St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-04-04
Republicans After Several
Sessions Decided on a
City Convention,
Although Some of the Com
mittee Wanted to Avoid
the Annoyance.
How the Fine Workers Sized
Up the Situation in Sc
cret Conclave.
The Party Will Go Through
the Motions Next Monday
Forenoon.

The Republican city committee is like
the mountain in travail, but whether it
will bring forth mouse remains to be
seen. Sam FL. Nichols is chairman,
and though he seems to have enough of
politics, his love for the 6. o. p. is so
great that he cannot let go. EX-Adju-
tant Gen. MacCarthy, another of the
defunct state house ring, is secretary.
AS an antidote for Nichols and Mac
Carthy, there is State Oil Inspector III.
B. Willis, he of the fine Italian hand, a
pupil of Loren Fletcher.
The committee has had several secret
and turbulent sessions the past week,
and where OF in what it will end no one
can find out. The first meeting was
devoted to the mighty question,
to be or not to be-whether it were
better to fly the colors of the
g. O. p. and suffer the usual de-
feat or accept the inevitable gracefully
beforehand. Mr.. Willis was for doing
the graceful act, and declared that St.
Paul was the best governed city in the
country and there was no use making a
lambs tail of the Republican party.
Gen. MacCarthy and Nichols were for a
fight; but as the ''silk stockings" didn't
fight we'll they couldn't see how to draw
up line of battle, so the debate on that
subject was continued.
EThe next question was, eff we decide
to call a convention, when and upon
what basis?" The 'when" business
was sticker and the ''basis" about as
unreliable. Gen. MacCarthy proposed
call based on the vote for Maj. New
son for city treasurer two years ago.
This would give the generals ward
some fifteen votes in the convention
and the Seventh or "hilf' ward only five
votes. Other German wards, that were
off on Newson, would be low on repre-
sentatiOn, while wards where the labor
vote is strong, and usually Democratic,
would have too great representation.
The proposition was opposed on all
sides as an unfair basis for Republi;,
can convention. The general claimed
convention on the basis of the vote at
last city election. and if the ''silk
stockings" didn't vote with the working
men, then they shouldn't be given any
more representation until they would
stand by party nominees. George K.
Shaw, late of the Dispatch, and a
partner with MacCarthy in the effort to
capture the labor vote two years ago,
had gone back to his first love, Mime
apolis, and George c. Squires, a ''silk
stocking," took his place on the COM
mittee, so the general was without
forces. Willis favored call based on
the Republican vote at the fall election
in 1886, and it was carried by the silk
representation they could get. Here's
where
WILLIS FINE WORK
came in, as this basis will give the Nc
Gill folks full representation, while
the Germans, who wouldn't go high
license, are shut out. AS the labor vote
didn't 60 for McGill it would cut no
figure in the convention.
The next question was whether the
delegates should be chosen by wards or
voting districts. Willis favored the
latter, as it was agreed upon at the last
county convention. 1t was argued that
the county convention couldn't bind the
city, and anyhow county and state
officials should keep their hands off city
affairs. Gen. Brandt and Mr.. Stocken-
strom, both state officials under the
present regime, resented this imputa-
ton, but voted for the ward system of
representation as easier to control. 1t
was agreed to, and then Willis again
secuted the propriety of holding con-
vention anyhow. This raised storm of
debate, which terminated the sec
ond session without any decision.
Fred Ingersoll, 'silk stocking of gen.
tie MEN," thought it would be well to
give the voters chance, but didn't see
where the voters were going to come
from. Aid. Sanborn, though not on the
committee, was present as sort of an
advisory board. So ended that session.
At the next meeting Stanford Newell,
though not on the committee, was pres
ent. He is the father of the new dis
tricting system, and he was present to
see that his pet scheme got fair trial.
He confessed. however, that the pros
poets were not so brilliant as when he
conceived the idea. 1T looked as if we
might get two or three aldermen from
the wards. but the Democrats
would scoop the ticket at large
and thereby control everything" 1t was
then thought advisable, before doing
anything more, to canvass the chances
of success. John Blom was the candi-
date from the First ward, but others of
his cOuntrymen wanted to divide the
honor. The Second ward was at sea,
and nobody could be found to run in
the Third. The Fourth would be cap
tured. The Democrats also had evil
IDENTIFY corraled the Fifth ward, and
there were so many Republican candi-
dates in the Sixth that no one could tell
where the West side would land. The
Seventh was, of course, for SanbOrn or
ANY OTHER SILK STOCKING.
The Eighth ought to return Weber.
The Tenth was torn up by the Pro-
hibitionists of Hamline ana the st.
Anthony Park fellows, and it might re-
suit in a Democrat being elected. In
the Tenth ward, Fred Stevens, of Mer-
riam Park, had the proxy on the COM
mittee of A. B. Robbins, who was de-
feated for alderman by Long. Fred
thought D. M. Sullivan, of the Transfer,
could be elected if he would run. The
Democrats were conceded walk over
in the Ninth ward; so after going over
the whole field the committee could see
but few crumbs of comfort. This again
brought Willis to his feet in opposition
to convention or any general ticket.
claiming that the best policy would be
to secure the few aldermanic chances in
two or three wards and not sacrifice
Gratis to fight for the election. He
argued that if the Republicans
did not make any fight this spring it
would help them next fall. Gen. Mac
Carthy led the attack against this at
tempt to sell out the city for the benefit
of few county or state officials. ''Three
years ago Merriam ran for mayor" he
said, 'sand though he got scooped he de-
served well of the Republicans of the
city. McGill fell far behind in the city
at last state election, and now if Albert
Scheffer wanted the Ramsey county del
egation he should lead the forlorn