St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-09
otter Tail Agrieulturists Do
ing Their Own Thinking
This Year.
They Propose to Name and
Elect a Ticket Of their
Own Making.
The Kid Glove Republicans Of
Fergus Falls Alarmed at
the Outlook.
Democrats Calmly Looking
On and Will Take a Hand
Later.
Special to the Globe.

EhG Us AlLLS, q uuc L. HO COulSO
of Republican politics in this county is
running no smoother this year than the
traditional course of true love. 1t is
like the pristine cocktail of a new bar
tender-badly mixed. There is here in
every campaign a certain amount of
conflict between the Republican voters
and the Republican bosses; meaning by
the latter term those very smooth, gen.
tlemanly, well-dressed, well-educated
city lawyers. bankers and other profess
sional men who aspire to control and
run the destin1es of this neighborhood.
In former years the bOsSeS-and l apol-
ogize again for using a word so distaste-
full, which is, nevertheless, the only
one in the English language that
exactly expresses the meaning de-
sired-ran the conventions to suit them
but the job is getting to be more
arduous one every year, for as the set
tiers get more leisure for other things
than their farm work they are learning
that 'spOlitics" means more to their
prosperity than they formerly supposed,
and are refusing to be dictated to any
longer by those who they feel have
different interests from their own. The
Farmers alliance is distinct power in
Otter Tail county. In spite of the
''bosses"-again that hateful word-it
will dictate most of the nominations
this year. The county convention of
the alliance will be held Wednesday,
and the leading farmers are discussing
the advisability Of putting up an alliance
ticket throughout. The bosses are COM
batting this move with all the strength of
Their United Voices,
their newspapers and their influence.
An alliance ticket would go in
whooping, and they know 1t,
and that would be the end
of Republican boss rule and fear of the
party lash in old Otter Tail. No won
der they are fighting against it. Few
ertheless, at the present time, the pros
poets are very favorable that the
alliance will do just that. Said lead
ing alliadce man to me yesterday: 1--WE
can this year dictate the politics of the
county, and we propose to use wisdom
and conservatism in naming the men.
We have always submitted to the argu-
mentS of men whom we have supposed
were our friends, and done as they
wished. This year think we shall do
what we wish. The result can be no
worse than it has been in past years,
and it may be very much better for
ourselves and for the county. l think
twill" With this spirit animating the
alliance. the arguments Of the Old-time
Republican leaders will not be likely to
have much effect. A potent factor in
this county is the course of the ''Uge-
blad." the Scandinavian weekly paper,
which is edited by man of singularly
pure and high character, as well as of
intelligence and shrewdneSS. He cir
culates probably 1.500 newspapers
weekly among his countrymen. The
Ugeblad for the past two weeks has
strenuously urged the alliance to NOM
mote its own ticket. and stand by it to
the end. The Prohibition party man
ayers have met, and voted in favor of
indorsing the nominations made by the
alliance for the legislature. If the alli-
ance adopts the course that is indi-
mess are Endorsed by the Prohibition
lists, the Republicans, in their conven-
ton on the LIST of July, will be in deuce
of fix; they cannot indOrSe ticket
that has been selected by the alliance,
and backed by Prohibitionists, their
Traditional Enemies.
if, indeed, they were disposed to give
Office to the deserving men whom the
alliance will undoubtedly select, which
they are not. On the other hand, a
ticket put up by them in opposition to
the ticket outlined above, would be
horribly defeated, and they know it.
They would not like to put up an OPP
position ticket for another reason;
namely, that by so doing they would
once for all declare openly their hostil-
ity to the farming interests hostility
which they have for years sedulouslY
endeavored to conceal, but which has,
now and then, cropped out like cloven
hoof in spite of all they could do. The
alliance will no doubt renominate most
of the present county officers, but on
wide swath through the Republican
slate. Its avowed object is to select up
right, intelligent farmers for the legis-
lature, rather than professional men
VIII are anxious to go IN furtherance of
their own ambition or worse motives.
Thus it will be seen why the Republi-
cans are so anxious to induce their dear
friends, the FARMERS, not to put up a
ticket of their own, but instead to come
once more into the Republican fold and
lie down under the thoughtful care and
guidance of the Republican shepherds.
In this matter the Democrats have not
yet taken any part. There are a good
many of them here, and the number is
increasing. The dominant party is
anxious to know what the Democrats
are going to do. Well, just at present
they are going to do nothing. At the
right time they will undoubtedly make
their presence felt. as they generally
do. 1t is possible that if the farmers
put up a Legislative ticket which is
friendly to Democratic interests they
will indorse it; it would be good poll
tics and good sense to do so. However,
the Democratic convention is too far
ahead yet to say much about it.