The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-06
Gle GRAND, sTATIsTICIAN.

LIE Grand Powers, whom an unappre-
ciative constituency released from his
eXacting labors as pamphIeteer for the
Republican party of Minnesota and such
other sections of that party as cared to
invest in his Statistics for party use,
is to practice his exceptional talents for
the benefit of the party which is looking
with some trepidation towards the cam
paign next year in the count Of noses
and other things the late boss of Repub-
lican politics in Minnesota Is to make
next year. Mr. lie Grand is already in
office, although the census Is still several
moons distant. But he is not idle He
is laying the ground work of the statis-
teal portion of the coming campaign.
In this capacity he appeared before the
commission that is investigating in
dustrial conditions, also an annex of
the Hanna bureau that will supply the
literature" for the Republican contest
in 1900, and gave 1t some statements,
statistical and otherwise, that may well
be dubbed 'le grand" For instance, he
assured the committee that wind"
wheat did not affect the farmers to their
injury, except In so far as the farmers
were selling the wind" wheat them
selves. This statement was q fresh bit
Of statistics that surprised one member
of the commission into asking our own
LIE Grand if he really meant to say that
the farmers speculated in wheat. They
do urbanely replied LIE Grand with
the calm assurance of a patriotic and
loyal Republican statistician. Further
more, he assured the commission that
very largely the farmers are the lambs
which are shorn on the stock exchanges.
Stop the farmers from gambling and
you will stop 1t all. Three-fourths of
the money thus lost Is lost by farm
ers"
No wonder the members of the COM
mission arched their eyebrows In aston
ishment at this astonishing revelation of
fact by the gatherer of Statistics It
will likewise surprise some other folks;
But why did LIE Grand keep this I'm
portant bit of statistics" to himself so
long? Why, when Senator Washburn
was trying to get wind wheat put into
the congressional index prohibitorum
in the sole interest of these
same poor farmers, did not LIE
Grand whisper into the senatorial
ear that he was hitting the farme.s
and interfering with their diversions?
Why did he not do this and save the
senator the modification Of denouncing
a lot of men In the pit as enemies of the
farmer. upon whom the strong arm Of
Uncle Sam must descend If the country
was to be saved?
But where did the statistician get his
statistics? How and where did he find
out that three-fourths of the money lost
in the pit comes from gambling farmers?
| Was it when Minnesota was paying him
snug salary that he made the investi-
cations that must or should be back of
so sweeping a charge? And safe we to
nave luSS0 SldllSClcS InFOWnE a
pamphlet for use next year? When
some Populist orator attacks the finan-
cial policy Of the Republican party-the
ancient and honorable" one-will Pow
ers' le grand compilation of gam
bling farmers be flashed upon
him with the sque!ching sug-
gestion that If farmers gamble
less they will have money enough? Or
| is Census Commissioner Merriam to
make a feature In his census of the ways
and methods by which men drop their
chips on Chicago and sundry other CEN
ter of longs and shorts. puts and calls.
and is LIE Grand to do the fact gath
ering? And will Mr.. Merriam supply
| him with any personal experiences2