The Saint Paul globe., 1899-04-30


help meet in every sense Of the word to
the untiring and ambitious young hus-
band and no small share of his success
in life belongs to the wise counsel and
gentle encoura cement of devoted wife.
Always active in politics, even as a
youth, he naturally took a larger inter
est in a more extended field as editor Of
the leading local paper of the party and
in early manhood was sent as delegate
to the Democratic stae convention of
Ohio, and was made member Of the
had reached his majority Despite his in
tense interest in politics and a decided
ability for political organization, he had
always manifested a strong aversion to
office holding, and supreme contempt
for office seeking. He was offered the
congressional nomination in certainly
Democratic Dem a district before he was
fering the newspaper field: Prior to 1863
he was the owner and publisher at DIFF
ferent times Of three weekly and two
each too limited and finally in. the year
mentioned located at Wheeling, a small
manufacturing, city on the neck Of Vir--
Pennsylvania. Here he founded the
Wheeling Register which he continued to
control and edit until the fall of 1884, in
the meantime becoming central figure.
in West Virginia politics. On Feb. 1.
1885. he took control, with the late Com
modore Kittson, of the ST. Paul G o b e,
which was then struggling for Its ex-
which have intervened have become a
part Of the history of the wonderful
growth Of the G be and of the pros
He found the G O b a small paper, in
a wide field. languishing for want Of a
master hand to direct 1t. Nothing was
more CHARACTERISTIC of the man than the
tndefatigable labor, the unf1agging enter
prise and the cool pluck that he brought
70 pear on this newspaper. In two years
he had placed It In the front ranks of
q foy-Y, fOY1r 1t,-,,z o. 3
out newspaper plaudits from the Atlantic
to the Pacific. With rare skill and tact
he felt the pulse of the people and OWNED
their wants. guiding the paper into pop
ufar channels. AS a purely local ex-
ponent of Northwestern sentiments the
paper rapidly developed.
A WONDERFUL POPULARITY.
1t was invariably conducted as the
friend of the masses ard not the organ
of any class clique or faction and fully
earned the title now generally given.
paper" Ing three years the 6 Gl Q b e
sprung to the front in circulation and de-
veiored want departmert"-the sur
e est exempfiesaHon of popularity that was
humble home in an obscure locality 1t
has risen until it is now issued stimuli
taneously. from its nalatial homes in St
Paul and Its elegant twin building in
Minneapolis. The editorial career of Mr..
Baker has eliminated In a production Of
paper that Knows no rival In it's field,
In st. Paul business circles Mr. Baker
occuDies a recognized position He is a
director of the Bank of Minnesota one
or the strongest and most conservative
financial institutions Of the city. and IS
also member of the directorate OF the
Germania bank. which has all the thrifty
and conservative qualities characteristic
Of the Germans. He is director of the
Chamber of Commerce. which repre-
sents the business and otherwise the best
interests of ST. Paul and Is prehaps as
conservative and influential body of cit
izens as the Northwest can produce
. He Is also interested in several land i'm
provement companies In which he has
investments, and Is the president Of each
of the three corporations which repre-
sent the ST. Paul G o b and it's two
regal structures.
The political life of Mr. Baker is close
liy written between the lines of the poht-
before. he was always a great political
leader and organizer to such an extent
thet he vas y kn9wn Ws1, at one time as the
that state seemed to be reliably and ir-
redeemably Republican In 1868 Mr.
Baker. then at the head of the Demo-
and, in fact, secret organization Of the
party and. aided by the personal conf
dence and connsels of Samuel ]. Tilden.
by the time me- OF the opening Of the CAM
paien of 1870 he had list Of the names
of every man in the state who was en-
titled to vote, together with his post
ONCE addreSS, DOlit1cal status and much
personal inforna tion which would aid a
shrewd and alert. political organizer in
placing his forces in line. So perfect and
quiet was the organization that the Re-
publican leaders had no suspicion Of
their danger until the votes were
counted. which proved their overwhelm-
ing defeat Seldom has there been
brought about so complete a political
revolution, solely on the merits of organ
ization as in this case, the force of which
will be more plainly seen when 1t is
stated that all voters. who sympathized
with the confederate powers were dis
franchised and every registration and
election official in the state belonged to
the Republican party by direct provis-
ion Of statute.
ONE POLITICAL. OFFICE
Despite the natural prominence thus
given him, Mr.. Baker held but one polit-
icaI Office, that of state senator, which
from home. He, was then elected pres
ident of the senate. which clothed him
with the attributes of lieutenant gov
ernor in other states. He was chairman
of the state Democratic committee many
years, and was a. member of the National
Democratic committee, but since 1884 has
refrained absolutely from political man
few equals. and his political power was
always great whenever he chose to exert
It. An acute reader of the motives of
men, he acquired a power of welding
them rarely attained
The strongest, characteristic Of Lewis
Baker was that of. honestly sincerity OF
purpose and an unquencha bic disgust of
Phariseeism, Hypocrisy and shame OF all
! kinds. He has the most decided opin-