St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-30
A PERPLEXING PUZZLE
The Minnesota Senatorial Fight As it
Looks at the Present
Time.
Davis Has About All the Pledged Strength
But Lacks Some More
Votes.
His Election Depends Upon Whether
ssStickfng'' Caucus VIII
Be HELD.
The Opposition Has No Very Well
Defined Plans-- Davis Waning
Popularity.

Despite the roseate tint with which Gov.
Davis is inclined to color his senatorial as
pirations, there are scores of weil-posted
and conservative men-thorUughly CONVEX
SAINT with the political situation-wlIo are
inclined to draw conclusions of an entirely
different character. While it is conceded
that, at the present time, the strength OF
GOV. Davis is greater than that of any other
candidate, or any other person men
toned for the place, it is by no
means a certainty that he will
be elected, or that he will even succeed in
getting caucus nomination. The figures
of the Davis managers show that he will
be able to secure both caucus nomination
and an election. but it is no longer truism
that figures never lie, and it is likely TO be
demonstrated in this case. Any man who
knows anything about the matter at all
knows that Gov. Davis is not so strong as
he was last summer when the legislative
candidates were being selected. At
that time he had well-de-
veloped boom. The country press
were almost unanimous in his favor; and
in September and October it did not seem
possible for him to be defeated. But the
situation changed within a very brief
period. Gov. Davis made the very worst
break Of his political career-and he has
made good many Of them-when he con-
sented to take the stump during the elec-
ton last fall His friends admit it. and he
probably realizes it. He alienated great
many Republicans with his tariff
speeches, and he turned away from
him, by his display OF offensive par
tisanship. number of Democrats
who felt friendly toward him before. His
remark that he would not vote for the
Apostle Paul if he was on the Democratic
ticket showed the man in his true colors,
and it will be strange if a Democrat will
ever cast a ballot that has the name of c.
X. Davis on it. If Mr. Davis should con-
clude to bolt the caucus, or if no caucus
should be held. and he lacked few votes
OF enough to elect HIM, he certainly
couldn't expect them to come from the
Democratic ranks. The
GHOST OF THE APOSTLE PAUL
would revolt against any such proceeding.
So Gov, Davis finds himself in this dilemma:
His big boom of last summer has collapsed,
although he is the leading candidate SO far
as pledged strength is concerned. He has
not enough votes to elect him outside of a
caucus, and it is extremely doubtful if a
caucus will be held. If it is held it is prob
able that the opponents of DayiS-fOllOwing
the precedent set by himself-Will bolt and
refuse to vote for HIM. Where can he get
the necessary votes to elect him? The
Democrats do not feel very friendly toward
him. and the lOw-IarIff Republicans would
break away from him if there should be
reasonable excuse for doing so. There are
a great many Republieans-and gOodly
number of them members Of the legislature
who were enthusiastic for Davis last
summer, but who are now very lukeWarm
Or openly opposed to him. His course in
last falls canvass is responsible for it.
There are a number OF the legislative
members who were instructed for him be-
for the election, but do not like to vote for
him now. They will go to some one else
without much provOcatiOn. Senator HiXon,
of Grant county, is a fair sample of this
class of Republicans. HiXOn says the con-
Veution that nominated him instructed him
to vote for Davis. but he would, if unin-
structed, oppose his election because he OBJ
iects to his tariff views. There are num-
Der Of Just such votes hanging by just such
a slender thread. Senator Shields. Of
Meeker, is another low tariff Republican
who is tired of Republican protective tar
if. Representative Mattson, of Wilkin.
saws whoever is elected should be in favor
of a large reduction of the tariff
or revenue reform. Ii he does not
entertain these views he is
not in accord with the people Of Minnesota
the farmers especially. Representative
Wollar qualified his support of Davis with
the word probably" Representative
Naeseth, of Goodhue. is for Davis-''If his
tariff views suit" Representative Bunge.
of Houston says the delegation is ''prOba-
bly, for Davis. These are only few
samples of how strong the supposed Davis
strength is. The GLOBE. within the past
few weeks, has taken the trouble to sound
the memberS-elect with the view of deter
mining just
HOW MUCH ACTUAL STRENGTH
Davis has, 1t is conceded to be Davis
against the field. and it is proper and legiti-
mate to class a member who is not for Davis
as being against him. 1t is natural to sup
pose, also, that if a member declines
to express his preference he is likely to vote
against Davis. A legislator who intends to
vote for Davis will not hesitate to say so.
There are $50 members of the legislature
1O3 in the lower house and AZ in the senate.
OF this number 46 are Democrats. Those
who classify themselves as straight Repub-
licanS number ninety-One; two write them
selves down as Independents DOnnelly
and SheldS); one as a straight Farmers
alliance CNilliams); nine were elected as
alliance and Republican candidates. but
generally classify themselves as Republi-
cans. These are Thacker, Wallmark, Cos
tello, Engelhard, Halverson, Reese Shoe
Of %ha,
will undoubtedly act with the Republicans.
There is one whose politics is i'll doubt
(Arneson). He was elected as q
labor candidate ard declines to COM
NIT himself as Democrat or
Republican. Donnelly is pronounced for
Davis. Giving the Republicans all the
strength outside of the 46 Democratic
members. and their vote would be 104. 1t
would require 53 votes in caucus to nOmi-
nate-Or. if it came before the Legislature
direct on Joint ballot, 7G votes would be re-
quired 10 elect. If Davis can get a caucus
he will stand good chance, although there
are not enough members to elect
him who will say outright
that they intend to vote for
him. The replies TO the GLOBE
clrculars-and direct information CLEANED
by reporters-show total of only thirty
six members who say they are for Davis
without any ifs or ands. These are: Fathers,
of Olmsted; Reese, of KandyOhi; MOrri-
son, of Olmsted; Hoard of Chippewa; Iver-
son, of Fillmore; Daniels of Olmsted;
Brown. of PipeStone; Arnold, of Dodge;
Wallmark, of Chisago; Clark. of Cotton
wood: Ward, of Waseca; Shuler of Henne-
pin; Rogers and Scheffer. of Ramsey; Low,
of Murray; JOhnsrud, of Freebon; Ander-
son, OF GOodhue; Hurd. of Sherburne:
Biorge, of Otter Tail: PrOsser, of Fillmore:
Johnson. of Houston, Baker, of Norman: