St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-10-10
Massachusetts, Republicans
Fail to Raise Enthusiasm
for Their Ticket.
They Begin to Realize That
They Made a GrievouS
Mistake.
The Putting Of Col. Allen
Against Gov. Russell Not
a Drawing Card.
Lodges Refusal Of a Joint De-
bate Also Helping the
Democrats.

IN Massachusetts advanced distinctly
last week, and its effect has been to IN
crease Democratic confidence and to ex-
cite Republican apprehension. The
events of significance were the Demo
cratic state convention Tuesday, the
negotiations between the Democratic
state committee and Congressman
Lodge for joint debate, and the con-
tlnued appearance upon the stump of
Col. Allen, the Republican candidate
for governor. The effect of the Demo
cratic state convention will remain for
several weeks, and the state committee
is greatly encouraged from the cheerful
reports which it received from different
parts of the state. The convention
was by all odds the most enthusiastic
which the Democrats have held for
long time. The delegates say they will
hold all of the Republican votes which
they had last year land it was that
which elected Russell while his asso-
ciates upon the ticket were defeated)
and that Russell is gaining strength
with the farmers every day.
An indication of the drift Of the cam
paign is that the Democratic caucuseS
are better attended than ever before,
while the Republicans do not turn out
to theirs any more than if it were
usual off year, with no special interest
at stake. For Instance, local Repub-
liean paper, noticing the Democratic
enthusiasm in its town and complaining
of Republican indifference, says:
THE Democratic party, having tie
last year captured the first place on the
ticket, do not propose 10 stop at that
point. but to scoop in the whole state
ticket, and to that end are working with
might and main. While many Repub-
lican town committees have been asleep
or inactive, their brethren of the oppo-
site faith have been busily engaged in
preparing an active warfare, the sue
cess of which will depend mainly on
the amount of vim Republican commit
tees will put into their canvass, and
also in bringing out the large mass of
Republican stay-at-homes.''
The Democrats are taking pains 10
keep themselves informed of the state
of feeling generally, as indicated by the
caucuses, and they say that this is
fair representation of what is going on
all over the state.
Republicans Fail to Rally.
AT the proposed great Republican
rally in Taunton the Republicans en-
gagged two halls. and Col. Allen was the
chief speaker, but only one of the halls
was opened. and even that was not
filled, though part of the audience was
Democratic. Aliens speeches have
already satisfied many of his party that
he is no match for Gov. Russell in de-
bate, and that he is not as big an all
around man as the governor. Then,
too, they are beginning to get the laugh
on him as the man who was put up to
be All aggressive candidate of the young
men, but who. as Gen. Collins put it in
his speech at the state convention,
wants to fight all alone.
This disposition to poke fun at the
Republican colonel grows out of the
refusal of his state committee to meet
the challenge of the Democratic state
committee. made with the consent of
Gov. Russell, that Allen meet Russell
in joint debate. AS Allen was selected
instead of the stronger candidate (Crapo)
because he was the representative of the
young and aggressive element of the
party, this refusal to measure strength,
with his opponent has subjected him to
ridicule which will be repeated from
every Democratic stump from now till
election.
This has been followed by the attempt
of the Democratic committee to draw
Congressman Lodge into joint discus
sion, the upshot of which has been that
there will be one debate between Lodge
and John E. Russell upon the admins
tration of Gov. Russell, while no agree
ment could be reached as to the pro-
posed discussion upon the silver issue
and the Mckinley bill, and the negotia-
tiOnS have fallen through. The reason
was that the Democrats thought that
Lodge wished to shut out all reference
to the national Republican attitude
upon silver coinage and ali discussion
of the principles of the Mckinley bill.
Lodge claimed the right to choose his
subjects, and refused to modify them so
as to permit the broader discussion. So
nothing came of the effort and each side
says that the other was afraid.
Lodge. it is said, believed the Demo-
Gratis would come to his terms rather
than permit the debate to fall through.
So he was stiff about a technicallty,
while the Democrats insisted upon per-
fectiy fair play, and thus the negotia-
tions were fruitless. The effect will
evidently be TO help the Democrats and
to put the Republicans in the attitude
of fearing to have discussion of their
national attitude on the silver issue and
of the principles of the Mckinley bill.
Democrats Have the Best of 1t.
mus Tar the course OF events has
been in favor of the Democrats, and
there has been nothing to check it.
From the formation of the unpopular
Republican club and its search publicly,
by advertisement through its members,
for issues on which to run the state
campaign down to the close
of the Lodge episode, the Re-
publicans seem to have been
followed by an adverse fate. They made
themselves ridiculous by hunting for
issues, as if there were doubt as to what
they ought to do to get out the most
votes. They encouraged the Demo
Gratis, and disappointed all but the
young hustiers when they nominated
their young candidate instead of the
older and ADLER man. Their candidate
hurt the party further by his appear
! anee in the Music hall rally, where he
certainly did not make as good speech
as his defeated rival, and had no
warmer welcome. He again exposed
himself to the ridicule of the state when
he was not permitted to take part in
joint debate with. his opponent, and the
bad luck which has followed the Repub-
lican management has continued in the
course of Mr.. Lodge and III the crit
cisms upon the Republican state com
mittee that it is inefficient.
Russell gains at every turn, appar-
entity, and unless something occurs to
change the drift of the campaign there
will be no doubt of his election. A bet
of even money has been taken in one
case. In another an even offer was re-