Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-04
Efforts to Defeat Senator Washburn's
Reelection.
FIGHT FOR MINNESOTA'S LEGISLATURE
Democrats Willing to Combine
With the PopuIists.
IGNATIUS DONNELLY'S HOPES

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
MINNEAPOLIS. October 1, 1894.
Minnesota now sends to Washington q
delegation which is made up Of two republic
can Senators, four republican Representa-
tives, two democratic Representatives and
one populist. The state is now in the throes
of a great struggle to determine whether or
not the whole delegation shall for the next
Congress be republican. 1t is q struggle Of
rany phases and side lights, and neither q
prophet nor the son Of a prophet can now
foretell with accuracy whether the supreme
effort Of the republicans Of the north star
state to solidify that delegation will be sue
cessful. The republican managers say it
will; but what the republican managers ac-
tually think about 1t is quite another matter.
The most interesting contest, naturally, Is
that for the seat In the Senate, now occu-
pied by the youngest of a great family Of
legislators and statesmen, William d. WASH
burn. Under ordinary conditions Senator
Washburn would be considered by most
politicians certain of reelection in case the
republicans elect a majority Of the legisla-
ture; but after the experience of Senator
CuShman X. Davis, two years ago, when he
won in the caucus by bare majority of one
vote, with no avowed candidate in the field
against him, the politicians are more doubt
full about sure things than erstwhile.
The Anti-Washburn Cabal.
Senator Washburn's case is, in many re-
spects. parallel to that Of his senior COL
league There isn't a man in the state Of
the republican persuasion who has dared to
announce himself as a candidate for the
Washburn seat. Accuse the prominent men
Of the party of scheming for the place and
they grow indignant and, in most cases,
avow themselves friendly to Washburn.
a Ctrrf hare 90 fool-
ing that the shrewdest politicians in the
state are In a cabal which Is determined to
turn the Minneapolis Senator down IL the
opportunity presents. The plans Of this
cabal are deep and far-reaching, II the wise
acres may be believed. They have been
carefully laid and In such a way that the
Washburn managers find 1t difficult to un-
earth them.
For long time it was supposed that the
intention was to spring Gov. Knute Nelson.
who Is now a candidate for reelection, as
the anti Washburn candidate at the proper
moment. The accusation was made promi-
nently enough In the Minneapolis papers.
while Senator Washburn was still in Wash
ington, and 1t was made in such a way that
Gov. Nelson arose on his Norwegian dignity
and refused to discuss the matter at all.
He would neither affirm nor deny.
But with the return of Washburn to Min
nesota matters were better managed. The
Senator lost no opportunity to publicly af
firm his belief in Nelson's good faith and
IL elected. Moreover. he went down to the
capitol at st. Paul and had some friendly
chats with the governor. This treatment
succeeded better than the threats which
some Of his managers had been INDUCING in.
Mark the result. A few days ago, when
Nelson and Washburn appeared on the same
platform, at Albert Lea, the governor took
occasion to assure his audience that he was
candidate, not for the Senate, but for re-
election as governor and that, IL elected, he
intended to serve his term out. He went
further than that. He advised his hearers
to send republican legislators to st. Paul,
who would elect some such able republican
as VIM. ID. Washburn to the seat in the fed
eral Senate. So 1t is considered-and justly,
for Nelson is a man of his word-that
Washburn need fear nothing from the little
Norwegian"
Ex-GOv. Merriam's Plans.
While the combination against Washburn
would have been glad to have made use of
Nelson, 1t is by no means checkmated yet.
VIM. r. Merriam. twice governor of the
state, and reckoned one Of the most astute
Of Minnesota politicians. is credited with be-
ing at the head Of the combination. Since
Merriam is a ST. Paul man, he cannot well
be a candidate for Washburn's seat, as that
would give st. Paul both Senators. His
plans for being the successor Of Davis mis-
carried two years ago by a margin Of only
one vote. He must, therefore, perforce,
wait four years for his next chance. Mean
while, however, II he can procure the selec-
ton of a Senator from the country-which
is not altogether pleased that the twin cities
should possess both seats in the Senate-it
might make his contest for Davis seat
much easier in 1900.
If this theory as to Merriams plans be
true. 1t is probable that no avowed anti
Washburn candidate will be put into the
field, either before election or after it. The
plan will be to secure the election, where
ever possible, of men secretly opposed to
WaShbllrH and to win nv Whatavor
means possible other solons who are not
committed. First defeat Washburn-then
We shall see." is the watchword.
Miller Pillsbury'x Boom.
Shrewdly enough the anti-Washburn men
have been making some talk of other Min
neapolis candidates, with the idea of d.
viding the Senator's home forces Among
those mentioned have been Charles A.
Piilsbury. the big flour miller, who enjoys
taking a flyer in politics as he would in
wheat, but who knows very little of practi-
Cal politics. Pilsbury Is a bosom friend of
Waskburn, and is practically the only Min
reapolis grain man who has stood by him
in the anti-option fight. He is a man of
marvellous executive ability. who would
make an undoubted success of politics II he
should ever conclude to enter the profession
seriously. But. fattered though he undoubt-
eddy Is by tie talk about himself, the big
miller is true TO Washburn.
The POpulists' Chance.
Right there, the popVists will tell you, is
the rub. They are making the fight of
their lives this fall in Minnesota, and, with
the sanguine temperament of their kind,
expect to carry everything before them.
1t Is a matter Of at least tacit agreement
that Ignatius Donnelly will be the choice
of the peoples party for the seat Don
nelly has long watched for such contin-
gency and now that his old enemy, Senator
Washburn, is in the balance. he Is more
than ever anxious to feed fat the ancient
grudge he bears the metropolitan. 1t was
Do1nelly who, years ago, when Washburn
was running for Congress. declared that
no Washburn was ever born into the world
without the letters m. c." branded on
his anatomy. He has never since ceased
to denounce the Senator. and wnet a long.
keen knife, with which to take his scalp
when the opportunity arrives.
DiscOrd Among the POpulists.
1t would be Of no profit to go over the
history of the chickering's and quarrels that
have rent the Minnesota populists in twain,
but the underlying cause has been Dom
nelly's jealousy Of other leaders and his
consuming fear that they were undermine