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

then at the mlddle. IL IS productive
of stiff necks.
The Ramsey Defeat.
Some interesting incidents are told
of Ramsey's defeat for the third term
in the senate. G. H. Petit of Henne-
pin is given credit for introducing the
name Of S. j. r. Mcmillan, the sue
cessful candidate. into the prolonged
caucus. The veteran Joseph Vince
lock, then postmaster at st. Paul by
Ramsey's influence, next day after the
election announced the republican
party is dead" Mr.. Hall admits that
he has felt the same way at times
There Is an odd story of lie which
caused A. e. Rice Of Willmar to vote
against Ramsey. He discovered the
truth too late to repair the injury.
AS an interesting commentary on
Hall tells Of the opposition to G. K.
Davis because of his high tariff
| speeches, and how General Averill. a
republican candidate for congress,
outdid Donnelly in tariff for revenue
agitation.
legislature is reproduced. This letter
was written in response to resolu-
ton calling him to account for his
! part in the Pacific mail scandal.
| Kings reply was burning arra1gn-
ment of Wilkinson and Donnelly. both
circumstantial charges Of corruption
against them both. The legislature
had called on King to resign his seat
| in congress-, and he concluded the let
| ter:
| With as much respect, gentlemen, and
as little contempt as possible, 1 remain
unresigningly yours,
William s. King
Mr.. Hall was an eyewitness of the
famous convention at Detroit in 1882,
when the great Nelson-Kindred con-
test for congress came to a head, and
he gives a graphic account of the in
cidents there which came SO near end
ing in a pitched battle.
Another interesting story Is that Of
the fourth district convention in 1884,
when Loren Fletcher and Albert
Scheffer Of st. Paul were the candi-
dates, and H. F. Barker of Cambridge
having the balance of power, forced
the nomination of J. B. Gilfllan. This
is the only convention as far as he
knows, says the chronicler, where one
man was the whole convention.
In two or three chapters the narra-
tive goes outside Minnesota. One tells
of the national convention of 1880,
that nominated Garfield. Another is
about 1.-TWO Men Elected President
Who Never Served" Mr.. Hall gives
his reasons for believing that Tilden
was elected in 1876, and Blaine in
.. 1884.
Another man who thought he was
sFelected was one DR.. A. A. Ames, who
gave A. r. McGill such a sclose race
for governor in 1885. Ames was SO
confident then that he went down to
st. Paul and took the oath of office.
7 Mr.. Hall thinks he would have been
: elected if it had not been for the IA
5 nous riot in Minneapolis just before
election, when over-enthusiastic dem
/, ocrats stoned J. S. Pillsbury, r. g.
!; Langdon, Thomas Lowry, Charles A
l Pillsbury, and other prominent re-
! publicans marching in a parade. Nc
, Gill lost votes that year by his stand
: for high license, then a new thing and
! hardly popular, but now the estab.
; lished policy of the state.
: Coming down to recent days, Mr.
i Halls story grows more like other
e histories, and is less racy and amusing
Either politics are more tame in these
days, or the author is reluctant to tel
state secrets SO soon after the Incl
d dents have happened. Governor Var
t SAINT Is praised for his speech at the
n 1898 convention, which nominated
I Eustis. The speech is reproduced en-
y tire as model for politicians to use
;, in accepting defeat Mr.. Hall onl!
g Endorses the general verdict when HI
= says that this speech made Van San
governor two years later. He passes
- over recent campaigns lightly, bu
:. gives a lengthy chapter to the Dunn
n Collins contest this year, bringing hi
q history more nearly down to date thar
b historians generally do. In this h
e betrayS once more the newspaper in
d stinct and training. He gives cir
: cumstantial account Of the famous
il convention in the Metropolitan opera
d house, but the most interesting featur
is his tribute to Judge Jamison for re
s fusing to play a dictator's role. HI
It was urged by Collins supporters t
: head off the unseating of the Henne
pin delegates by gavel rule, entertain
ing a motion to declare the temporar.
:. roll of delegates the properly accred
n tied list, and then pounding it thru
IS on viva voce vote. This Jamison re
Is fused to do, and in Mr.. Halls opin
le ion split in the party was prevente,
- by his stand.
Of The author Of the "Observations
II has no political idols, and while h
O. occasionally seems to play favorites
Is he does not hesitate to give close viey
er of every public man he knew, SO tina
!, the reader can see each one thru
as contemporaries eyes, and not thru
. glamor Of tradition. In this respect
. especially, the work is valuable, an
. whatever else may be said of them
the "Observations' are mighty inter
Z esting.