St. Paul daily globe., 1890-12-20
His Fergus Falls Row Costing
Him Many Fifth Dis
trict Votes.
His Friends Will Be in the
Lead In Only One
District.
In a Convention Of 1000 Del
egates He Will Be Defeat
ed by 200.
Strong Probability That the
Jury Amendment Has Not
Been Carried.

While thugs are rather quiet on the
outside it takes but little investigation
to discover the fact that terrific battle
is being waged in Farmers Alliance
circles throughout the state over the
election of delegates to the annual
meeting of the society, which will be
held in this city Dec 80. Wherever a
Donnelly man was to be found per-
sonal appeal was sent from the sage
himself, and, if the latter is defeated it
will not be through any fault on his
part. He is certainly doing his level
best, and is working with almost des-
perate earnestnesS.
There Is no doubt, however, that he
now realizes that he made mistake in
going TO Fergus Falls and kicking up
row with the most influential Alliance
men in the Fifth district. To be sure
he made close fight, which could not
have been done by Henry Plowman
and the balance Of his supporters with
out his presence, but the ''other tel
lows" elected the delegates to the an
nual meeting. and the disgraceful row
i'll which Mr.. Donnelly became engaged
strengthened his opponents throughout
the Fifth district immeasurably, as was
demonstrated by the action of the Stew
ems county Alliance few days later,
when resolutions were passed denounc-
ing the sage in the strongest possible
terms. That the Fifth district will be
practically solid against Donnelly now
seems certain, and this means that at
least 40 per cent of the delegates can
be reckoned as anti-Donneliy from the
start.
The other Alliance stronghold lies in
the southwestern part of the state,
more particularly in the twenty coun.
ties which make UP the Second district.
In times past the extreme western end
of this district has contained many Don
nelly men. but this year the situation is
considerably changed. The sage will
have few, if any votes from
Pipestone. Rock. Lac Qui Parle,
Lyon, Mobiles and Murray counties, but
he will make up for this in a measure
in Blue Earth aud adjoining counties,
where, in some uneXpiainable manner,
such heretofore bitter anti-DonnelIy
men as Jack" Diamond have been won
over, and are enrolled under the Don
nelly colors. A fair estimate would not
give Donnelly over half of the Second
district delegates.
Sage's extensive acquaintance and
shrewd work. he may be set down as
certain to receive the votes of three
fourth of the delegates sent to the annual
although he will not be very strong in
Swift, Chippewa, Meeker and Kandi.
yohi counties, The large representa-
tion present from Dakota, Goodnue and
Rice counties will even up things In
this district, and make up for the ants
from the west.
In the First and Fourth districts the
Alliance is weak as compared with the
other districts, and while Mr.. Donnelly
may divide the latter, eXPresldent
George w. Sprague and his friends in
the First will be very apt to see to it
that few Donneliy delegates are re-
turned from that district. The sage
never was very strong in the Southeast
ern part Of the state, and his antics in
the late campaign have not aided him
very greatly.
The fact that there is to be a contest
over the presidency has had one good
effect. 1t has insured a revival in Alli-
ance matters among the farmers, and
will insure very large attendance at
the annual meeting. The number of
Alliances in the state is now somewhere
around 1.2O0. and as each of these is en-
titled to representative, it is safe to
say that not less than I,000 delegates
will be on hand Dec. 80. A rough esti-
mate would divide them among the five
districts as follows: