St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-07-14
MINNESOTA POLITICS.

10 all outward appearances, there is a
calm on the sea of Minnesota politics. But
these appearances are deceptive. Not
withstanding the late conventions, there is
to-day as much activity and wire pulling
among the politicians of the state as if the
conventions were all to be held tomorrow.
Still waters run deep, and from the simple
fact that there is no foam on the surface.
we are not to be deluded into the belief
that there is no force in the current. There
never was time when there was more
uIrderhand work being done by the politi-
clans in this state than at present. And
this is especially true Of the Republican
politicians. There are more combi-
nations that have already been formed than
one can count on the the fingers of the
two hands, and there are plots and counter
plots of every description. States are made
every day and changed or broken with
about the same regularity. The multiple
ity of offices which are to be filled necessi-
tates a variety of combinations, and the
aspiring politicians are working the combi-
nation racket for all it is worth. With such
multitude of offices in sight the difficulty
a politician experiences is in forming
combination that will have strength enough
to hold together until the state convention.
The two most important places on the
political slate are the offices of governor and
United States senator, and all the COM
binations are formed with direct reference
to these two positions. The Republican
woods are full of candidates for both
places. In the gubernatorial nomination
4la ha
dates are Lieut. Gov. GILMAN, Speaker
GIBBS. Insurance Commissioner MCGILL
Hon. ALBERT SCHEFFER of st. Paul,
and GEN. BARRETT. The dark horse
candidates are as the sands ON the sea-
shore in number.
So far as developments have been made
up to this time the principal contest is be-
tween GILMAN and MCGILL, without any
satisfactory evidence that either has the
nomination in reach. MCGILL has the
advantage of personal popularity with the
mass of the voters, and consequently at
tracts by his magnetism. On the other
hand. GILMAN has the advantage in
genius for political strategy. He is the most
thorough wire manipulation in the state. In
both of the congressional conventions which
have been held the fine hand of the ST.
Cloud statesman was visible. The nomina-
tons OF LIND and NELSON were a part of
the combination scheme W hich GILMAN
blocked out. The meaning of it is that
the Scandinavian vote in the state conven-
ton is to be delivered to GILMAN. Another
illustration of GILMAN's fine stragetic
work is seen in the combination he has
..4I, L
an unsavory railroad record. and his oppo-
nentS relied upon this to array the farmers
influence against him, and yet he is cheek
by-jowl with the alliance organization and
has no more faithful partisan workers than
some of the prominent officers of the alli-
ance. If the contest was narrowed to
GILMAN and MCGILL, and was to be de-
cided by primary election, there is
no question but that McGILL would
come in several lengths ahead. But
when it comes to setting up
pins for convention GILMAN will
hold hand with the best of them. 1t is
by no means certain, however, that the
contest is going to narrow to MCGILL and
GILMAN. They are the leading candidates
it is true, but it is often dangerous thing
to be leading candidate in political con-
ventiOn. In a protracted struggle it is u.s.
ually the slow horse that is the winner.
And in the event the situation should take
this shape when the convention assemblies
and compromise candidate is taken, there
is no one who will have better showing
than Mr.. 0CHEFFER. He will go into the
convention with positive strength
his following will be of the
staying kind who will stick by their candi-
date until the cows come home Mr.. GIBBS
will have warm friends and Gen. BARRETT
will have a contingent that will never strike
colors to Monopoly. The GIBBS and
SCHEFFER and BARRETT strength COM
bined will have strength enough to defeat
the nomination of either MCGILL or Gill;
MAN, and If not transferred to MCGILL
early in the convention for the purpose of
defeating GILMAN, it will be concentrated
upon some compromise candidate, who
will most likely be SoHEFFER. from the
simple fact that he is the second choice of
the friends of nearly all the other candidates.
Such in short is the showing of the guber-
material race on the Republican side accord
ing to developments made up to this writing.