Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 November 1886 — THE BAKER BOODLE. [ARTICLE]

THE BAKER BOODLE.

Great Quantities Thrown Into the Eighteenth District to Defeat Morrison. Imperative Orders Given the Knights of Labor Assemblies to Vote Against Him. (Water'oo (Ill.) special to Chicago Times.) The Monroe County Democrats are in trouble over the defeat of Col. Morrison. Nobody would believe the fact until Friday or Saturday. Colonel Morrison does not seem to be much cast down over the knock-out. “It's all well enough,” he said yesterday. “I did not think it could be done, but it was all the same. The people around me—my friends, I mean—feel worse about the matter than I. The fight was made against tariff reform, but this defeat will only be sure to intensify future conflicts.” The Colonel is not disposed to be rebellious, nor does he make use of harsh, vindictive language toward the Knights, who defeated him. This contest is by all odds the most important political event in a Congressional way in the last ten years. It was not the ordinary threadbare fight of the nominee of one party as against that of another. It was the battle of the combined protection monopolists and anti-tariff reformers against the "recognized champion of revision. The gentleman for whom a seat in the Fiftieth Congress has been bought cut no figure in the premises. A wooden man, backed by the same influences, would have won just as easily aB he. Jehu Baker was but the dummy. So far as he personally is concerned the victory is a barren one. He was elected; when, however, the inside facts concerning the campaign of the protectionists are brought before the public. Jehu Baker will be in any but an enviable position. A fight of precisely the same character was two years ago made in the interest of Thomas B. Needles, whom Col. Morrison defeated by a majority of over 2,000. Tho Pennsylvania iron manufacturers gave the Needles campaign all the financial aid deemed necessary to insure the success of the Kepublican candidate. Money came into the district by the barrel. The Knights were not concentrated in 1884, and from one-half to two-thirds of their members belong to the Democracy. Col, Morrison, until the election of Tuesday last always received 50 per cent, of the vote of the members of the Assemblies, and had every reason to believe he would not be deserted by them at tnis time. Jehu Baker’s nomination signified nothing. He has been absent from the district for six or eight years. The gentleman was in perfect accord with the prohibitionists, and in the riots at East St. Louis and Belleville a year or two ago, joined a sheriff’s posse comitatus, aud is said to have carried a gun during the continuance of the troubles. No Democratic Knight of Labor in the Eighteentli District would, if left to himself, espouse tho cause of Jehu Baker, who is by every association an aristocrat, and not in sympathy with the workingmen. Morrison entered into the campaign with every assurance of success. The Democrats appeared to bo reasonably well united, and the laboring men of St. Clair, Bond, and Madison Counties were not disposed to unite in common war upon the Democratic cadidate. Morrison’s meetings were well attended ; many coal miners, rolling-mill men, glass-blowers, and toilers of other trades came long distances to listen to his speeches. His sentiments upon the questions of the day received the unqualified indorsement of a majority of the Knights. Tho masters of their lodges called upon him, and it looked, almost to the eve of election, as if Morrison would win with all ease. John Jarrett, the tin-maker, slipped into St. Louis, and opened headquarters at Hurst’t Hotel. He very quietly made stealthy visits to East St. Louis, interviewing tho officers and leading spirits of the lodges of Knights. Many of these men were induced to cross the river to St. Louis and consult with Jarrett at his rooms. He very shrewdly selected a number of men who were set at the task of sowing tho seed of discontent among the workingmen. Col. Morrison knew all about Jarrett’s actions, and for a time felt just a little uneasy. It cropped out, however, after a time that Jarrett was not meeting with much success. Many of the Knights refused to support Baker. They had always voted for Morrison, and were not disposed to leave him now. This fact served to reassure the Morrison men, and no Democrat in the district felt Morrison to be in danger until a day or two before the election. On Saturday a week ago Col. Morrison, in private consultation with one of his lifelong friends, said: “I don’t like the atmosphere. It is chilly, and I feel that something is wrong some place. Is it among the workingmen? ” “Oh, pshaw! "was the rejdy. “ Nothing is wrong. You will get the German vote and your usual support from the laborers. Jarreti cannot control tho Knights.” This assurance, coming, as it did, from one of the shrewdest politicians in the district, had the effect of allaying Col. Morrison’s fears. Subsequent events proved the Colonel’s suspicions to be well grounded. A member of one of the lodges of Knights in the district a few weeks ago changed his resilience, removing from this to an adjoining State. The night before the election he received a letter address il to him at his old home, and forwarded to him at his new place of abode. The envelope contained a letter from the master of the assembly to which ho belonged commanding him to vote a ticket which was inelosed therewith. The ticket read : “For Congressman, Eighteenth District, Jehu Baker.” Tho recipient of the letter, who had for years been a friend of Col. Morrison, made all haste to his old residence for the purpose of disclosing the scheme to Col. Morrison’s friends. The night before the election the Knights said: “We do not know who we shall support— Morrison or Baker; as yet we have received no orders.” Tho friendly Knight brought his warning late Tuesday afternoon. Colonel Morrison was in Waterloo election day, and during the evening received a dispatch announcing the vote of Washington County. Turning to his friends, he said : “I am beaten. ” He went to his house, and in less than half an hour was in bed sound asleep. ’there are about 2,500 Knights in the Eighteenth District, With few, very few, exceptions, every one of these men voted against Morrison. The story as to the means employed to secure the result is little by little coming to the surface. It is very long, hut quite interesting. In view of the close proximity of tho Presidential contest of 1888, and the control of the lvuights by the Republicans, by Indirection, at least, the contest in the Eighteenth will mako a living page of political history. As before intimated, Baker, in an individual sense, cut no figure in the case. A deaf-mute weald have been elected as well as he. The gentleman stumped the district, inveighing long and loud against debauching the ballot-box. He said he was opposed to tho use of money in elections, only desiring a free and full ballot. When asked by an indigent constituent for the loan of fifty cents, he shouted, with much show of indignation : “Half a dollar! No, sir. I will have you to understand this is no boodle campaign.” In a speech made here a night or two before the election Mr. Baker said Monroe County would give Morrison its usual majority, but be would carry fit. Clair, Madison, Bond, aud Washington. He then gave the figuros, and tho result of tho election proved conclusively that Mr. Baker knew exactly what he was talking about. He placod the vote of the Knights just whore it wont. And all this time Baker howled for an honest election! He must have known what Jarrett, as the agent of the protectionists, was doing in tbe district. Otherwise he could not have foretold the action of the Knights. Nor would he have declared himself so strongly in favor of a clean election, and against the use of money, unless he knew the district was by J arrett’s agents being flooded with money in his interest. He was evidently preparing himself for a contest in case of his election. Jarrett met with much opposition in his endeavors to capture the Knights. Koine of tho leaders were bought outright. Others, true to their friendship for Morrison, refused to yield to the blandishments of the protectionists. They declined all offers of employment at exorbitant figures, and tenders of large sums of money for campaign purposes. These men positively refused to support Baker. Jarrett saw something mqst bo done, and that quickly. Ho played the highest trump, and tho night before the election there came from the East a telegraphic message, directing, yes, commanding, all Knights in the district to support Baker. The dispatch in question is said to have been signed by Mr. Powderly. Tho Morrison Knights were whipped into the traces, and Baker “triumphantly” elected.