St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-09-18
A REPUBLICAN ENIGMA
The Canton Bureau Busy Showing How
Judge Clifford Will be Nominated
by Acclamation,
While Evidence is Cropping Out That a
Dark Horse Will Secure the
Yankton Prize.
Maj. Edwards, the Territorial Jour-
naltstfc Colossus, Being Groomed
by Newspapers.
Grfgsby, of Sioux Falls, Quietly Nov
ing on the Nomination Beneath
Gffford's Cloak.
Clifford May Not Get 1t.

OpeCldl W
JAMESTOWN, Sept. 17.-The Republican
convention to nominate candidate for del
egate to congress to succeed Judge
Clifford, meets at Yankton next We'd
nesday. Sept %, and the indica-
tons now are that nearly every county
entitled to representation will have delegates
or proxies ON the ground. Some of them
will travel from 500 to 800 miles to reach
there, and it is not given out that any ben
evolent railroad company proposed to relieve
them from heavy transportation expendi-
lures. If the daily reports sent out by the Gift
ford bureau at Canton are taken as reliable
that a majority of the counties instruct for
that statesman, and nearly all the rest are
for him as second chOice.i would seem
very useless outlay of money and time for
so many people to undertake this tedi GUS
pilgrimage simply to swell the vocal volume
that will give Clifford the nomination by
reclamation. Half dozen gentlemen with
proxies could represent all the distant coun-
ties, and the Yankton patriots will cheer
fully furnish all the vocal racket needed.
This political bureau at GitfOrds home,
which has assumed the role of dissemination
of public sentiment, largely the product
of its own Imagination, is credited to the
sAGAcIoUs NEWSPAPER MEN
at Canton, who have the custody of their
townsman. Such a device would never
occur to the old gentleman himself. Its
managers should have the credit of indus
try and faithful work. if not conspicuous
fidelity to facts. They unquestionably
convince the Judge that his political fences
are in excellent repair. and that only the
addenda of new triumph and emphatic
Endorsement will be needed to the biogra-
ply of the Dakota member given in the
last congressional directory. The judge is
an easy-going, clever old gentleman, whose
radius of vision is very narrow, and
believes the average Republican politician
of Dakota is as honest as he
is himself. On his recent tour in the North
he took with him as his fdus Achates and
SPONSOR. Melvin Grigsby, of Sioux Falls,
an intense aspirant for the nomination,
conveniently posing as heir to the Clifford
mantle only in the event the gentleman
could not retain it himself with the aid of
such faithful friends as Grigsby. On the
fidelity of Grigsby to his cause the unsus
picious old gentleman has shown a trust
that unbosomed all his plans and hopes. OF
course, Grigsby was for him. He heard
him vociferate the fact in every gathering
and told him so himself GrigSby is for
him like good many other astute, Schem-
ing politicians, if certain occult devices
cannot be made to mature successfully.
But there was
A SUSPICION OF PATHOS
in the sight of the bucolic simplicity and in
genuous demeanor of the truthful old gen.
tleman in the hands of this ''strong second
choice" from Sioux Falls. A half dozen Of
the leading points in the North were visited
by the Clifford troupe. They were met
with smiles, childlike and bland. and his
home bureau was advised that all the north
ern counties were for him, in some in
stances desiring first to compliment some
local statesman. The role of prophet in
Dakota politics is not an easy or altogether
safe one. The schemerS who have gener-
ally given paternity to the deliverances of
Republican conventions have not filled the
caldrons in presence of the Giffords or adj
verified their purposes in the newspapers.
Like the maternal poultry. they do not
cackle until the egg is laid. The one who
now predicts that Judge Clifford will not be
nominated by reclamation at Yankton next
week may never again be able to secure at
tention as prophet, but that event can
only result from the failure of the SchemerS
and friends of other candidates to concen-
trate upon any individual, This will prob
ably be found difficult task, but hardly
more so than it was two years ago, when
Raymond seemed to go to the convention
with large majority and little positive OPP
position. 1t is very doubtful if even ma
iority of the counties of the South will be
found instructed for Clifford. Several have
passed
RESOLUTIONS COMPLIMENTARY
to him without instructing the delegates.
These are all put in the Clifford column by
the Canton bureau. Hand, for instance,
was one regarded as certain for Clifford,
but it refused to instruct, and John COgan,
the chairman, is known as decided OppO-
nent of the present member The Black
Hills country has Parker, PloWman and
perhaps other aspirants, and in the central
region Judge Palmer. Gordon, and numer-
GUS others will have strong fliends not to
speak of the ''second choice" at Sioux
Falls, who went wnking over the territory
with the short sighted Clifford. 1t will be
noted that the home organ of Grigsby, the
Sioux Falls Leader, is tiercely opposed to
the present incumbent speaks of him
as an Obliging old gentleman, very ae-
tive as chaperone to Dakota pill
grims at Washington, and industrious
in sending out garden seeds, but a mere
stick as far as influencing the passage of
any measures in the interest of his constit-
uents. 1t is not reported that Mr. Grigsby
has made any attempt to muzZle this organ.
Most of the counties that border on the
forty-sixth parallel are opposed to Clifford
because he is divisiOner. Clifford has
reason to look to the North with apprehen-
sion. In Nelson and other counties instruc-
lions for him were voted down, and only
one or two of the smaller counties have in
structed for him. There is 20 special an
tagonism to him, but a general impression
that for so big territory he lacks breadth
and force to properly represent it at Wash
ington. The only avowed candidate from
the North Is
GEN. ALLEN, OF FARGO.
He is regarded as very capable man,
but as he committed the blunder of putting
himself in the division boat with Clifford,
no issue can be made, and this and other
reasons, not material to state, prevent his
developing any notable strength. A COM
plimentary vote from a few counties is the
most we can expect. The enigma of the
situation. and which may well puzzle the
Clifford grooms, is the use made of the name
of Maj Edwards. 1t had been given out
in his paper that he could not afford to
leave his business to go to Washing
ton, or even to the Yankton conven-
ton; but even Seymour once said,
'.your candidate I cannot be-" but
was Edwards is probably equally pa
triotic, and has the reputation of going
good ways to oblige his friendS-W ashing-
ton might not be too far 1t is noted that
he heads the Cass County delegation to
Yankton, which he had instructed for Allen
as a first choice, Col. Steele of Kidder,
who is a bower that has the reputation of
taking the tricks. heads the delegation
from his county. and is pronounced for Ed
wards Trail, Barnes, Ransom, Nelson,