St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-29
TORN Up the BACK.
The Hennepin County Repub-
lieans Engaged in Bitter
Internal Strife.
S. M. Clough About the Only
Republican Who Boldly
Stands by Merriam.
r. B. Langdon May Take the
Senatorship From Board
man and EuStiS.
Hennepin County Has No Set
tied Choice for the Gov
ernorship as Yet.

Minneapolis is now undergoing one
of the fiercest political struggles that 1t
has been her misfortune to see since 1t
formed a joint corporation with st. An
thony. Heretofore Minneapolis Re-
publicans, by force of strong party ties
and discipline, have been able to get
along very we'll, but dissatisfactions too
well known to the greater part OF the
reading public have recently sprung up,
which threaten to tear Hennepin county
politics into many pieces. There are
now two great political parties inside
what is known as the Republican party
of Hennepin county, viz: Merriamites
and the -MerriamiteS. This is the
position the great Republican party
of Hennepin county finds itself in
to-day. The allies of each party are at
work night and day to attain the end IN
view: and what makes the situation
now more than interesting to the disln-
terested observer is that both factions
are confident of success. The more
sober men of both wings say they do
not care so much about the fight on
Gov. Merriam as the probable effect
such wrangling is likely to nave on the
congressional, county and city tickets.
Some of those who are preaching har-
mony invariably have axes to grind,
and are more interested in their own
political advancement than they are in
the party's welfare. They tell their
hearers on the street corners and III the
saloons that they are not seeking any
office, while at the same time they have
men working the city in their interest.
The cause of such backWardneSS is solely
due to the way the party is torn to
pieces. being afraid to announce their
candidacy until they know how the
governors pudding is going to fare.
Some of them, of course, have openly
announced their candidacy for their
favorite offices, but these belong to that
class of oficeseekers that never get
there.
Little attention is being paid at pres
ent in Bennepin county to anything
political outside the governorShip,
though those who are foremost in this
fight have something prospective under
consideration. But from present ap-
pearances it looks as if the anti-Mer
RAM men are going to carry the day.
Led by w. II. Eustis and Loren
Fletcher, the opponents of the gov
ernor are doing some very effective
work. They are using the census rum
pus against Merriam for all there is in
it. not because of the part he and some
of his admirers have taken in this I'M
fortunate affair, but because he did not
come out boldly and denOunce the peo-
ple of his own city who identified them
selves with it. This his friends say he
could not do, but that seems to be poor
reasoning at this time. Fletcher. Davis,
Eustis and other representative cltl-
Zens of. the Union league are conf
dent that an anti-Merriam delegation
will be sent to st. Paul next month,
and they base their statements to this
effect on the result of the meeting at
the league rooms few evenings ago.
There was quite handsome sprinkllng
of Republicans called together to dis
cuss ways aud means, and when they
got down to business, and vote taken
on whether they should support Mer-
RAM or not, there was only one man i'll
the room who had the courage to get up
and say that he did not propose to
knife Merriam because of an unpleaS-
ant feeling that had arisen between the
two cities over the census work. That
man was d. NJ. Clough, the prospective
lieutenant governor of Minnesota. The
others who were present voted SOlidly
to oppose Merriam and knife any mau
in the party who would not come out
and do likewise.
This turn of affairs, though partly an
ticipated by Senator Clough, was more
sweeping than he was prepared for, and
the result is that he must do some tall
hustling between now and convention
day if he hopes to get the nomination
for second place on the ticket. Board
man, who was present at this little back
office meeting, had little to say, but
since then showed a disposition to help
out the governor. This, of course,
pleased Senator Clough, but the chair
man of the county committee was
dubbed into line by the anti-Merrlam
. men, and he was forced to call the
county committee July /. Merriam adj
vised strongly againsean early conven-
ton, but the pins are i'll position now tC
upset that programme. EuStIs and 9th
ers, who are back of the crusade against
Merriam, insist on as early a conven-
ton as possible, so as to kill off any
Merriam schemes, and when the com
mlttee comes together it will result in
calling the caucuses for Saturday, July
5, and the convention for Monday, July
z. EuStiS and his men say the conven
ton must be held as stated here, and
as he had enough strength in the Union
league meeting to carry over every mar
present except one, it is probable thai
he will have his own way in this matter
as well. That means, of course, an
anti-Merriam delegation to the state
convention.
The full hand with which W. FL. Eus
It's opened boardman's jack pot is caus
ing the latter much anxiety. These two
men are pitted against each other fol
state senator, and Thomas Langdor
promised Boardman some time ago tina
he would support him against Eustis
He has taken it all back since the cenSu!
trouble has come up. This change O
base is due to Boardman's friendl,
feeling for Merriam, and now LangdCI
NAV consent to make the run himself
In any event, Boardman has killed him
self, and there is no one better pleased
at that than Mayor Babb. Boardmal
and his friends are trying to explain
their position by saying that they be
lieve the census rumpuS was originated
by Democrats in the interest of theil
party and against Merriam. This eX
cuse is letting Boardman down easy
but present indications point to his de
feat for the senate.
Politicians generally will be mucl
surprised to learn that Uncle Lorer
Fletcher is going to be a candidate 10
the legislature. This was decided on
few days ago. In justice to Mr.. Fletch
er it must be said that he did not seel
any honors in this particular line, all,
whatever has been done to bring hin
before the people as legislator agail
Is due 10 his friends. They believe tina