St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-20
MERRIAM is MERRY,
And He Will Get the Nomina-
ton in Spite Of Henne-
pins Fight.
he Was Almost the Unani-
nous Choice Before the
Census Row.
Now He Isn't So, the Census
Has Nothing to Do
With It.
This Is an Argument That
Doesn't Hold Waterloo
litieal Gossipings.

'Merriam will be renominated." said
q Hennepin county anti-Me rriam dele
gate to the state convention yesterday.
ave cannot beat him. he continued,
sand I'll tell you the reason why. In
the first place, Hennepin county had
practically decided not to support any
other man before the census troubles
arose, and that sentiment was pretty
well scattered throughout the state.
Merriam has been DIT work fixing his
lines for some time, and though we de-
clared in favor of some other man. when
the convention meets our action will
cut no figure whatever so far as the re-
suit goes. Merriam has got the country
solid, and it will make but very little
difference to him whether the Hennepin
delegation declares for Braden or Mel
son, and question very much whether
they will be found working very hard
for either of these candidates. | simply
think that we made an awful mistake
in going into print at all, because we
thereby showed ourselves as being
weak, and trying to cover up something.
l met number of county delegates
during the week who confessed
that they regarded our course as very
childlike. l think these men express
the views of the maj ority of the state
on this point, and, although | fought
hard to let things slide until convention
time, was sat upon by others who
think they will have the credit of beat
ing Merriam. But, mark my word.
Hennepin county may vote against Mer-
Ram if it wants to. notwithstanding
our solid vote will not beat him. just
mark my word. twas the greatest mis-
take we ever made. You cannot make
the people of the state be lieve that our
opposition to Merriam means anything
else than revenge on st. Paul for the
census troubles. That is the way the
country delegates talk"
S5A-
These are the sentiments entertaine d
by number of representative Mime
apolItans who are of that class which is
known as conservative. They exceed
ingly regret the hasty action of the con-
vention, and the more foolish action of
the delegation in coming out in print as
they did few days ago, giving quasi
reasons for their position towards Mer-
RAM. Two-thirds of that delegation
regret the issuing of that manifesto
uOW. lucy udfS SluCC uCdI lIOul lll0
country, and see their mistake when
it is too late, but they are determined to
make the most of it. They are still con-
fident that they will be able to give
Merriam blacker eye than his friends
can afford to see him get, and not with
draw his name. Some of them-EuStiS
for example-think that without the
Hennepin delegation the balance of the
state cannot get along. EuStis told
friend the other day that Merriam had
not strength enough outside Ramsey
and Hennepin counties to make a re-
spectacle showing. This is a fair sam
pie of the sort of an opinion the Henne-
pin delegation have of themselves.
Though the clubs were used very
freely on the conservative men of the
delegation to get them in line before
that celebrated manifesto was issued,
the Hennepin delegation find them
selves in almost as bad fix now as they
were when Merriam's allies were talk
ing harmony. There is large
sprinkling of Seandinayians in
that delegation. and they in
SiSt on the delegation declaring for
Knute Nelson for governor. But there
seems to be more BTaden men in the
ranks than Nelson admirers, and the
latter are working night and day to
bring the Braden men over to Nelson.
Here is where the shoe is pinching the
delegation, and from all appearance it
will squeeze out large-sized bunions of
diScord very soon, unless some one gets
up and does some tall bossing. The
Gjertsen family, which seems to have a
good representation on the delegation,
is doing some hard work, and they are
confident, as a matter of course, that
they will succeed in getting majority
of the delegation to declare for Nelson.
A majority, of course, would mean the
entire delegation, and this is what the
Gjertsens are working for.
AT the bottom of this little fight be-
tween Gjertsen and the balance of the
delegation, is well-laid scheme to get
even with certain political enemies.
The story comes from a man in the
confidence of the Giertsens, that they
are anxious for Nelson's nomination, be-
cause they believe he would be elected.
This would suit them just right. Police
Commissioner GjertSen'S term of Office
expires January l, and if Nelson were
elected he of course would reappoint
Gjertsen. In the event of electing a
mayor who would 1oin hands with
Gjertsen. the big police commissioner
would be in position to get even with
certain men connected with the police
department. whose scalps he has been
after for some time. This is the Gjert-
sen programme, as given to the GLOBE
by very close friend of this Scandina-
Wan family. 1t is a deep scheme, and
is working well. Police Commission
er Gjertsen is working at present
in harmony with the administration, but
Z n h1 or
The Gjertsens are confident of having
the pleasure some day in the future of
seeing Police superintendent Bracket
walk out and give way for some favorite
of the First street grocer. OF course
the conSummation of these plans will
depend Oh good many things, but it
can readily be seen that if a mayor i'm
harmony with Gjertsen were elected
these two could do any amount of mis-
chief before the legislature could be in
voked to smother that august body.
The exclusive announcement in last
Sundays GLOBE that A. G. Haugans
friends were backing him for city treas
urer, though regarded at that time as
''yarn," has since developed to be fact.
Mr.. Haugan is full-fedged candidate
for city treasurer, and if nominated and
elected will of course make the Scandal
bank the custodian of the city's wealth.
But Mr.. Haugan is not going to have
things his own way in the Republican
city convention if City Treasurer Moul-
tons friends mean what they say. A
compromise'was proposed few days ago
by the Haugen men to support Moul-
ton for mayor, if he would decline to be
candidate for denomination and sup
port Haugan for the place.