St. Paul daily globe., 1888-01-29
A Fight for Him, But a Feel
ing That Merriam Will
Be the Man.
Complications of the Senator
ial Fight With Eight Lit
tie Indians.
The Congressional Field--Mr.
Barto Is Looming--The
Fourth District.

About the biggest thing in state poll
ties at this time, outside of the bubbllng
and engroSSing local affairs of Hennepin
county. is the question of Andrew X.
McGill's denomination. a year ago this
would have been looked upon, not only
as improbable, but highly ridiculous.
Even his friends would have doubted
the sanity of the politician who would
have suggested such thing, while now
those friends use the word ''probably,"
and his enemies admit possibly" The
combination is at work for the Knight
OF the Raven MuStache. c. \. PillSbury
has said Hennepin county is for him.
and Loren Fletcher has openly favored
his reelection. These sentiments do
not accOr d with earlier ones accredited
to these far-seeing gentlemen, but they
are authentic. 1t was all along believed
that Fletcher and Merriam had made a
deal by which the former was to throw
IIennepin county for Merriam, and the
latter was to turn Ramsey to the account
of Fletcher. On the other hand, Charlie
PillSbury is charged with ambitions to
succeed Senator Sabin, and had agreed
TO turn over Hennepin to A. E. Rice, i'll
return for the latter'S influence.
bul lllluSS nave
The machinery of the state is in the
hands of the McGill faction and the ac-
tive work Of the warmers of official pO
SitiOnS will be toward the continuance
through another term of the present adj
miniStratiCn. 1t would not be strange,
after all, if McGill and Rice should once
more be the candidates for the leading
places and then-whata a campaign there
wOnld be! Between now and the time
of the convention there can be no start
ling changes throughout the state, un-
less they be changes that are due to the
national convention, so that affairs are
pretty well shaped up. Of the rank and
file of the party, there are few who do
not believe Merriam Will be the candi-
date, but it is surprising to see how
many who blamed McGill for the sweep
ing loss of votes are now patching up
his fences and admitting he is not bad
sort of governor, Such men as Joel ?.
Heatwole must be brought over. not
bought over, and the McGill chances
Will look up.
There are many complications.
The fight for the senatorship will be
so ripe just about that time, and will
enter very largely into all minor con-
tests. On reliable authority there are no
fewer than eight candidates. ID. NJ.
Sabin is not out of the field, as may be
supposed. and will be there when the
canvass is hottest. Knute Nelson is
''Out of politics. until the time comes,
when he will bob up for senator, and on
that account will be very. quiet in the
great congressional strife now being
Waged in the Fifth district, not doing to
help his friends for fear of creating
new enemies. Maj. II. B. Strait has
not yet had his fill of pOlical life, and
looks forward TO going back to Wash
ngton in higher house. c. \. Gilman,
N doubt as to the outcome in the Fifth,
will dispose of his congressional chances
At the last moment in the manner best
calculated to help out his senatorial
aspirations.
And then Hennepin county.
Only four candidates there.
Hennepin feels that it has been slight
ed in the distribution of the flesh pots,
and, as long as Ramsey has both SEN
atOr and congressman, will rely upon
ST. Paul to help it out. Honest John S.
PillSbury, elated with his success as
chairman OF the state committee, thinks
he can get there, but in his own family
is powerful rival in the person of c.
a. PillSbury, who has long had un-
spoken aspirations to a senatorial tOga.
r. B. LangdOn has the qualifications of
the necessary bank account and would
tap his bar'l very freely if occasion de-
manded it. Last of all, but by no
means least, is Gen. W. ID. WaShburn,
whose bar'l has largely entered into the
500 railroad. but who could raise the
money for Legitimate campaign eX-
penses." Who will get it? From re-
ports which straggle in in insignificant
numbers from the state it would seem
j. j. Hill favorS Sabin, and every poll
tician knows what the influence of the
Manitoba amounts TO. With this COM
plication it is impossible to make pre-
dictOns with anything like accuracy,
especially as there are as many, if not
more, congressional complications.
They make it interesting.
There is the Fifth district, for in
stance.
The rotund form of A. Barto, the
statesman of Sauk Center,is looming up
and in the chiarOScurO of the distance il
assumes gigantic proportions. Gilman
COmStOck, Kindred and Buckman are
dwarfed into comparative insigniicance
Only Judge StearnS stands out as any
thing more than pigmy. The Duluth
contingent appears to have antagOniZeC
the rest of the district, and it looks as
though the contest would finally resolve
itself into desperate battle between
Barto and Stearns. Duluth seems Ell
titled to the nomination this time, but
II W lSdllZC tildU III GIlt
course of justice none of us should see
salvation. 1t is reported, and as late as
yesterday, that even Nelson has de-
clared for BartO, and the activity with
which the latter has leaped into the
arena would indicate he has some very
substantial hope.
1t seems conceded that John Lind
will meet with no opposition in the Sec
Ond, and is almost equally conceded
that Judge Wilson and Judge MacdOn.
aid will not be beaten in their respect
i've bailiwicks. No Democrat talks of a
candidate other than Edmund Rice, in
the Fourth, but the Republicans have
not abandoned hopes of retaking tn G
seat in the coming presidential election
There are three candidates, or at least
three names mentioned-LOren
Fletcher. John p. Rea and s. p. Snider
Capt Snider exhibited no little warmth
day or so since, at the mention of his
name, but then six months ago he was
brought down from Ashland in hot
haste by an announcement in the
GLOBE that he would be actively in
the field. Just now, he is doing moth
ing. His friends are working, however.
Loren Fletcher is an avowed candidate
and has been, ever since he gracefully
stepped aside to permit John B. Gil
fillan to be led like lamb to the
slaughter. Judge Rea is not supposed
to be candidate, but it has been said by
prominent politicians that he is ''the
only Republican that can beat Rice, .