The Irish standard., 1900-10-27

sessions of the United States courts
in this state had been held in St.. Paul,
entailing long sittings, delays in trials
and long Journeys, increasing the cost
to litigants living remote from the
capital. Mr.. Lind's bill provided for
terms as now held at Minneapolis,
Mankato, Winona and Fergus Falls,
as we'll as in st. Paul. Mr.. Lind was
strenuous fighter for the integrity
and enforcement of the interstate
commerce act in. its efforts to prevent
determinations in favor of persons or
places. He had added to it amend
ments which made it possible for the
commission to procure evidence more
efficiently, and also made several bat
ties in the courts to secure for the
millers in the smaller centers of the
state, rates more fair when compared
with the millers Of Minneapolis, who
had been granted certain special priv
ileges. Mr.. Lind was instrumental
in securing a great reform in rail-
road management and equipment,
which is saving human life and limb
hourly. That is, the automatic COUP
ler and power-brake bill, so called,
which was passed, and directed all
railroads to provide their cars with
automatic couplers of uniform type,
and to have at least certain number
of cars of each train equipped with
air OF other power brakes, so as to
obviate the use of hand brakes, which
are very dangerous in icy or sleety
weather. This bill was opposed by
strong and insistent lobby, led by
the Pennsylvania Railroad company,
but aftev hard contest the lobby was
beaten and Mr.. Lind's bill became n
law. Another bill'of commercial val
ue to the Northwest made Minneapo-
lis port of entry. Mr.. Lind was q
conceded authority in the house on
the subjects concerned with the pub
ic lands, of so much Importance to the
West In the contest over the tariff
MIR. Lind was a hard fighter, and
showed his independence by declin-
ing to be bound by the declarations
of the Republican caucus. He fought
the tariff on lumber because, as he
said, it committed the nation to the
idiocy of destroying it's own forests
rather than those of other people, He
fought for free sugar, for free mate
rials for making binding twtne and
for free twine. In 1890 Mr.. Lind
was elected a third time, defeating
General James H. Baker of Garden
City. In 1892 he declined to become
candidate again, for personal rea-
so"s, and the present congressman,
James T. McCleary, was elected to
succeed Mr.. Lind. The platform
adopted at Mankato accorded the re-
tiring congressman this compliment:
"We recognize in Hon. John Lind,
our present member of congress, an
able and efficient representative, and
trust that his voluntary retirement
from the field Of active legislative
duty will be only temporary
In 1898 Governor Nelson appointed
Mr.. Lind, who had returned to the
practice of law at New Ulm, a regent
of the University Of Minnesota. Mr..
Lind was an early recruit to the finan-
cial policy espoused by Senator Teller
and other Silver Republicans. In
1896 the Democratic and Peoples par
ty nominated him for governor and
he made splendid run, David NJ.
Clough defeating him by only a small
majority of about 5000 votes. In the
spring Of 1899, when President Nc
Kinley called for volunteers to de-
fend the national honor and avenge
the destruction of the Maine, John
Lind, at the sacrifice of his law prac.
tice, rendered his services to Govern.
or Clough in any capacity in which
he might be available Governor
Clough, at the request of Colonel
Bobleter, in command of the Twelfth
Minnesota, made Mr.. Lind regiment
al quartermaster, with the rank OF
first lieutenant. His record as quar-.
termaster was attested by his popu.
larity with the regiment, which had
a chance at Chattanooga to compare
with other standards the efficiency OF
Mr.. Lind's arduous labors in keeping
the men well equipped and provl-
stoned. It was while the Twelfth, reg
iment was camped at Camp Thomas
',icamauga National park, that the
Democratic, Peoples and Silver Re
publican parties, in state convention
unanimously nominated Mr.. Lind for
governor. 1t was his desire, after
the defeat of 1896, not to again enter
the field of politics, but so unanimous
was the call, and so insistent were
the friends who had supported him sc
warmly in previous campaigns, that
Mr.. Lind at last put aside his desire
for political retirement and consented
to make the race, subject to the neces
sary limitations of his military ser
vice. With the surrender of Santi
ago and the subsequent return of the
Minnesota troops from the South, Mr.
Lind was enabled to make two short
series Of speeches in a few Of the