The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-08-27

| about to see the light of day. Ad-
vance sheets Of the promised volume
! have been received by T h g Jour-
n a |, and the bound volume will soon
be on sale. It will be treat to all
| interested in the political history of
Minnesota.
The book does not pretend to be
anything but a chronicle Of politics,
| with the high lights on those features
that ordinary historians suppress. It
is, told with all the appreciation OF
trained newspaper man for news
| value" Nearly every chapter Is
drama of politics, full of human inter
est, intrigue and often treachery; IN
fact, after reading observations one
| Is forced to the conclusion that these
are milk-and-water days. Conven-
! tons, senatorial caucuses and cam
| paigns Of recent years do not COM
| pare in intensity with those of the
| sixties, seventies and eighties, OF
which Mr.. Hall can say, "a great part
| + was" He seldom appeared in the
public gaze, and, as he confesses, his
| chief motive was usually to make
trouble. But as editor Of leading
| If rather sensational paper, he was
responsible often for the exposure OF
political games and the turning or
|
zest of real enthusiast for the game,
not working, as a rule, for personal
reasons, but for the games sake.
Much Of the story is old, and only
valuable because told In new way;
| but there Is one feature of the book
| that Is decidedly new.
Why He Brought Out Davis.
It was we'll known for many years,
Hall discovered" c. K. Davis. In
one chapter he presents pretty good
! proof to this claim, and In another
he tells what his motive was. With
the frankness of a Rabelais, ne ad-
naits that it was done to raise a. dis
turbance and "get even" with Alex
ander Ramsey.
This is the story Of "How I Was
Appointed Pension Agent, but Slipped
a Cog" It was in 1870. and Mr.. Hall
was publishing the st. Paul Dispatch,
independent republican, and thorn
in the flesh of Alexander Ramsey. BY
some strange legerdemain General
Garfield, an old friend of the family
secured for him the place Of pension
$4,000 a year. Hall knew nothing OF
it until it was announced by the AS.
ISOLATED Press. Ramsey was in Eu.
rope, but his st. Paul friends, in
furore, cabled him to head off Hall
He had the appointment held up unit
/ his return, and Hall then went tt
{ meet him in Washington. He urged
Ramsey to agree to it, and promised
, | in that event to ''be good" The sen
7 atorial diplomat sent him home en-
couraged, but in due time anothe,
man was appointed Hall thereupo1
: redoubled his energies as free lance
and repented his humiliation to Ram
To in, ho "0hSQrU9
AS a. matter Of fact, my argument witt
l saying so, that I would publish good
> and straight republican paper II my re
\ quest was granted. In other words, wa
| ready to sell my soul for mess of pot
: tage. AS I look at 1t now, am ashame
8 of it. But those were strenuous times
! and I think would have sold soul
l short" at that time and gone long o
salvation If could have gotten that of
flee. But, Of course, I didn't get It, an
never had the remotest chance Of gettin
it outside Of my own imagination.
+. When Hall Got Even.
t Ramsey did right he concludes, Il
: turning him down, and yet made pc
:, litical mistake, resulting in his ow
i undoing. In 1878, when Ramsey wa
|. about to come up for third term, W
: D. Washburn was a candidate for gov
r ernor, and had the Ramsey support
!. He had almost clear field. Ha
8 wanted to beat him so as to clear tn
: way for a fight on Ramsey. He be
v gan a systematic governorship boor
: for G. K. Davis, then district attorne
Il and very popular on account Of hi
: Modern Feudalism" lecture. H
d hardly knew Davis and Davis did nc
e dignity the Boom" with any attentio
e for months. When he was finall
o brought into the race he did not dar
: go to consult with Hall. who in 1877
Q had gone democratic with Creole.
Davis was nominated and elected gov
s ernory and opposed Ramsey for tn
e senate. After a great struggle, {
g which Mr.. Hall gives a circumstantis
S account, S. J. r. Mcmillan was elected
: and Ramsey's star had set. Twelv
IS years later came Davis turn, whe
i Mcmillan retired.
T. From 1865 on Mr.. Hall tells of eac
: campaign and caucus from persona
y observation but pages of earlier hi:
e tory are given In the same graph
r manner. He gives considerable spao
e to the great st. Peter conspiracy fl
n removing the state capital, and tel
l. how 10 Rolette hid in a st. Paul hot
a with the bill, after it had passed bot
e houses, till the hour of adjournment
: In this connection Mr.. Hall claim
that Minneapolis lost a chance Of 81