The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-03-11
. Chat OF @e Capital. .

ne il 80 SocldDle ana g0Od-natured that
they cannot complain, and few words
With him awakens the interest of the
stranger. He is an old philosopher In his
way-a student Of human nature. From
his high perch In the dome he looks down
each day at the statesmen passing
through the rotunda from the house to
the senate and from the senate to the
house looking small.
Looking out Of the high windows he
gets a birdseye view of the city, and his
vision is broadened. His phiiosaphy is
directed by the expanse of his vision, and
L.. No.. as a Iooker-on he has
many q slowed away in his
Loving Couple. capacious head some
ideas. Hour after hour, day after day,
month after month for more than ten
years he has sat there in his tower Of
observation and gathered his Impressions
He Is not traveller but the world, rep
resented by the thousands of strangers
from all quarters Of the globe, passes be-
fore him like panorama, and he knows
much that the widely travelled man
learns. He can tell strangers at sight
what little corner Of the world they first
opened their eyes upon, and many other
things about themselves one would not
be expected to know on such short &C
quatntance. He gives expression to many
quaint ideas, causing the Intelligent
stranger to try further to draw HIM out,
and make many notes in his diary when
the talk Is ended. But the old man Of
the dome Is too much Of a philosopher
to be much of a talker, and, with the
manner of a Scotchman, he cuts con-
versation off just where he wants 1t to
end. He Is one Of the Inhabitants of the
dome, there by authority. He does not
actually live. eat sleep and dream in the
dome, but his days are spent there tie
year round. Every hour that the dome
is opened he is there, and when he goes
he locks all the doors behind him in his
winding way down, and hands his keys
in the watch room for the night
He is the Waterman Of the dome, whose
duty it Is to see that no vandalism be-
falls the building nor harm comes to the
visitors. If his appearance is sometimes
a shocking Interruption to affectionate
demonstrations by young people, who
hope in the future to climb the stairs OF
life together as they then climb, his pres
ence is also an insurance against dan
ger from injury or rudeness. AS a philo5
opher he never sees anything 1t IS not
necessary to see, and never tells half that
he sees. He is not an ordinary police
man who goes his inquisitive rounds He
used to be on the capitol force, years ago
and after he was retired from the force
he was given a Judgment IN the dome.
His castle in the air IS the archway u
frieze work. which is now closed eff. He
has the cracks stopped to keep the wind
away and on a shelf in one corner he
keeps the books which he gets from the
national library. Sitting there he can
look over the top of his books and COM
mand a view of the staircase, and his
books are his companions on dull days.
The life in the dome has had a strong
influence upon his mind, and he IS one Of
the most interesting characters Of the
many at the capitol.
The talk INDUCED in by the politicians in
this city a few days ago, as to the OPP
position to President McKinley's renom-
nation at the Philadelphia convention,
has had no effect
Mckinley and whatever regarding
His Enemies. the success of his
candidacy. At no
time was it anticipated by those who dis
cussed the matter with avidity that there
would be opposition when the convention
assemblies June 10 next The hope was
probably father to the thought. The presi-
dent It goes without saying. has enemies
without number in his party Many of
them are prominent in the party, and
would be pleased to have some other man
head the national ticket this year. All
the trouble was stirred up over the Puerto
dent had such great advantage that it
was readily seen by those who felt like
opposing him that it would be utterly i'm
possible to bring any man. even so
strong a one as former President Harri-
son. into the field against Mai. Mckinley
with any chance of defeating him at
Philadelphia. Mr.. Harrison realized this
and was therefore one of the first men to
announce that it was foolish to talk of
him - candidate against Mckinley, add
Ing that he would not accept the nominal
ton If 1t were rendered him unanimous
ly. There was some talk INDUCED in,
too, about bringing out Senator Davis, of
Minnesota, as a candidate against Nc
Kinley. The Minnesota statesman put
quietus on the talk instanter, and the
Mckinley boilers were therefore compel
led to subside because of the lack of
candidate to run In opposition to the
president.
1t IS, no doubt, true that Mai McKin-
ley and the Republican party at large has
been greatly injured over the Puerto
Rican tariff controversy. While the
president will be unanimously reneminat-
ed at Philadelphia, all the trouble over
this Puerto Rican measure will not be
overcome by this action at the Republican
national convention. II will be used to
advantage against the Republicans in
both national and presidential campaigns
by the opposition parties. There is a
possibility, even Republicans admit that
the mistake made by the president and
by his followers in congress may cost
the Republican party the presidency and
the loss of the next house of representa-
tives.