St. Paul daily globe., 1893-01-18
BATTLING AT MIG HIT.
Impartial Review of the Situation
Neither Side Confident.

ImDaftIal l6eVIeW OF Cne SlCudCiOi
Neither side Confident.
The contest for United States senator
to succeed Hon. c. K. Davis will today
be submitted to both branches of the
legislature meeting in joint assembly.
Whether the ballot necessary to be
taken at noon will settle the contest and
result in the reelection of Mr.. Davis
or i'll a prolonged struggle for
the honor is matter upon
which there is a vast difference of optn-
ion. The twelve hours following the
taking of the separate ballots yesterday
were devoted to the hardest and most
untiring work on both sides. and whe Il
the leaders ceased last night neither
side was confident, although both pre-
tended to be.
The advantage would seem to be
with Mr.. Davis, because lie had yester-
day two votes above the number needed
TO elect, and it is always easier TO hold
ones own than to make acceSsiOnS i'll
case of this kind. That there will be
loss from each side today was tolerably
certain last evening, but neither felt
quite sure that the other would be the
greater loser.
The Davis managers handled their
matters with more Judgment yesterday
than at any time before since the Op-
the work was largely defensive and
confined to keeping in touch
with the eighty-seven members
who voted all right, they car
ried the war into Africa and
commenced wolk with some of the Alli
ance members. Whether this was sue
cessful or not may be judged from the
ia ct that last evening the announce
ment was made by a member who
stands very close to the Davis managers
that one, and possibly two, of the Alli-
ance members of the upper house may
be expected to drop OH the Davis side
of the fence today. One of these men,
berS is supposed to be Senator Seyatson,
of Jackson, ana the other Senator
Crate, of Pope county. Neither of
story, and it is probably tic-
ton from the mind of an over
enthusiastic partisan. That consider
able attention has been given the men,
berS of the Independent party by the
workers yesterday is certain, but Sen
ator Lommen is quite certain that all
will stand firm.
The action of the six senators voting
|. against Mr.. Davis has stirred up the
liveliest kind of criticism, for good
share of which many prominent ReDub-
licans come in. In the case OF Gov.
Merriam, for example, the fact is
brought I'D that when this anti
Davis fight commenced some weeks ago
he wrote letter to Senator Davis at
Washington. declaring that he was not
a candidate and would support Mr..
Davis. Gov. Merriam was asked re-
hi
Il did not know that any member Of
the legislature proposed to vote for me.
Several days ago one member OF the
senate declared that he would do So.and
| requested and implOred him not to do
it, and [ thought lie would obey my re-
quest. / did not ask his vote, nor do
want it."
A very ugly spirit is being manifested
by many of the Davis men, and there
will be war unless their candidate is
chosen today. They take no stock in
the talk about ''Snap caucus" and
other arguments of the opposition, and
freely declare that they Will vote for
a Democrat, or Peoples party
man, rather than any other Repub-
lican than Senator Davis. Whether this
members into line. or driving them fur
ther away, is another problem which
is answered by the members to
suit themselves. AS a matter Of
fact, however. considering the cir
cumstances of the nomination Of
MI. Davis in the caucus and at COIL
ventions the Davis members and lead
ers managed their case with consumate
ability and tact yesterday. or the ten
members who were against them yes
terday they had nothing 10 say, while
all the others they insisted are certain
to be in line today. After reviewing
the days work the leading manager for
Mr. Davis said:
''All l have to say is that we will have
votes enough to elect tomorrow. and
ber because you know how many it
takes to elect, and when / say we will
have more than enough | mean 1t"
The remarkable thing last night was
the lack of confidence on all sides.
While neither would confess it openly,
they are both afraid of the test today.
The Davis managers claim that they
will gain one member in the house and
perhaps one in the senate. This would
give the senator SO if he lost none. But
his chances of gaining i'll the senate
depend entirely upon the Alliance men;
the six Republicans out of line yester-
day will remain there. The claims OF
the opposition are that they will secure
one more senator from the twenty Re
publlcans certainly. with another
possible, while they Will gain four in the
house. They were about eady to cOncede
the loss of one member of the house last
evening. Balancing up the two claims.
it seems that it is altogether
likely that the contest will be
close. with the chances in favor
of Senator Davis securing the re-
-quired number of votes, with perhaps
one To SPARE. The exact figures will be