The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1924-07-17
Early Day Politicians Of
Minnesota Discussed by
Ex-Congressman Eddy

Honorable Frank M. Eddy, Sauk
Centre resident, former Congress
man and former Herald publisher
has begun the publication in the st.
Paul Pioneer Press, a series OF very
interesting articles which deal with
the political conflicts in Minnesota fol
a long period of years. Mr.. Eddy
traces the rise of the Republican party
to the dominance it has held almost
continuously, and also reviews the
transient lives of the Granger, Farm
er's Alliance Peoples and Populis,
parties, growing out of discomfort IN
the agricultural district. Their fleet
ing flames of strength, and the wane
of the radical leaders of those days
failed to convince their followers that
they could do more for them than the
Republicans could be relied upon tt
do.
The conditions at the present time
are not vastly different from those OF
the Populist period.
This story of Mr.. Eddy's will run
through several issues of the Herald
the first installment appearing here
with:
Minnesota has been a rock-ribbed
Republican state so long that only the
oldest inhabitants can remember thai
in territorial and early statehooo
times nes,a IT was and S'T De@gceratic
Few are living who remember the
time when pretty young malatto girl
slave of a wealthy Southern family
mer, fed for refuge, after suffering g
merciless whipping at the hands OF
her master for some trihlng fauIt. &c
the home of William S. (BilD King
one of the few militant abolitionists
in the st. Paul district. A mob pur-
sued the girl, bent on returning her te
nsf Fsd headsd
with buckshot in the crook of his arm
held the mob at bay. threatening te
'blow the damned head off the mrs,
disguised the girl in male attire and
spirited her away by q relay OF team
to ST. Cloud where Mrs. Jane Grey
Swisshelm receiver and seereted a 6 nel
NADIA.
Mrs Swisshelm was as militant as
Bill King. Pennsylvania who had be-
come inbued, during residence II
Kentucky, with a passionate hatred OF
slavery, she came to Minnesota, edited
a weekly newspaper called the Vis1tel
northern counties who demanded tina,
she support President Buchanan. She
was denounced as strong minded
woman.
Fort Smelling was the hub of the
territory and the officers stationed
there exercised a dominating influence
over all local, social and political af-
fairs. Liberal patronage from South.
erners who came up the river" te
spend the heated term added not lit.
tie to the prosperity of st. Paul and
the qpFvsr OF st
issue. When the Supreme Court OF
the United States decided against
bred Scott, who had been a slave al
black man has no rights which the
white man is bound to respect" most
people in the district sided agains,
However new settlers were pouring
in, mostly from the New England, the
Middle and the eastern fringe of the
Western States, together. with many
from Germany and Scandinavia, Few
of these but were Free Sellers" and
strongly opposed to slavery.
Alexander Ramsey, appoined the
Fillmore, came to- Minnesota as 9
staunch Pennsylvania Democrat but he
was against slavery and he soon sep
arated himself from that party. on ac-
count of it's slavery tendencies. He
became colossal and heroic figure
around whom rallied the militant Re-
publicans of those early days.
The first state election was held in
1858.
With party spirit rampant, it was
a lurid affair. General H. H. Sibley
governor. Alexander Ramsey was the
Republican standard bearer. A sizzl-
ing election resulted in the election OF
Governor Sibley by majority of FAC
votes.
In 1860, the tables were turned and
Alexander Ramsey defeated George
A. Becker, the Democratic nominee, by
1857 majority. From that time down
to the election of John Lind, the con-
test for supremacy was confined al
most entirely between the two parties
tine since the Republican nominee was
practically certain of election.
In the early seventies" agricultural
discomfort first began to manifest it.
was formed known as the National
Grange, and it's members were sup.
posed to be called Patrons of Hus-
bandry," but the American penchant
and they were commonly called "Grang-
ers." 1t was a business and social or
ganization rather than political, though
politicians of all parties fairly tumbled
over themselves to become members.
The terms Of membership were not very
strict. ANY on being interested in
Grange" 1ourished nightly for a
time and at the peak of its prosperity
it claimed five million members in the
United States. I do not think these
For some reason it did not long en-
dure. Like Jonah's guard, "It sprang
up on night and Wlthered in day.
I believe National Grange" still ex-
lists but it is without influence or
prestige and there are none so poor as
to do it reverence.
Supplanting. rather than succeeding
lance" About all the connection the
alliance" had with the Grange was
that the leaders who had organized and
controlled the Grange" were the or
ganizers and leaders of the new move
ment which was mainly political in
character and soon began to make it.
self felt in the politics of the state.
The Republican convention of 1884
was hectic. The Farmers Alliance
and Republicans of the rural towns
and villages led by Knute Nelson al
most achieved the nomination Of
Charles A. Gilman of ST. Cloud for
and clever wire-pulling among the del
egates resulted in the nominate
Andrew r. McGill of 81 .1.x Of
although he woo peter, and
charac+ .h1e man with. q
:. above reproach, he was not
% popular candidate. He was little
position he had ever held was private
secretary to Governor horace Austin
which at that time was regarded as 6
mere clerkship, carrying with it Meth
er prestige nor influence. 1t was com
mon rumor, whether well founded Of
not, that his nomination was procured
by dubious methods and he proved
weak candidate.
DR.. A. A. Ames, then the picturesque
Mayor of Minneapolis, was his Demo
cratic opponent. Mr.. ,McGill was elect
~.sk 90 xynf aS