The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1901-01-03
BUSY LIFE OF 1GNATIUS D0NNELLY

1gnatius Donnelly was one Of the best
known men in Minnesota. Very few men
had larger personal Acquaintance in q
commonwealth which he had made his home
for 35 years. He had, during all these
years, been active in politics.. generally as
a leader in one party or another, and in
this way he had personal acQuaintances In
practically every county in this state.
He was regarded as little less than a
genius in literary way and it was as a
writer that he had established a reputation
that makes his name familiar to the best
informed readers throughout the entire
country.
Mr.. Donnelly was 70 years OF age. He
was born In Philadelphia Nov. 3. 1881.
Early he manifested great interest In
political affairs, and being man of ex-
ceedingly agreeable personality, unques-
toned intellect and wonderful ability as an
orator. he attracted good deal of atten-
tion and attained quite a reputation In
politics before he came West, in 1885,
ACTIVE INTEREST IN POLITICS.
Soon after arriving in Minneapolis he took
an active interest in political dOinGs, and
was one Of the foremost men in the move
ment which decided in the holding of a
constitutional convention. He was sent t.
congress as a Republican in the late COS,
and took very great interest in many things
WHICH QlFoCLIy concerned the state duQ Tue
Northwest. He gave very special and par
ticular attention to the legislation which
was started at the inception of the scheme
i to build the Northern Pacific railroad. He
took the side of those who favored the
enterprising ffnanciers who wanted to build
transcontinental line in the northern sec
ton, and it was due largely to his pains
taking and persistent work in behalf Of the
Northern Pacific land grant that the scheme
finally materialiZed, and the northern sec
tiOn was not sacrificed, in the matter of rail-
way facilities, to the Central or Union Pa
ciic section.
REPUTATION AS A SPEAKER.
During Mr.. Donnelly's congressional
career he established a reputation a
speaker and he was known to be exceed
:ngly clever at debate and at repartee His
congressional work. while not brilliant, was
on the whole satisfactory to his constitu-
ents in Minnesota.
Mr.. Donnellys affliation with the Re-
publican party concluded soon after his
congressional experience. After that he
went about indiscriminately from one po-
litical camp to another assisting with the
Democrats at one time, the Greenbackers
at another the Changers at another, and
his last efforts were in behalf Of the Mid
Road Populists. Mr.. Donnelly was dele
gate to and a conspicuous figure in all the
great national gatherings of that political
OlGulCut. u0 SCOuVculIUH LudI dSScmNAcU
at Omaha II years ago adopted a plat
form which was unique in some Of its
features, ana which was largely the hand;-
work of Ignatius Donnelly.
That platform, commercially referred to
as the Omaha PLATFORM doubtless came
closer to clear and full expression of Mr..
Donnellys ideas relative to many PROPOSE
tions of social and economic character than
is found in the expression of any great
party.
FEDERAL WAREHOUSE PLAN.
Mr.. Donnelly had many other novel and
possibly practical schemes which he thought
would be a benefit to the common people,
or more particularly the farmers if they
were put to the test. One of these was
what might be generally described as the
federal warehouse plan-a plan to have a
system under federal supervision, with the
numerous warehouses scattered all over the
country, to which warehouses farmers could
take their produce and exchange the same
for such other staples as they required.
Mr.. Donnelly was rather of an agricul-
tural turn of mind, and he loved to COM
mune with nature. He established an at