Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-05-18
HELL OF A FIX.
Which is the Situation of the Third
District Republicans at the
Present Moment.
Continued from First Page.

political opponents, as well as those of his own
party, have reason to know he was not found
wanting Such being Capt. Blakeley's past
connection with Republican politics in this
district, and also knowing that he was a
warm personal friend of DR.. Stewart, the
present member in Congress, the reporter
naturally concluded that he would feel a deep
interest in the contest this fall and that he
would not be found backward in expressing
his opinion of the first public move of his
party upon the political chess board.
Capt. Blakeley was found by the represen-
tative of the GLOBE in the Northwestern
Stage and Express office, corner of Third
and Minnesota streets, busily engaged in
answering kilograms and otherwise engaged
in looking after the varied interests with
which he is connected.
To the reporters statement of the object
of his visit Capt. Blake]ey answered without
hesitation: Well, 1 can give you my view
of the action of the committee in very
few words. l think that both the
time fixed for the convention and
thes basis Of apportionment agreed upon, ill
advised, to say the least. In the first place,
it is manifest that the intent in fixing the
time so early as the committee has, was to
shut DR.. Stewart and his friends off from
making that canvass for a denomination he
was in all fairness entitled to. The basis of
apportionment adopted is equally unjust, in
not making it upon the votes of the last
general election. This has heen the practice
heretofore, and it stands to reason that the
vote polled at the last general election in this
State is a truer guide of the strength of the
party in the several localities in the district,
no hold +bo
when different influences operated to pro-
Guce the result Furthermore, if I
remember rightly, at the last convention a
resolution was adopted, directing that all
future calls should be based upon the Re-
publican vote at the last general election.
wish you would look back to the proceedings
of that convention, and see if am right.
The reporter promised he would make the
asked for examination and the result of his
search is given below.
Resuming his reference to the subject
matter of the interview, Capt. Blakeley said
that the wholesale proceeding was 50 mani
testify unfair and unjust to DR..
Stewart, that he believed it would create
a sentiment throughout the district so pro-
nounced and unmistakable that the commit
tee would feel in duty bound to call another
meeting, at which time both the time for
holding the convention and the basis of the
apportionmint would be changed. If not,
why there was the convention to appeal to
to right the wrong, and it would be remem-
bercd that previous district convention ap-
pealed to under similar case of un inst ap-
portionment had remedied the wrong COM
planned of. q
At this point Capt Blakeley brought the
interview to close by remarking that :'.This
Is all | care to say at this time.'
THE RECORD.
In compliance with his promise to Capt.
Blakeley the reporter then went for the record
of the last district convention, but found
there no reference to the resolution men
toned by him. Feeling confident that there
was some basis for Mr.. Blakeley's recollec-
tions, the reporter went back to the con-
vention of 1874, at which time, it will be
remembered, Ramsey county Republicans
felt outraged by the unjust preponderance
given Hennepin county in the call, and
there he found that in the efforts to COM
promise the unpleasantness, among other
propositions, the following was submitted /:
"Al future calls are to be based upon the
average Republican vote cast at the last pre-
ceding election for State oficers.''
This proposition was not adopted, but in
its stead was the following, which received
the unanimous endorsement of the conyen-
ton:
''Reso1,e0, That the district committee APP
pointed by this convention is hereby instructed
to apportion the Congressional convention of
1876 on the basis of the average Republican
vote of the preceding general election"'