The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-07-20

party for the different offices, it is
certainly qualified to select the man
ayers of the campaign. The delegates
from the various judicial districts are
much better qualified to make a
selection of state central COM
mittee than any one man can be, and
the whole committee could be depend
ed upon to get together and choose a
chairman from the party at large who
would have the interest Of the whole
ticket-State, congressional, legisla-
tive and county, more thoroughly at
heart than would the same man,
even, under the present one-man die
tation.
The fight over the selection of the
chairman of the recent state cOnven-
tion shows to what abuse the present
system has grown. A large faction
of the party as represented in the
convention wanted Bob EyantS for
chairman. No one can gainsay the fact
that he has no superior and few
equals in the state as presiding
officer. But the fact that he lives in
Minneapolis and is put down as a
friend of Senator Washburn was a
sufficient reason for the adminiStra-
tion to jump onto such proposition
with both feet, despite the fact
that Mr.. Evans is broadgauged,
loyal Republican, whose love for
party would never permit him to pros
titute delegated authority to the use
or exclusive benefit of any individual
or number of individuals. TO avoid
a fight, however, in open convention,
Mr.. Evans manfully Withdrew from
the contest and named ex-GOv. Bar
to.
Mr.. Barto made model presiding
officer and is tair-minded gentleman
He is disposed, no doubt, to do the
right thing and he may be expect
ed to do SO insofar as established pre-
cedent will premit.
The chairman of the committee,
under the conditions which exist and
which will continue to follow through
the campaign, should be selected
with view of putting quietus on
the prevalent opinion that the cam
paign will be waged in favor of one
candidate for governor and against
another for United States Senator.
1t is well known, and some actions in
the convention clinched the fact
thoroughly, that Ex-Governor Mer-
riam will use his best talents and
most persuasive political methods to
defeat Senator Washburn. A good
many pins were set up to accomplish
this end last Wednesday and Thurs
day, and the hidden hand that Billie
hoped to play was too plainly exposed
to leave any doubts lurking in the
minds of even a casual observer. He
does not hope to be the immediate
heir in the accomplishment of his
purpose, but he does hope to succeed
Senator Davis little later on in the
nineteenth century. This fact hay
ing been established, it would be eX-
cellent politics at this time to see to
it that the Craftsmanship of the Re-
publican state central committee be
as far removed from the influences
permeating the atmosphere which Mr..
Merriam inhales as is possible, and
discretion should also be exercised in
the choosing of members of the COM
mittee who are known to be free from
any tainted desire to beat somebody.
The FREE PRESS owes Mr.. Wash
burn nothing more than to see fair
play. He has made good, faithful,
public servant; has at all times been
found faithful to the interests of the
Northwest; has served but one term,
and unless some better excuse for his
retirement can be found than to
make way four years hence for a
gentleman with a consuming fire of
ambitious rivalry, it might seem pro-
per to give him second term.