St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-09-20
NELSON NOT IN IT.
His Boom for Governor,
Sprung Too Early, Quiet
ly Disappears.
Senator Davis Reported to Be
Fearful Of Him as an
Opponent.
Old Line Republicans Against
Him Because Of His Tariff
Views.
Small Likelihood of Nelson's
Nomination--Changes in
Apportionment.


all.-knute Nelson.
The booming of ex-Congressman
knute Nelson, of Alexandria, for the
Republican gubernatorial nomination
next year seems to have about come 10
an end. In other words, the "little
Norwegian" whose nomination was to
heal all breaches and win the now de-
cIepit party of Dudley, Quay, Fassett
and Harrison another victory in Mime
sofa, is no longer in the race.
But why are things thus?
What has Mr.. Nelson done to cause
this sudden change in the sentiment of
his fellow Republicans? Nothing, alb
solutely nothing beyond allowing an
Intimate friend to announce that he
would accept an unanimous nomination
at the hands of the Republican state
convention of Minnesota next year for
the office now held by Gov. Merriam.
That guarded announcement marked
the high tide of his boom; the ebb COM
menced then and has continued ever
since. There are some valid reasons
for this change in the feeling of the
party toward the Alexandria advocate
of the Mills bill. They are due to two
classes of people
First-Senator Davis and his friends, who
fear that the election of Nelson as governor
would make him strong candidate for the
United States senate.
.Second-Qid-line Republicans who do not
like his position on the tariff question, claim
ing that he is not Republican.
The position of Senator Davis is out
lined very frankly in dispatch sent
out by Washington correspondent of
a Minneapolis evening Republican
paper. In this dispatch the senior SEN
afOr iS Ont n
The Ridiculous Attitude
of favoring the booming of State Chair
man Joel P. Heatwole for the Repub-
lican gubernatorial nomination for the
purpose and with the intent of drawing
the popular attention away from MIR.
Nelson. AS far as this statement is
concerned it is absurd. Senator Davis
is too shrewd to do anything of
the kind. There is reason to-believe,
however, that he is willing to encour-
age aspirants like eX-Gov. A. II. Nc
Gill, Judge Start. of Rochester, and all
others who feel like seeking the honor
All that is needed to secure the defeat of
Mr.. Nelson in the nominating conven-
ton is to secure a multiplicity of can
dldates. And this is just what Senator
Davis would like to see. The dispatch
alluded to above follows:
tepng the plan of certain papers and poll
ticians in Minnesota to boom Joel p. Heat
wole for governor. 1t is asserted that this
boom has been started simply to draw atten-
ton from Kuute Nelson, who seems likely TO
be nominated elected and then transferred
from the guberpational chair to Senator
Davis seat in tho United States senate.
Knute Nelson is the only opposition that
Senator Davis seems to be disturbed over.
There are other senatorial candidates
hnc No.
to see Mr.. Nelson nominated for gov
ernor. One of the most prominent of
these is the present governor, who will
undoubtedly succeed to Senator Davis
strength when it is demonstrated that
the latter cannot win, as is likely to be
the case. Senator Davis will have the
hearty support of Gov. Merriam In
snufhng out the already Pickering flame
of the Nelson gubernatorial boom, or
else neither of the pair is half the poll
tician he is given credit for being.
The second class of opposition the
willy old Fifth district leader has had
to meet and will continue to find
Opposing His Nomination
by the Republican convention, is made
up of class of men who are Republi-
cans on principle, have no axes to grind,
and who prefer defeat on straight Re-
publican grounds to victory that in
wolves compromise of principle. This
class, it Is needless to say, is more to be
feared than that of the men who are
working for their own advancement. a
sample of the feeling entertained by
this class toward Mr.. Nelson is found in
the following editorial utterance of the
LIE Sueur News, Staunch Republican
organ:
Knute Nelson, the "little Norwegian of
Alexandria. is being groomed by his friends
as gubernatorial candidate. Ii he would
not make better governor than he has
been Republican during late years his
nomination would not awaken much enthusi-
asm in this part of the state.
For the two reasons named above the
nomination of Knute Nelson for gov
ernor will not be made by the Repub-
licans of Minnesota next year. 1t is
much harder to say who will be the
Alexandria statesman will not. The
politicians of the q. o. z. are already
figuring on the matter, and the
friends and followers of ex-Gov.
McGill are doing considerable talk
ing. AS things stand to-day the
Ramsey county delegation would be for
the ex-governor. One of Gov. McGill's
erstwhile supporters who only departed
from the statehouse last January, and
who is considerable power in the local
contests of the Ramsey county Republic
cans is very certain that his chief will
be
I'm 1t Next Year
slam a McGill man. he said with en-
phasis, land l want 10 tell you that he will
come very near being the Republican NOM
inee next year, and if he does not get the
nomination ne will have finger in the pie,
ana large hand in saying who the man vii
be that does get it, IL will not be Knute Mel
son in any event. for Gov. McGill would
never consent to his nomination. Do you
remember Nelson's action in the campaign
of 1856, when he made dicker by which he
did nothing for the state ticket on the under
standing with the Democrats that they would
! make no fight against him for congress.
This conduct ON the part of Mr. Nelson was
mainly responsible for the small plurality
given McGill and ought not TO be forgotten
by Republicans who did stand by the ticket.
The Minneapolis interests which have
always stood Loyalty by Gov. McGill
could be depended upon to secure the
Hennepin delegation fol, him, ana with
the added prestige Of the RAMSEY COUNTY
men his nomination would be practically
assured. The representation of the
| coumties that would naturally be for
Nelson Will be greatly reduced in the
next Republican state convention, as
| Justice to the faithful party men de-
mands that the basis of representation
| in the next state convention be the vote
cast for Gov. Merriam a year ago.
| Under this apportionment Nelson coun-
/ ties, Ike Qk.er Tail Pope, Douglass,