Little Falls weekly transcript., 1894-08-24
4 Rattling Fight for Some
Of the Nominations at the
Convention Sept. 8.
The Greatest Effort for the
Sherifrs Office and It's
Good Pay.

| tiOns on the county ticket is now on
in good earnest, and as the caucuses
in all parts ofthe county vii be held
on Saturday. Sept. l. there are not
many days left for work. The hard
est fight, and the one that is attract
ing most attention is for sheriff.
Leon Houde, the present sheriff, is a
candidate for denomination, and has
for competitors in his own party:
George LaFond, at present county
commissioner from the Little Falls
district, young business man we'll
known in all parts of the county.
being native of the city where he still
lives; another aspirant for the Demo-
cratic nomination is Thomas Bailey,
proprietor OF a livery stable in Little
Falls, and who has mad considerable
experience in the sheriff office in Wis
cOnsin; the fourth man making ali
open fight for the place IS Mark
Kobe. OF Royalton, who has for
several years oeen county commits
siOner from the southern district in
in the county. At one time it was
understood that Dennis Sheedy, the
county commissioner from Swan
River. was after the nomination, but
he is now supporting Bailey
Whether John Stunpf, of Rich
Prairie, the other Democra tic county
commissioner, entirely escaped the
itching for the sheriff's Office that
attacked all of his party colleagues
Oh the board we have been unable
to learn. But a man who isn't a
mind reader will study ohm Stumpf's
cOunteaance Il long time before he
will increase his stock of general or
particular knowledge.
But there are enough in the race to
make the fight a. hot one, and the
predictions as to- the outcome are
based entirely ON ones desires,
and about every Democrat has a
positive choice in this matter.
HOude, of course claims, that his
service as sheriff have been OF the best
grrde, and in reply to charges about
the amount he receives from the
county has only to say that he col
lects what the, law allows him for
| the work he does. He says the
commissioners and the courts act on
his bills, and proclaims his right to
| what he earns.
LaFond is making his fight ON the
proposition that the present sheriff
takes altogether too much money
from the county. and that the same
work should be done at a good deal
less expense to the taxpayers. He
makes addresses to the people in
different parts of thecounty, explains
the expenses the county pays to the
| sheriff, and distributes circulars
making comparisons rs to the ex-
penses of this Office in Morrison and
| neighbOring counties. He is devot-
ing much time and energy to the
campaign. He is doing particularly
hard work IN Relle Prairie and Rip
ley, the two French towns, and in
sists that if the office is to go to a
Frenchman it should be to the
Frenhman who is the choice of the
French. Mr.. Bailey is certainly not
doing any brass band work, but is
making a systematic quiet canvass
of the whole county, and it is the
| kind of a campaign that shows little
effect until the. caucuses. The best
Judge who does not himself canvass
the same territory can form little
idea as to just Wha t Railey's strength
will be in the convention. H.
+ Kobe is doing most of his work in
the southern and eastern parts oi
the county, and many believe that
he will get ON the first ballot the
votes OF Pie,'z. Agram, Buckman
Morrill,, Bellevue, Two Rivers and
Elm Dale, a total OF II, but it is hard
! to tell where he can increase that tu
the u necessary to nominate.
/ Houde and La Fond are both max
ing a hard fight for the delegates
from Belle Praiaie, Ripley and
the Second ward, as most o1
the French votes in the county
Tive in those precincts. Ever
since the Germ ans took the auditor
and the French lost the clerk 81
J! I!court, a Frenchman has been sheriff,
and the two French candidates this
year recognize the Importance 81
having the backing Of that nation
zaity. Some Of the Democratic pol
/ iticians who admit that a French
man in this position is needed to
lstrengt the ticket are supporting
Bailey especially in the 1st ward)
and It gives ground for. the belief
1 that there will be a move to elect
some other French chDlan than either
of the present candidates. .s'