St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-01
The COMING FRACAS.
Republicans Perplexed by the
Uncertainty Surround
ing Blaine,
While Democrats Await the
Outcome Of the New York
SQuabble.
The Nelson Boom Skyrocket
Is Over and the Stick
Will Fall.
Varying Gossip Of the Aspir-
Varying Gossip Of the Aspir-
atoms Of Ambitious Local
Statesmen.

Statesmen.
In few weeks, at the farthest, tn
state central committees of both the
Democratic and Republican parties in
this state viii be called together to fix
the times. as we'll as the places. for the
state conventions TO select delegates to
the Minneapolis and Chicago conven-
tons. Until these meetings have been
held and the machinery set in motion,
there will be little slate-making on
either side. There are many Repub-
lcanS anxious for seats in the Mime
apoliS convention, and equally as many
Democrats ready and willing to serve
their party at the Chicago gathering,
called for two weeks later. The po-
litical atmosphere on neither side is
clear at the present time. The Repub
licanS of Minnesota are overwhelm-
ingly for Blame, but they do not know
whether it Is safe to start a fight i'll his
behalf. while the followers OF Harrison,
largely the otficehoders. prefer to work
quietly for the present. They do not
care To antagoniZe the Blaine crowd to
the extent that might lead the latter to
prefer any one rather than Harrison.
The situation IN Minnesota Republic
an circles today is simply this, that
President Harrison, while unpopular
with his party. can secure the delega-
ton 10 the Minneapolis convention
without a struggle with Blaine out of
the race. With the secretary of state in
the fight Harrison will still be certain
10 secure at least half of the delegates
This may sound strange in view of the
overwhelming Blaine sentiment, but
the fact must not be lost sight of that in
at least three of the congressional dis
trictS of the state the federal officials
can come pretty near outvoting all other
members of the party, and these federal
officials are all Harrison men, and they
are all at work, down to the humbleSt
postmaster. The situation in this re-
spect Is vastly different from what it
was four years ago, and shows the
''SpoilS' character of the present adj
ministration.
In case Blaine is not a candidate the
Harrison men. headed by ex-senator
Pierce. expect to secure a solid Harrl-
son delegation from Minnesota. In case
Blaine is in the field the Second, L hlrd |
and Seventh districts are set down as
sure. The Fifth will be fought for, and |
it is said that no expense will be spared
to carry it. Ramsey county is expected !
to declare for Blaine, and so carry the
Fourth district, but an effort Will be
made to elect men without instructions.
An industrious search, lasting over a
month, has failed TO reveal Harrison
man in st. Paul, unless he is in the serv-
Ice of the United States government.
The outcome of the contest in New
York will be awaited with interest by
Democrats in Minnesota, and may SIM
pity the situation greatly. With the !
prospect Of discord in New York has !
come a feeling that the Democrats
should recognize neither side and select |
the nominee from the West. In case |
both Hill and Cleveland are laid aside !;
and Western maD comes to the front, !
there Is good reason TO expect that the |
delegates from this state will look with |
favor on Gov. Horace Boies, of Iowa, or |
Senator John NJ. Palmer, OF Illinois. In |
ali probability the fight for seats in the |
Chicago convention in this state will be !
largely matters In which only the inter- |
eStS aud ambitions of the local leaders |
will cut any figure. On the issues of !
the coming campaign, as we'll as the
matter of candidates, the Democrats of
Minnesota are not far apart.
The Nelson boom, which was started
- enthusiastically five or six months
ego by some of the Republican politi-
clans seems to have had its day. As a
matter of fact the people Of the state at
large-and particularly that part of it
that made up the old Fifth district-were
never enthusiastic for Mr.. Nelson. He
was popular several years ago, before !
he recanted his independent ideas, and |
was taken back into the circle of the |
high tariff crowd. The support of the |
Minneapolis millers was another bad |
thing tor his candidacy. The farmers |
remember the time when he stood up in |
Republican state convention in |
minneapolis and fought the NOM
ination of eX-Gov. MeGill. The |
man who was then the candidate of the |
millers Mr.. Nelson declared was not the |
man for the people. Is the situation at
all different now from what it was six
years ago? is there not more grumbling
and dissatisfaction with the state III
Spection, as well aSIwith the wheat mar
ket? The farmers of Minnesota are not
blind, and the nomination of Knute
Nelson will mean his defeat
Lieut.. Gov. Ives has not announced
himself as candidate for the guberna-
tOrlal nomination, but there is no doubt
whatever that he may be in the field
ready to take advantage of the divided
condition OF his party. He is a straight
out Republican, and can command the
enthusiastic support of all those Repub-
llcans who care more for principle than
they do for the Offices. Mr.. Ives health.
while better than it has been for several
years back, Is not as good as his friends
would like-if it were there would be
no donbt about his being a candidate.
An effort is being made in Brown and
several other counties to induce MIR.
Ives to become a candidate for the con-
gressional seat now held by Hon. John
Lind, but this seems to have no charm
for him. He is thorough Mlnnesotan,
and If he were 10 seek anything it would
be more likely to be an Office that would
not take him from the state.
In many quarters it is considered as
good as settled that eX-Congress man
Comstock will again be the Republi lean
nominee for congress i'll his district.
This district in 1890 gave an Alliance
plurality of about 1000, and an absolute
majority to Halvorsen over both Com
stock ana Whiteman. The Alliance
leaders have since been keeping their
lines we'll in hand. and claim that they
Will have more votes at the coming
election than they had two years ago.
And yet i'll this district Mr.. Comstock
will tempt the gods by trying to be
elected on a platform built around the
Mckinley tariff act. When MIR. Com
stock last visited st. Paul he was inter |
viewed at length, and in the course of |
TINS talk he placed great stress on the |
benefits of the Mckinley bill. He said
that the people OF the Red river valley |