St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-06-20
A Fair Story Of Ex-Gov. Gil
mans Course at st.
Cloud.
Merriam Composed the De-
feat Of Barto and Made
ComStock.
Gilman Could Not Have Been
a Traitor This
Time.
Assistant Gov. Rice Asked to
Consent and, Consent
ing, Run.

"The most serious mistake made yet
by Merriam and his friends" said res
ident of St. Cloud yesterday to the
GLOBE, twas to spring the accusation
against Gilman that he had played the
part of Judas to Barto. They not only
made this charge at the st. Cloud con-
yention, but have circulated it about the
state. They were so bold at st. Cloud in
their accusations that Gilman having
heard of them said to me. Il have good
mind to go to BartO and tell him that he
must either dispense with these fellows
Or me- He did not do so, but would
have been justified if he had. Barto up
to the close of the convention persist
emily refused to take any stock in the
reports. Let US look at the convention
as it stood when it opened,
~
The pivotal delegations of the con-
vention-any one of which by breaking
away from its own candidate could NOM
mate another Or start him on to victory
were st. Louis, Otter Tail, and what
were known as the Buchanan delega-
ton, led by Crow Wing. Todd county,
before the convention opened, had
many discussions as to whether it should
go to Barto or COmStock. 1t was ma
nipulated by W. E. Lee, who for once
in his life played losing game, and
came out of the convention without
credit. Stearns county was not solid
for Barto, there being at least two on
it who favored Buchanan. Besides there
were Republican influences in st. Cloud
which were fighting Barto bitterly, but
| they did not represent Gilman. Crow
Wing county. while pledged to Buck
and only carried by Kindred because it
was for Buchanan, was anxious to spring
Z. f. as dark horse. Polk, though UNI
instructed, was for CcfnstOck all the
time. Otter Tail was left to the man
! agement of Corliss, who had the alliance
behind him, determined that COmstOck
should not be nominated. This feeling
was very decided with the Grant county
| delegates.
This was the situation when the con-
| vention opened. Now as to Gilman's
part in it. He had one object in being
| present-to defeat any Kindred move
ment. Then his interests in the guber-
Material fight were to be looked after.
Third, he had his pledge to Barto to re-
deem that he would help him to the full
extent of his power. The first ballot
was taken and Stearns led with Barto
second. At that moment it was known
to every delegate that understood the
situation that Barto could not win. Be
fore the ballot he had been handicapped
by his residence in Stearns. After-his
10 HE " Tl.,1
| delegates he had were solid, but he
could gain no more. Had the first ballot
proven his claim to be true that he had
| thirty-fOur votes, his defeat would have
| been next to impossible. To get twenty
| six was an admission that he was not as
| strong as he had claimed: Gilman could
! not capture Otter Tail nor trade with
| Buchanan. and to make any dicker with
| st. Louis was impossible. The east end
had decided to stick together and the
fight was left in the west. 1t was
patent that Buchanan, COmStock and
| COrliSS could in one way or another
name the nominee. Buchanan Tuesday
noon offered ComStOck his strength if
he could show enough other strength to
make his nomination certain. Com
| stock declined it then because he had
not sufficient votes in sight. Corliss
| could not be budged. The fight went
| over until Wednesday. Buchanan again
offered COmstcck his strength and the
latter accepted with the provision that
| if it did not nominate him he
could return with his own and
try to nominate Buchanan. Corliss
for he asked Buchanan for votes
Wednesday noon, claiming that if he
got them he could corral enough
others to win. On the trial being made
| he failed and ceased to be a factor.
! Buchanan then threw his votes to Com
stsek and in five ballots the latter was
nominated. Buchanan is for Merriam
! COmStock'S SympathieS are divided be-
tween McGill and Merriam. The
counties and men that made Comstock's
nomination possible were hostile to Gill
man and BartO. You can see then that
Merriam nominated ComStock and that
Barto owes his defeat in large part to
the perfect understanding that existed
between COmStock and Buchanan from
the start. l question any enthusiasm
on Gilman'S part for BartO's nomi-
nation, but in the st. Cloud convention
he was not nor could he be the deciding
factor of the fight. Merriam's friends
were at the bottom of the winning deal,
and it is against them that very bitter
feelings have been aroused by their
course"
If the efforts of Goodhue county meet
with success, the name of A. E. Rice
will be presented to the Third district
convention for the congressional nomi-
nation. The only thing needed to give
them success is the consent of Mr.. Rice
| to the use of his name, a thing he has
not given yet. All the advices from
the district continue to make Reeds
chances look slim, while Strait con-
tinues thorn in the flesh.
Listening to the drift of the Republi-
can talk in the hotels. it is curious to
note how strongly it tends to Blaine's
nomination. The Gresham wave is to
| be found nowhere. Said one of the
Minnesota delegates to Chicago:
ut will be Blaine and Harrison"
''And defeat?'
81 shouldn't wonder at ALL"
Another funny phase is the great
amusement with which the defeat of F.
F. Davis is received. His speech on
what he was going to do in Chicago,
made him about as many opponents as
friends. This Mr.. O'Brien VINO defeated
him is county attorney of Houston
| county. and no SLOUGH of speaker him
SELF AS first dip in state politics, his
plunge has been unusually successful.
The GLOBES postal card vote con-
tinueS to come in, and the full 500 will
probably be cast. Yesterdays returns
left the candidates as follows:
McGill, 1873: Schetfer, 113; Merriam,
So; Blaine, FOG; Gresham, POS; Gilman,
124.
Can't Take 1t.