ding in 1860. Minnesota resisted
the attractions of the new party, and remained Democratic until 1857,
when the first state election occurred, and the whole Democratic state
ticket was elected. Since then the Democrats have never succeeded in our
state, unless the election of Governor Lind in 1898 may be called a
Democratic victory.

It was very natural that the politicians who had joined the new party
should be exceedingly zealous and enthusiastic for its success. Such is
usually the case, and verifies the old proverb, that "A converted Turk
makes the best Christian." This phase of political tendencies was fully
illustrated by the conduct of my old friend, Mr. James W. Lynd of
Henderson, more familiarly known by us as "Jim Lynd," which occurred at
the election of 1856, and forms the text for the present story.

In the early days of the territory much had been said, and generally
believed, about frauds being perpetrated by the Democrats in the
elections on the frontier. For instance, it was asserted that, at
Pembina and the Indian agencies, one pair of pantaloons would suffice
to civilize several hundred Indians, as, by putting them on, and thus
adopting the customs and habits of civilization, they would be entitled
to vote. There never was much truth about these rumors, and being on the
border, and having charge of an Indian agency, where hundreds of men
were employed, I knew a good deal about how these matters were
conducted, and I can conscientiously say that there never was much truth
in them. The nearest approach to a violation of the election laws that I
ever discovered was at Pembina, and that was free from any intention of
fraud. It would come about in this way: Election day would arrive, the
polls would open, and everybody who was at home would vote. It would
then occur to some one that Baptiste La Cour or Alexis La Tour had not
voted, and the question would be asked, why? It would be discovered that
they were out on a buffalo hunt, and the judges would say, "We all know
how they would vote if they were here," and they would be put down as
voting the Democratic ticket. Of course, this would be a violation of
the election laws, but who can say that it was not the expression of an
honest intention by a simple people. While I cannot approve such methods
in an election where the law and the necessities of civilization require
the voter to be present, I cannot avoid the wish that we were all honest
enough to make s