The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-12
CORRESPONDENT
VERSION.
CAVALIERS

VERSION.
"The boy took by mistake an inter
view which I had written as setting
forth Van SAINTS views"
This is the explanation of L. e. Cavi-
lier, employed in the editorial depart
ment of the st. Paul Dispatch and St.
Paul correspondent of the Chicago Rec
ord-Herald, in explanation of the pur-
ported 2O0-word interview with Gov.
Van SAINT on the coal strike, which was
published in that Republican organ
Oct. 4.
The Dispatch is probably most near
ly the personal organ of Gov. Van SAINT
of any newspaper. It's attorney, M. D.
Mum, is the special counsel of the Van
SAINT administration, and likewise one
of the political managers of the Van
SAINT campaign.
The Dispatch reporter, who is like
wise the Chicago Record-Herald cor
respondent, undoubtedly took precau-
tons to arrive as nearly as might be to
Gov. Van SAINTS views on the coal
strike, before writing out the intended
interview for the governors signature.
If he did not talk with the Dispatch
staff and its attorney, he may have in
terviewed some one on Van SAINTS COM
mittee or some one else who had heard
Van SAINT express himself on the sub
ject.
4,iI oil nncsi-
tons and giving the governor the bene-
fit Of every doubt, we at least have the
proposition, that the purportedinterview
is what Correspondent Cavilier, MEM
Der of the editorial department of Van
SAINTS personal organ, thought Gov.
Van SAINT would be likely to say on the
coal strike situation.
Mr.. Cavilier, in his written statement,
says: 81 wrote out an interview along
the lines of stuff which I had handled
on the Dispatch telegraph desk in the
afternoon and intended to see Gov. Van
SAINT or telephone him the interview
before sending it,
In sizing UP the governor and desir-
ing to express a sentiment which he
thought he would sign, Mr.. Cavilier put
in the governors mouth the following
sentence:
at is difficult to blame the opera
tors"
Why did the Dispatch and Record-Her-
aid man, the representative Of Repub-
lican organs in close touch with Van
SAINT and his organization write this
as a sentiment which the governor
would be likely to express?
Did the correspondent hear some one
in authority about the Van SAINT head
quarters or about the newspaper office
of Van SAINTS organ speak with au-
thority in regard to Gov. Van SAINTS
sympathy for the operators, or was
that simply Correspondent Cavilier's
personal view of what the governor
would probably say?
Let us take the latter and more char
liable view.
The proposition is then, that an ex-
perienced newspaper man on Gov. Van
SAINTS organ sized up the governor for
a public interview as likely to say: ut
is difficult to blame the operators"
The next question is, would other
people friendly to Gov. Van SAINTS
cause and identified with his campaign
in such prominent way size up the
governor similarly?
Mr.. Cavilier likewise sized up the
governors view as follows:
eff Mr.. Mitchell would resign as
sumo that it would not be difficult to
arbitrate. There appears to be per-
sonal hostility to Mitchell"
If the Dispatch and Record-Herald
representative believed that Gov. Van
SAINT would say that if Interviewed, and
would sign an interview expressing
such sentiment, are there other Repub-
lican newspaper men and campaign
workers who would arrive at the same
conclusion?
Mr.. Cavilier thought Gov. Van SAINT
would say:
"While the large cities of Minnesota
may suffer because of scarcity Of
coal, we nave an Unlimited supply VI
wood and will not freeze"
Was it because he knew Van SAINT
and his ways of thought and speech,
that he put this peculiar sentiment in
the governors mouth?
Was this speculative version of the
governors wisdom based on any facts
or knowledge of the man? Knowing
Van SAINT, or those who do know him
well, did Cavilier go wide of the mark
in writing this as what the governor
might probably say?
How close to the mark, again, was
the Dispatch and Record-Herald man,
when he put into the governors mouth:
eff they (the laborers) live twenty
years, they will not be able to catch up
financially with the loss they have sus-
tanned this year through idleness."
The Gil o b has been liberal and
charitable in it's handling Of this pur-
ported interview. We have accepted
as absolutely true to the letter every
explanation which Gov. Van SAINTS
committee and newspaper men have
produced.
1t is entirely fair, however, having