Morris tribune., 1910-01-21
THE FAIR CONTEST
IN RETROSPECT
FURLONG'S POLITICAL LOB
BY A MISTAKE.
The New Board of Managers
and Who They Are. Bob
Dunn's Pilgrimage to Duluth
and What He Learned Bob
Wells out for Auditor.

Wells out for Auditor.
st. Paul, Jan. 18.-There are all
kinds of ways now of accounting for
how it happened that Underwood de-
feated John Furlong. The Kitchen
Cabinet plumes itself that it did it.
t'I Think" said John King, "that I
could pick out fifty votes that Under
wood wouldn't have got if we hadn't
got busy"
He tells story of bow the change
was made on the credentials commit
tee that gave the Underwood people
five votes to the Furlong crowds four.
The trick was cleverly turned in the
representation on that committee of
the second congressional committee.
AS result some delegations whose
right to representation was of doubt
full legality, but who were known to
be friendly to Underwood, were ad-
mitted-enough in an election as close
as this to turn the scale.
Another way the result is accounted
for is by the indiscretions of the Fur
long managers. They, so it is said,
showed bunch of politicians to the
front that would queer anybody. The
man they chose as chairman of the
committee on resolutions at this meet
ing of the State Agricultural society
was Col. Wilkinson, the political fixer
for the Great Northern Railway, who
on this occasion was deprived of the
sage counsel of Mr.. Begg and had to
go it alone. With him were associated
as active aides camp such disinter-
ested patriots as-well what's the use
mentioning names-they are good fell
lows all, if they are little unfortu-
nate in their political regulations. The
climax was capped when the story got
out that the design of the gang was to
ditch Cosgrove and make A. w. Rich
secretary. don't believe there ever
was anything to the story, but it was
like shaking a red rag at a bull to mem
tion the names and affiliations of ma
chine politicians so we'll known to the
outstanding young farmers who came
to town in the hope of doing something
to remodel the fair management and
put it on working business basis.
Then there we're the unexplained
and apparently inexplicable Furlong
expense accounts, which certainly
have queer look, and we're so ex-
plotted as to make it appear that they
were unprecedented and that the
Nelson Underwood -Cosgrove end of
the board of managers were as inno-
cent of the biils they voted to pay as
unborn babes. Add to this the NOV
ing picture drawn of Furlong as the
arch lobbyist seducing an innocent
and unsuspicious State legislature
from the paths Of virtue and the only
wonder is that Furlong came so near
dividing the vote of the convention
with his rival as he did.
Talking about expense accounts, a
delegate to the convention told me that
a member of the investigating commit
tee of the State fair accounts told him
that their report was made colorless
by design as it was not desired to add
to the unpleasantness by exploiting
the boards methods Of doing business
any more than could be helped. The
investigator added that if they had
cared to go into matters which came
within their ken they could have
furnished the public with some partic
ularly racy reading. What makes me
think there is something substantial
at the bottom of this is story told
me by member of the present board
of managers. After the public exam
iner had made his report the member
of the board to whom refer was talk
ing to Mr.. Schafer. eyes, he said to
him, "you brought out quite fully
about Furlong's expense accounts, but
there were other matters you appar-
entity overlooked" And he went on
to mention some of them. "Why,"
said Mr.. Schafer, "I didn't hear any
thing about that. Why didn't you tell
me, so could go into it?" ''Not me-"
replied the manager, "I wasn't in the
business of discfediting the board, and
am satisfied to let sleeping dogs lie.
But you were makiag the investiga-