St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-08
MERRIAM MAY GET II.
His Possibilities With the
Hennepin Delegation Not
Quite Hopeless.
The Plans for the North Min
neapolis Crossings in.
Preparation.
The Date and Place Of the Big
Labor Picnic Decided
Upon.
Attorney w. H. Donahue Has
a Narrow Escape from
Death.

The Hennepin county Republican
convention will meet to-day in Nor
mamma hall and then the fight against
Merriam will be on in earnest. The
supporters of the governor concede that
they may not be able to muster more
than half hundred delegates in the
convention. but they intend to make
up in hustling ability what they lack
in numbers. They will fight. they say,
and fight hard for their man. They do
not intend to let one opportunity for
making stand pass unheeded. If they
are beaten they will have the satisfac-
ton of knowing that they made the
other fellows work and show their
anti-Merriam or unpledged dele
ing just as determined to win
as are their opponents. Many were
elected to the convention with the
understand that they would oppose st.
Paul and st. Paul men first, last and all
the time. They intend to do it. The
delegation of forty-five which will go to
the state convention from Hennepin
county will, Judging from present indi-
cations, go unpledged. 1t may go unin-
Structed, so far as candidates are con-
cerned, but the chances are overWhelm
ingly in favor of its being anti-Merriam
from top to bottom.
The Merriam men are claiming that
the delegates already elected outside of
Hennepin county, 135 in number, are
pledged to Merriam. Their opponents,
however, deny this. and say that it only
requires the mention of some popular
Republican. like Knute Nelson, to
cause a stampede from the gov
erhOr's camp. This, then, seems to be
the scheme which the Henhepin county
ants are quietly working: The dele
gates will be sent down to st. Paul I'M
pledged to any man. They will try to
form an alliance with the Fifth district
men and organize the convention. 1t is
argued that the Hennepin and Fifth
district delegations solid can control the
convention, and it is proposed to send
such men down to st. Paul as will form
any sort of an advantageous combina
ton for the purpose of downing the
Sanity City men.
The first matter which will come up
in the convention to-day will. of course,
be the election of a chairman, over
which there may possibly be contest.
1t has been given out that Loren
Fletcher will be chosen to preside over
the conventions deliberations. He was
at first unwilling to serve, it is said,
but he has been prevailed upon to ac-
cept. Uncle Loren does not want to go
as delegate to the state convention,
and as his wise old head is needed in
the councils of the ants, he has been
decided upon as presiding officer. c.
II. Benton's name has also been men
in nj q mi
if proposed, he will secure good sized
vote. 1t is probable that the Merriam
men will put forward Robert Jamison
for the honor of presiding officer, and
the county attorney will certainly make
it lively for the other fellows, despite
their big majority. After the chairman
has been selected there will be another
fight over the nominating committee.
The anti-Merriam fellows WANT COM
mittee appointed composed Of mem
Der from each ward ana two from the
county, who will decide upon the men
to send to the state convention, these
nominations to be Endorsed by the con-
vention. This is Numerically opposed
to the end which the governors friends
have in view. They want the state
delegations chosen by wards, instead of
by committee. Under that plan they
WOulu De dDle 10 get lew ol Ilelf
fellows into the Hennepin county
delegation, and thereby make the
unit rule of voting imperative, mas
much as there are certain Hennepin
Republicans who, if sent to the state
convention, will work for Merriam, unit
rule or no unit rule. A few Merriam
men in an anti-Merriam delegation
could devote all their spare time to mis-
siomary work and thereby gain few
votes for their leader. This, then, will
bring about another fight over the unit
rule. The ants assert that the delega-
ton to the state convention must be
unit. else the county will be unable to
do any effective work. The Merriam men
are just as strongly opposed to that sys-
tenn and they propose to fight its adop-
ton, and to fight it hard.
These prospects are, therefore, on the
whole, extremely indicative of lively
convention. The artist. Paul politi-
clans, however. hold sort of straight
flush against pair of deuces. and, ac-
cOrding to all rules, should win. 1t will
take a strong bluff and lots of nerve
and work TO make the Merriam hand
win.