary to his family and the place
his boy holds is not lightly to be thrown
away. Under the weight of the COM
hfned threats he may have to decide
rot to be a candidate.
The methods used by the Kiefer man
ayers are not often resorted to, even
on the ground Of political expediency.
Coercion is part of the stock in trade
OF the Republican spokesman, but such
fragrant case Of the application of
the party whip has not before come to
the notice of the public
Capt. Burger was a candidate for the
aldermantc nomination in his ward
prior to the convention. After the pri-
mar1eS had been held there was a. meet
ing Of the Second ward delegation, and
1t was understood that Burger was to
be the nominee for alderman. He had
at least half the delegation. Just be-
fore the convention met some Of the
members asked that a secret session be
held. 1t was held, and when that sas-
sion was over it was found that Capt.
Burger was beaten for the nomination
by majority Of four. He was as
ton1shed and made some inquiry. He
says that there was money used to
bring about the change. One of the
delegates, Capt. Burger says, showed
$40 gold piece, and said that he was
a poor man and that money to that
amount was an object with him.
This decided Capt. Burger and he
concluded not to be bound by such
action, as the delegation took He re-
pudiated the delegation and their con-
nection, and announced himself as an
Independent candidate.
For several days his friends have
been circulating a petition for Capt.
Burger to be placed on the ticket as a
candidate for the office to which he
had been in the first place indorsed by
his delegation.
The petition had plenty of signers,
for the captain has long been resi-
dent of the Second ward, and it was
evident that his candidacy was a
menace to the Kiefer ticket.
The first Of this week an envoy of
the Kiefer push went to Capt. Bur-
gers house in his absence and had a.
talk with Mrs. Burger. They told her
that she must use her influence to get
the captain to give up his Independent
candidacy; that Col Kiefer was very
angry at him, and that, if he did not
at once retire from the race for al
derman, some people would feel con-
strained to exert their influence at
Washington and have that pension cut
down to $50 a month.
Mrs. Burger has no political ambi-
ticns, and she begged the captain to
quit, and he became interested in
knowing why she wanted him to quit
when he had some assurance of cleo
ton. She told him.
Then Capt. Burger made 1t a point
Of honor to stay in the field, and, If
necessary, to suffer the loss Of the
pension he enjoys.
Tuesday came the final move in the
matter and the one that may induce
Capt. Burger to give up the race.
His son has a place in the office of
City Treasurer Horst. The Kiefer peo-
pie went to Horst and told him that ff
he did not threaten to remove young
Burger, and make the threat good In
case it was not effective with Capt.
Burger, he would have to reckon with
Col. Kiefer. What action Horst took
does not transpire, but Capt. Burger is
thinking of sacrificing his political am
billions.
There is naturally good deal of feel
ing over the matter in the Second ward.
and the developments have neither
strengthened Col. Kiefer with the peo-
pie at large nor helped the already tot
tering cause CT B. F. Knauft, who is the
Republican candidate In opposition to
j. M. Smith. the Democrat Citizens
nominee.