Progressive Men of Minnesota

Minneapolis Journal 1897

MARTIN E. TEW editor of the Clarkfield Advocate, is of Norwegian extraction, though a native of Minnesota. His parents came to this country from Vallers, Norway, in 1863. His father was a man of fair education, physically strong, enjoyed rugged health and was of strong character.  Mr. Tew’s mother was a woman of strong intellectual traits and deep religious temperament she died when he was five years old. The family was then living in the southern part of Winona County. It was here that Mr. Tew was born on February 11, 1869, in a log house on his father’s farm. With an elder brother and sister, Martin attended the common school in the vicinity for a few months each winter, and worked on the farm at home and for the neighbors during the summer.

When he was thirteen years old he moved with his father to Swift County, Minnesota, and during the first summer there, took charge of a herd of cattle. For this work he received fifty dollars for the entire season. It was lonesome work for a boy of thirteen, but while out on the prairie he made good use of his time, reading all the good books he could obtain, and studying faithfully. Later he attended the high school at Morris during two winters, making his way by doing chores for his board.  In these short terms of three months each winter, he covered the full course, which was as much as the regular classes required nine months each year to finish. From the age of fifteen until he was nineteen he traveled considerably and engaged in various occupations, though making his permanent home in Yellow Medicine County.  All this time he spent his spare moments in studying, and at nineteen he taught his first school.

He was then in Day County, South Dakota.  During the next two years he obtained a few months training at the Normal School at Madison, South Dakota, and by persistent outside work, succeeded in covering the studies of a three years’ course in only four months of actual attendance, finishing all the examinations with some of the highest standings ever obtained in the institution. His excellent work obtained for him the special commendation of President Beadle, of the Normal School. Returning to Yellow Medicine County in 1891, he was nominated the following year for County Superintendent of Schools by the People’s party. In the election of that year, he received almost twice as many votes as the candidates of his party on the state ticket, but not enough to overcome the Republican majority in the county. This was his first entrance in political work. During that campaign he commenced stump speaking, and has since made many addresses in the interests, of his party. In 1894 he had a debate with J. T.  McCleary. In the spring of 1894, when principal of the Clarkfield schools, Mr. Tew was urged to become the editor of the Reform Advocate, a Populist paper, then published at Granite Falls.  The paper was in financial straits. Mr. Tew took hold of it, moved the plant to Clarkfield, increased the size of the paper from four to eight pages, and has since secured for it a wide recognition.  In 1895, H. P. Knappen, of Minneapolis,, became his partner. His journalistic ventures brought Mr. Tew more than ever into politics.  The last few years he has attended nearly all of the state and congressional conventions of his party, and in 1896 was a delegate to the National’ Convention at St. Louis. Some of his friends requested him to be a candidate for congress from the Second District, but he refused to let his name he used. Mr. Tew has a decided taste for literature and is an admirer of Milton, Shakespeare and other great authors. He has also written a number of poems and songs, several of which have appeared in publications of national circulation.