The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-03-26
IA SHORT FRONTIER STORY &
Illustrating the Difference in the Methods Legislation
8 in the United States and Canada 8
(BY HON. q. E. FLANDRAUl

On reading The G o b Q Of last Sunday
| my attention was arrested by a short
| editorial, under the caption of Gold Lace
Lawmaking." which recalled an amusing
incident in my experience which occurred
in 1856. The editorial said: when the
lawmakers Of the province of Manitoba
met at Winnipeg the occasion was some
thing to impress the voter. The Royal
Canadian Dragons paraded, and the
Thirteenth field battery roared a salute
Mark the contrast. On one side Of the
line, ceremony, gold lace and honor On
the other. nothing but a few clean col
lars and a campfire of the lobby
1t is not my intention to discuss the
question of which is the better method.
but to relate an incident which will cast
some light on the views people of the
two sections take Of legislative etiquette
and ceremony, and the slight effect such
ideas have on the practical subject of
legislation and the conduct Of the legis-
latorS.
In the year 1856 1 was elected by the
people of the Minnesota valley to the
Territorial council, which corresponds to
the state senate under our present po-
l1tlcal organization. At the same cleo
ton neighbor of mine-George Mcleod
was elected to the house of representa-
tives from the same district George was
Scotch Canadian, who had passed his
life in that part of Canada where French
is the dominant language, and it had be-
come his familiar tongue. He was a
giant in build, being much over six feet
in height and correspondingly powerful
He was red headed, and, although quite
well educated, preferred his fists to any
other weapons in argument, and gen.
orally carried his points. He was fond
OF good horses, boosted of his skill as a
hunter and possessed all the requisites
of successful frontiersman. He added
to these accomplishments an extensive
knowledge of Scotch poetry and a varied
repertoire of choice songs, which he sang
on all appropriate occasions On the
whole. George might be classified as an
all around good fellow. Another attribute
which 1 must not forget to mention was
that he was the brother of one Of our
most distinguished first settlers, Martin
Mcleod, who presided over the first ter
ritorial council, which Convened In 1S49
and also the brother of Rev. Norman
Mcleod, plucky Presbyterian preacher
who settled in Salt Lake In the SOS and
preached the gentle religion when Nor
monism was at it's height, and it's djsci-
pies were in the habit OF killing people
who differed from them.
After the excitement of the election was
over, George naturally began to reflect
upon his exalted position, and of course
all his conclusions were reached from
Canadian point of view. Feeling a little
doubt on some questions, he decided to
consult ME, supposing l was more famil-
lar with the American way of doing
things than he possibly could be; so one
day he came to see me on the all engross-
ing subject. We found each other in the
regulation costume of the country, which
consisted of blue flannel shirts, cheap
slop-shOp trousers, Red river moccasins,
and the whole finished off with a scarlet
Hudsons bay, or a variegated Pembina
sash, all of which was quite picturesque
but carried with 1t no Semblance of pre-
tentious aristocracy. L welcomed George
with great cordially. and he at once
opened his budget He said: "Flaundreau
giving my name the full French pronun-
citation, when we get down to parlia-
ment, We will have to set up a coach"
My surprise may be well imagined, when
L tell you journey of a hundred miles
on foot was to either of us no unusual
event, and that neither Mcleod nor |
had been the owner of a boot or a shoe
for several years. I. however, restrained
my establishment, and asked: What
makes you think so?'' His reply was
that it was entirely inadmissible for a
member of parliament to walk from his
hotel to the Parliament house, or to ride
In public conveyance" The question of
British or Canadian etiquette flashed
upon me. and explained McLeod's mean
ing, but 1t required an immense effort on
my part to control my laughter. when 1