The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-12
SMALL PROSPECT THAT THE THIR-
TENTH WILL RETURN AS A
REGIMENT
OUTSIDE TOWNS OPPOSED
CONFERENCE At MINNEAPOLIS TO
CONSIDER WAYS AND MEANS
WITHOUT RESULTS
ALL FIVE CITIES REPRESENTED


Men Objected to Paying Fares for
the Returning Volunteers in the
fmburse Those Who Contributed
Committee to Secure Low Rates.
At a meeting Of the mayors and rep
resentatives of the five cities, which have
conopanies in the Thirteenth Minnesota
regiment, held yesterday at the Mime
apolis Commercial club, it developed that
Red Wing, saltwater and st. Cloud Will
not cooperate in the effort to bring the
regiment back at the expense of the
citizens of the state. Every proposition
made by members of the Twin City COM
1nittees. looking to the free transporta-
ton of the soldiers from San Francisco
was vigorously opposed by representa-
tives from the outside cities, and the
matter stands just where it did before,
with the exception Of the appointment
of a joint committee composed of men
from each city to secure the lowest pos
sible railroad rates for the returning
soldiers.
Unless other arrangements are made in
= will be left to select the time and route
for coming home, each one 20 pay his own
fare, the efforts of the committees to be
directed towards providing a warm home
greeting for the boys when they arrive,
and to obtain the best rates for them
should they decide to come home together.
The suggestion of Senator Hansbrough,
who was present who heads a delegation
of North Dakota citizens now in the Twin
Cities arranging for transportation for
the volunteers that it was the intention
of the North Dakota people to have a
delegation of their citizens meet the sold
iers at San Francisco and ascertain their
wishes in the matter of transportation,
etc, seemed to strike a responsive chord
among those present, especially among
the representatives of the outside towns,
most of whom made a decided stand
against either the state or it's citizens
paying anything for transportation.
Senator Hansbrough added, however,
that every effort was being made to Sc
cure the lowest rates possible for the
return of the North Dakota soldiers.
though the citizens of that state did not
feel called upon nor were they able to
defray the expense of the trip home from
the coast.
DISCUSSION OPENED
When the meeting was called to order
by Thomas Lowry there were present
besides members of the Minneapolis com
mittee, Senator Hansbrough, Of North
Dakota; Judge D. B. Searle Sheriff Schil-
piI County Attorney ]. D. Sullivan DR.
G. A. Mooey, NJ. Neirenberg, Senator R
b. Erower and Mayor j. A. Mcdonald,
OF ST. Cloud. Saltwater was represented
by Mayor Arnson and Senator E L. Hos
pes, and St. Paul by Mayor Kiefer J.
A. Gregg and Gen. c. s. Bunker. From
Red Wing came Mayor e. II. Rlodgett
Sheriff Lundquist, o. NJ. Hall, Gen. w.
+ Cross, D. NJ. Neal and c. L. Fried
rich, a brother of Lieut.. Col Friedrich of
the Thirteenth regiment.
Mr.. Lowry opened the meeting with
brief reference to the action of the COM
mittee at its meeting Thursday, when 1t
was decided to make an effort TO raise
enough money to defray the cost OF trans
pOTtatiOn by various men throughout the
state signing notes from which money
could be obtained from the banks and
then look to the legislature for reimburse
ment. BY having representative business
men and politicians from every part of
the state sign these notes, enough pres
sure could be brought upon members of
the next legislature to have an act pass
who stood good for the expense.
To the view of the committee, as ex-
pressed by Mr.. Lowry, those representing
the outside cities dissented almost to a
man, notably Senator Brewer, of St.
Cloud, who contended that in all probabil-
ity there would be great difficulty expert
enced in getting the legislature to pass
an act to reimburse those who might feel
disposed to advance money for the ex-
pense Of the transportation cf the regi-
ment. He cited several similar cases
where efforts had been made to induce
the legislature to make an appropriation
for something for which money had been
expended in advance. He believed some
other plan should be worked out, in any
event, one that would not be fraught
with so much uncertainty as the one pro-
posed by the local committee.
PROTEST FROM ST CLOUD.
"Tt is the height of absurdity," said
O. NJ Hall, of St. Cloud for the state
TO defray the expense of transportation
of the regiment from San Francisco
What more right have we to ask such
a thing for the Thirteenth than in the
case of the other regiments. Why, if the
state pays out $4,000 for the return of
the Thirteenth, then members of the
other regiments could easily come in and
demand the amount of their transporta-
ton money from camp also be paid and
matter is all through with it would cost
the stae upwards of $10O,00O 1t is in my
opinion all a mistake to think of doing
as the committee suggests, and unless
some other or better plan is adopted it
occurs to me that we had better let the
boys come home as they see fit
Mayor Blodgett, of Red Wing; Judge
Searle of St Cloud, and Senator Haspes,
of Saltwater, spoke in the same strain,
and the sentiment expressed by nearly
all outside men was to the effect that the
people of their respective loca tiles were
not disposed to stand their share of the
expense incident to the return of the reg
iment EX-MayOr Pratt, of Minneapolis,
thought enough money could be raised
by popular subscription, something after
the plan worked in Pittsburg, and was in
favor of following such a course.
]. A. Gregg, of ST Paul was very
strongly Of the opinion that the state
should pay the bill, and he pointed out
the possibility of the state doing it con-
sistently by mastering the regiment into
the national guards upon their arrival at
San Francisco E J. Phelps said that
from the conversation he had had with
the governor he believed there was not
enough money at the disposal of the
state for such purposes, though he ad-
mitted the feasibility of the plan.