The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-06-04
Crist Of the
Political Mill

The location Of the new land Office
at Cass Lake has stirred up more po-
litical bad blood than any one thing
in years. And. incidentally, the sharp
practice put into play early in the
game. seems still to be the order of
things. ~
The area of i'll feeling includes the
Second. Seventh and Ninth districts.
The Eighth district people had their
noses out of joint for a time, but the
readJustment of lines in Itasca county
has smoothed their ruff1ed feelings.
The only interested parties seemingly
content are Buchanan and the Sixth
district stalwarts who point in a sat
isfied sort of way to two land Offices
in the district and the discounted
gentlemen who would have it other
wise.
The story of the removal of the land
office from Marshall is the sad, sad
story Of the politicians who did not
arrive. STEVENSON wanted a land Of
flee for Bemidji-still wants it and
badly. Bede wanted a Encouragement
of lines which would add to the i'm
portance. of the Duluth office. Buck
man thought another office might not
be bad thing for his district. He got
to Washington in time to spoil very
pretty plan to locate an Office at Be
midi, and when the Cass Lake lines
were announced by the commissioner
1t was discovered that the good natur-
ed Bede had suffered a heavy loss of
territory instead of gaining, A lusty
| roar went up from the Eighth and
Commissioner Richards, after visiting
the new district, rearranged the boun-
daries.
Now STEVENSON and the Ninth dis
trfct people have renewed the fight to
have the whole Cass Lake order re-
scinded and the office established at
Bemidji Bernard, Of Cass LaEta, who
was not recommended for receiver of
the Office ordered for his town, is said
to be sore and in with the play to take
the Office to Bemidji The crowd play
ing for the change are making 1t
strong, too. The Washington dis
patches announce with childlike sin
certify that Buchanan is a conserving
party and he is heralded as a member
| Of the committee due to wait on Rich
ards yesterday to recommend Bemidji
in place of Cass Lake. Meanwhile
Buchanan is in fact at Little Falls and
the politicians who know him are not
ready to believe that he will ever con-
sent to give up anything he has landed
unless it is taken by force of arms.
q q
Buchanan has recommended J. d.
Jones and Bert Oakley for appoint
ment as register and receiver, respec-
| lively, of the new Office, and repre-
sentatives of the department have
been in Cass Lake this week trying to
decide upon a site for the new office
which is to be opened the first of next
month.
AS an instance of the kind Of fight
being made for Bemidji Representative
Ed Kinds, of Hubbard county, tells an
interesting experience. A few days
ago a Bemidji delegation waited on
him with a request for a telegram to
the department to the effect that Hub
bard county Republicans were unani-
mously in favor of Bemidji. Just to
make it good Kinds was told that
Buchanan was in the move. Kinds is
an old bird and insisted on securing
immediate telephone communication
with Buchanan. Buchanan was bit
surprised to learn that he was out
knocking his own district and trying to
undo a job which he found no child's
play. Kinds did not send the telegram.
q q
Another feature Of the land office
fight promises an open rupture be-
tween Volstead and McCleary. Nc
Clearly wanted Shepherd, of the Mar
shall office, appointed by Buchanan.
Volstead claimed Shepherd had at the
bidding of McCleary worked for Dow
ling and against Volstead in the pri-
maries. Shepherds appointment would,
he insisted, be adding insult to in
jury. Now Dowlings friends in the
Seventh say that Volstead's attack on
Shepherd will cost him the inclination
for a second term and McCleary is
expected to demand Buckman's blood
as soon as he returns to Minnesota,
which will probably be in time for the
next campaign. Also the little school
master is expected to be very angry
at Volstead for refusing to swallow the
Mankato mans attempt to keep him
out of congress with a thank YOU
-Geoge A. VanSmith.