Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-14
HOW VAN SAINT BEAT LIND
Interesting Story of Minnesota Politics Re-
lated by Colonel B. ], Nosicr
NORTH STAR PEOPLE STOP IN OMAHA
In Party is c. r. Macdonald, Veteran
Democratic Statesman and Editor,
All Returning from Denver
Encampment.

A party of Minnesotans who had been to
Denver attending the Grand Army encamp-
ment stopped off at the Paxton hotel yes
terday between trains. The party con-
sisted of Mr.. and Mrs. c. F. Macdonald of
st. Cloud, Colonel and Mrs. B. ]. Mosier
and Mrs. c. A. Mosler and Colonel A. c.
Hospes Of Saltwater and, Colonel p. J.
Woodward of Anoka.
Mr.. Macdonald, department commander
of the Minnesota Grand Army of the Re
public, is editor and proprietor of the St.
Cloud Times, the leading democratic daily
paper of central Minnesota, known all over
the state for its strong and unequivocal
editorial utterances. Mr.. Macdonald be-
longs to the old school of editors, who
writes what he thinks and believes what he
advocates and has both the power of ex
preston and the strength of character to
give his writings force and effect. For
many years he was the leader of democratic
politics in central Minnesota. He repre-
sented Stearns county in the state senate
several times and continues as a potent
factor in state affairs.
The Times had unique advent as a daily.
For many years It had been published as
weekly and one afternoon back in the sos a
one-horse wagon was driven through the
streets Of St. Cloud and it's occupant was
observed distributing papers. These papers
were copies OF the St. Cloud Daily Times
the first daily ever published in that CITY,
Its advent was a complete surprise to the
people. for it was unheralded. From that
time the daily has not missed a regular
issue. 1t soon brought a competing repub-
lican daily into the field.
Colonel Mosier also is a democratic wheel
horse of the North Star state. He was a
member of the state committee and zone OF
the most active leaders in the campaign Of
1900 when Governor John Lind was barely
defeated for reelection by Samuel r. Van
SAINT
Bitter Fight to Lose,
THAT was a hard fought battle and a
hard and bitter one to lose" observed Col
onel Moser. "The republicans had. about
recognized the impossibility of beating Lind
by ordinary means. Tams Bixby of Red
Wing, an enemy OF Van SAINT finally took
the Craftsmanship of the republican commit
tee that had been thrust on him because his
party knew he was the most astute poll
tician in the state and II any man could
| save Van SAINT Bixby could. To make long
story short few days before election Bixby
had Secretary of State Albert Berg make
out the ballot and on It he put the name
| of Tom Lucas, social-democrat, directly
after that of John Lind. democrat The
democrats whole campaign had been, vote
her straight boys; wherever you see the
word democrat, put your mark 1t was toe
late for the democrats to counteract the
lessons they had been drilling into the
| ignorant voters And the laws OF Mime
| sofa forbade mandamusing an executive
| officer, which the secretary OF state was
! There was no way, after a certain time
of getting Tom Lucas on the ticket, al.
though he had no right there. The laws OF
Minnesota provided that party must have
cast one per cent of the vote OF the state
before 1t could have recognition on a gen.
| eral ballot. The social-democratic party
had been unknown in Minnesota, politics
when the returns came in, Van San
was elected by about 2,2OO and fully Is, 90
tickets had been voted, first for John Line
and then for Tom Lucas, to make sure,
as the ignorant voter would say to him
self. The same returns showed MoKinlel
had carried the state over Bryan by 77,OO0
1T was a bitter pill"