St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-21
MINNEAPOLIS.
POLITICS AND POLITICIANS.

A glance over the battle field of Sat
urday night, since The smoke has cleared
away, demonstrates that the GLOBE
was right in saying that 1t was not gem
orally understood that there was
any fight on at the primaries.
In but few precincts were
there any contests at all. In many
of the precincts of them, it may
be sad-there was but one ticket III the
field. In most of the precincts where
there was mora than one ticket out, the
multiplication was due more TO per
sonA ambition for place in the county
convention than to any that was
men. The places where the fights
occurred were the products of the So
called leaders of factions. First Of all
comes the Thirteenth precinct of
the Fourth ward. That squabble
was mentioned yesterday morning.
Then, for instance, G. M. Foote vas
defeated in his own precinct. MI.
F0Ote is ino1ined to think that he was
not defeated fairly. The number of
votes oaet in that precinct was out of
proportion to the number cast in the
same precinct last election. But
Foote is not kicking. He said
before the primaries that he
would go down with the flag flying be-
fore he would try to pack any caucuseS.
Foote was about the only man-the
only one of consequence, in fact-of the
so-calIed Foote faction, who was de-
defeated All the others like
Otto Miller, Thomas Scott, ETC.,
were elected without much difficulty.
Mayor Winston carried his precinct, bun
his side was a sufferer in about the same
proportion as Foote'S. j. II. ROlfe, one
of the mayors strongest friends, and a
man who is credited with having had all
ambition to go TO Chicago as
a delegate to the national con-
venton, was wiped off the earth
in his precinct by Frank Morse. All
the others of the mayors friends were
elected. AS pretty a contest as any in
the city occurred down in the Falls pre-
cinct of the Twelfth ward. The race
was between Elmer Foster, ball player,
and S. A. Stockwell, statesman. Foster
has reputation as sprinter and suS-
tanned it.
1t seems probable that the caucuses
of this year will result i'll an appeal
from Minneapolis for a re-enaction of
the old law governing primary elections
which threw almost as many safeguards
around the primary as around the regu-
lar election. The most serious contests
that arose Saturday night were all be-
cause of the absence of any system for
conducting a primary election. The
county committee adopted what it
deemed to be good system for man
aging the primaries, and in
structed the precinct committees to
follow the instructions. In many cases
there was an absolute refusal to follow
instructions. All persons should be in
terested in making the primaries regu-
lar and free from any suspicion OF UNI
fairness. Unless voters at the pr-
maries are registered there is
are entitled to vote i'll the
precinct were they present their ballots
And the registry amounts to nothing
unless there is some penalty for false
registration. The absence of any law
governing this matter OF primary cleo
tons was not noticed until day or so
before the primaries, and 1t is safe to
say that not any of the sC-called fac
tons are glad that the law is silent on
that point.
The slate-makers will be busy today
electing permanent chairman of the
convention tomorrow, to be confirmed
when the convention meets. There are
several possibilities. First of all comes
Mr.. Winston. He says that
he has no desire to be chairman s9
take the place, and he will probably not
refuse it if offered him. 1t may be de-
cidpd, however, that he has honor
enough in controlling the convention
without presiding over its DELHI
erations. Then. there Is Capt, o.
&. Merriman, who has been chair
man of more than one county or
city convention. Titus Mareck has been
spoken of, too. He is believed to be
Mayor Winstou's choice. Both A. T.
Ankeny and John Ankeny have also
been mentioned as possible chairmen.
Bernard Cloutier is another who. some
think, would make all excellent preSid-
Ing officer.
Joe Jepson was the maddest man in
Minneapolis Saturday night. Joe lives
out in the mayors precinct. He has
not missed a Democratic convention
since he was old enough TO vote, and ne
does not want to miss this. He saw that
his name was put on the Winston ticket
and supposed that would be all he
would have to do. He though he was
on all the Winston tickets. But he was
not. He was swamped. That is why
he is mad. He will not go to the con-
vention tomorrow unless he can secure
proxy somewhere.
As usual, the Republican papers have
been mixing matters while pretending
to inform the public on Democratic
politics. The situation in the First
ward has been misstated. AS pub
lished i'll the Republican papers,
Aid, MCGOWAN and Perry Long
have formed a combination by virtue
OF which Long is to succeed McGowan
in the conncil, and MCGOWAN is to go to
the legislature. 1t is early in the sea-
son to fall to discussing council poll
tics, but what has been written about
the First ward is all wrong. Aid.
MCGOWAN will be candidate
for reelection to the council.
His friends recognize that he has been
in the council under adverse circum-
stances. He has always had to fight
Republican majority, but has held his
own against the odds. Now his friends
intend to return him to the council,
when it will be Democratic and when