St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-08-13
THE PARTY'S DILEMMA.

Bowen, of Sleepy Eye, presents it. He
writes in his paper-the Herald:
"There is every indication of bitter
fight in the Democratic state convention
next Wednesday. Who is responsible
for all this? Why is it that at the be-
ginning of a campaign that offers the
most hopeful prospect which the De-
mOcracy of this state has ever known,
the factiOnal strife now on hand threat
ems to fling these prospects to the winds,
and to hand over the state to the enemy
before single gun is fired? There is
but one answer to these questions. 1t is
in no spirit of acrimony the Herald
charges the responsibility of this de-
plorable situation upon the managers
of the party. The Herald has always
been opposed to the methods employed
by these gentlemen; it has no faith in
their motives; it has time and again
exposed their utter failure as organ
izers. But if they had by their acts and
their success belied its criticisms, the
Herald would gladly have accorded
to them their just due, and it would be
the first to indorse their management
had it been competent and deserving of
success.
There are many true Democrats who
have thought otherwise, and who have
looked upon these criticisms as unjust.
They have said that such opposition
breeds diScord, they have declared
themselves for harmony and victory.
1t is to these gentlemen that the Herald
calls attention to the facts which sustain
the charge that the party managers are
responsible for the bitter feeling now
existing in the party.'
~
Mr.. Bowen continues: Had it been
true that the anti-boss sentiment was
merely the invectiyes of disappointed
office-seekers, the sentiment would
have died out. But three years have
only served to intensity it. The split
has drawn new men of prominence in
the state into the quarrel. In almost
every county where there is a strong
Democratic vote there is disunion and
diScOrd. Here in Brown county and
Hennepin county the Democrats are
tolerably well united, but it should be
noted that these two counties are united,
not under the management of friends of
| the state leaders, but solidly against
them. In such counties as Winona,
Blue Earth, LIE Sueur, Dakota, Waba-
| sha and GOOdhue there is no harmony
In some of these counties the hoStilities
| between factions of the Democracy is
far more intense than it is between
| Democrats and Republicans. And in
every instance the quarrel is not on ac-
count of local differences, but invariably
on the issue OF the party leadership in
| the state.
at is to be observed that the threat
| ened fight in the coming convention is
| not SO much OH account of Schetfer as
| it is on account Mr.. DOran. Every
Democrat who understands the situa-
ton knows that this is the real trouble.
What is to be thought Of that kind of
leadership which is the source of far
more hostility than the strife of rival
candidates? The delegates who meet
in st. Paul next Wednesday would Go
we'll TO reflect on these things. Ii they
desire to retain the present manage
ment, or to select committee virtually
dictated by the present management,
they must do it i'll the tace of an un-
| broken record of failure. 1t will not do
to talk about the brilliant campaign of
1856. Cor no one knows better than the
state committee that they had very
little to do with it. Ii it were necessary
the Herald could produce abundant
evidence TO sustain this fact.
"The question of nominating q cand;-
date for governor Will be Il secondary
one next week. Confidence must be re-
stored III tie ranks Of the party an;
there vii! be no confidence if the cor.
vention is in the hands and under tle
diLtation of those WHO have led it agair
and again 20 defeat. There is grave
! apprehension that the work already
done is ruinous 20 tie hopes of tie party
in this campaign. sjuI il the delegate:
see iit to cOiSiga the welfare CT tni
| party GEcc more 10 those N.:O are re