The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-27
DOIIGS OF NORTHWEST LEGISLATURES

of his opponents put together. Wards
campaign, to use a slang phrase, was
Jim Dandy" but that is another story.
Early in 1882 Judge Sherman Page, then
residing at Austin, but now living at
Los Angeles, Cal, and strong anti
Dunnell man, sent me what he said was
q copy of a letter from Dunnei TO
Charles H. Davidson, then editor OF the
Austin Transcript, and postmaster at
Austin, which letter Davidson had lost.
In that letter Dunnell announced that
he was a candidate for reelection, and
that he would be candidate for Mr..
WINDOWS seat in the senate. In a post
cript he asked: "Shall I sound Jones?'
This referred to w. A. Jones, then some
thing of politician at Austin, but now,
I believe, residing at Portland, Or.
printed this letter in my paper. It. Of
course, stirred up politics in great shape.
Dunnell made the great mistake Of pro-
| nouncing it forgery. Why he did this
I have never been able to understand.
His denial was made to the Washington
| correspondent of the New York Tribune
The fact was wired to Western papers
Gen. Nettleton, then editor of the Min
neapolis Tribune, wired me, saying:
"Dunnel pronounceS the Sound Jones
letter forgery. What have you to say?"
I replied: ST will settle the matter
soon.''
I took the train, went to Austin, Sc
cured the original, had it photographed
and circulated the facsimiles. That set
tied it. Dunnell then said he had for
gotten it.
I at once saw my way clear, or
thought did, to defeat Dunne1l, and be-
gan to lay my plans accordingly. With
out consulting a soul I wrote Judge
Start. of Rochester, now chief justice of
n a
candidate. He declined, saying that his
only political ambition was in the line
of his profession.
then wrote to Milo White. Mr.
White had served couple of terms in
the senate He was an old settler, quite
popular, a merchant with a wide ac-
quaintance in Fillmore and Olmsted
counties, his residence being In Olmsted
and his store In Fillmore, the county
line running through the town. Mr..
White replied at once, expressing great
surprise and saying that he had never
thought of such a thing as running for
congress. In conclusion, however, he
said he would look into the matter and
write me again. In very few days he
wrote me- saying that he had been to
Rochester and to Preston and found the
situation to be favorable, and that he
would be candidate. I at once an
nounced his candidacy and told him that
all I asked of him was to carry Fillmore
and Olmsted counties, which he did, and
he was nominated without opposition,
Mr.. WINDOWS friends taking a hand in
the defeat of DunneIl because the last
named gentleman had declared that he
would be candidate against Mr. Win
dom.
AS for machines, Mr. Window never
had one worth patenting Wilkinson
who succeeded him in congress, was
anxious to stay there, or to get back
into the senate, but he, too, was a poor
! machinist. He relied more on his social
! qualities than on anything else. With a
bottle or two of good wine and the com
partnership Of Morton S. Wilkinson a
rainy day passed mighty quickly 1 know
this from personal experience. Poor.
genial old wiki" Peace to his ashesl
Dunnel was the great machine builder.
He went to congress in 1871 and, no
doubt, had his eye on a seat in the senate
from the start. His district covered
nearly the entire state south of the Min
nesota river. extending to the Dakota
line. He controlled absolutely all of the
patronage Of this territory save the
postofice at Winona, where Senator Win
dom lived. His head machinist was Col
lector of Internal Revenue Smith, who
had his office at Rochester and a most
active politician he was. DunnelPs ma
chine took a hand in the election of coun-
| ty officers and judges Of the district
court. Nearly all of the newspapers in
the district supported him and many
editors were postmasters. I was a part
OF the machine myself, for a time, as
editor of the Blue Earth City Post, and
postmaster. When left the district In
1874 to accept the position of deputy
warden of the state prison, the Dunneil
machine was already in fine running
order 1t had been strengthened bv helm
ing to elect CuShman K Davis oroI,ar,,o,.
In 1873 l bought an interest in the AL
bert Lea Standard and returned to the
district DunnelPs machine was perfect
Like the bull that tried to butt the en-
CINE off the track, with more cour.
age than judgment probably, I antagon-
lied it from the start almost single
handed and alone. 1t was terrific
| fight, but I won out by a f1uke in 1882
as related in the foregoing
| AS 1 said before Mr.. Window newell
had much of machine, except as a par
owner of that of Mr.. Ramsey but I d.
not think he ever held a half interest
mcmillan, who succeeded Ramsey, wa.
friendly to Window, but he did not know
much more about constructing a politi
J cal machine than a jack rabbit does. I
| he had he would not have removed MIR
} Wheelock from the st. Paul postofict
and appointed DR.. Dayid Day, hi
brother-in-law, the best conyersationalis
and one Of the most genial men who eve
lived in Minnesota.
| I do not think Mr. Window was eve
Jealous Of Mr.. Dunnell. He certainl!
} never antagonized Mr.. Dunnell unit
forced to do so by DunnelTs announce
ment in 1882 that he intended to be
candidate for Mr.. WINDOWS seat in tn
senate. w. w. williams
Minneapolis, Jan. %.