St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-01-20
Washburn Forces Confused
and Wondering Where
They Are At.
NELSON MEN BU0YANT,
And Processing to Hold the
Key to the Whole
Situation.
EX-MAY0R EUSTIs WoOED,
But the Washburn Managers
Softly But Firmly Said
Him Nay.


There was very marked rise in the
political barometer yesterday, denoting
a rarifed condition of the atmosphere
and a tendency to fairer weather In
the vicinity of the Washburn headquar-
ters it vas still murky. and there were
signs of a storm, but that department of
the campaign has been demonstrated to
be only local center. and will here
after cut but small figure in the gen.
eral result.
The ignominious routing of the
Washburn forces last night and
their precipitate flight from the field
just as the battle was approaching a
climax were accepted on all hands as
final proof that Washburn is no longer
in it, and that if Nelson is defeated, it
will only be accomplished after des-
perate struggle and the practical union
of all the other forces against him.
Few believe that this can be accom-
plished. When the caucus was in
progress it was plain to be seen that
many of the men who were voting for
McCleary were doing so out of mere
courtesy Or in order to precipitate and
maintain deadlock. Two Of these
stated yesterday that had they expected
an adjournment so soon they would
have voted for Nelson on the sixth bal
lot. One of the Comstock men made the
same remark. and there is little doubt
that Nelson's actual strength III the
caucus amounted to within three or four
votes of enough to nominate. The mo-
tion to adjourn was carried largely by
misrepresentation on the part of the
friends of Nelson. They had not eX-
pected or cared to make nomination,
their principal object being to show up
the real weakness of Washburn. When
the motion was made to adjourn many
of them were tired and sick of tile
wrangie. and were glad to get out OIL
any terms. The motion to adjourn was
carried on division. There was some
confusion on the first attempt to count
the votes, and a second vote was or,
dered. Many members stood up on this
count thinking they were voting neg.
ativelv.
But the situation is In no wise changed
by the result. Nelson's strength re.
mains unchanged. except so far as his
managers have succeeded in gaining
new converts. OF these, five are
claimed as the result of yesterdays
work. This would give Nelson 65 votes,
leaving him still 20 short of an election
i'll the open house.
The WaShburn managers held meet
ing at their headquarters at O'CLOCK
yesterday. There were some forty
persons present, the greater part OF
them being members. The conference
was opened with a discussion as to the
adviSability of Withdrawing Washburn
and throwing the support of his friends
to some candidate already in the field
or to some new man in the hope Of de-
feating Nelson. The proposed new can
didate was present in the person Of
Detec tive Eustis,
he of the silVeTy tongue, the buckskin
horse and the siXteen-foot record. The
best mayor that Minneapolis ever had
not-Was present in the lobby below,
and during the conference paced ner-
vously to and fro, and in several other
directions, waiting for a message to
summon him to the holy of holies where
he was to be installed as the Washburn
dark horse and succeed to the Wash
burn misfOrtuneS. He IS still waiting.
The meeting did not send for him, and
the days of careful training to which
he has subjected himself were so many
days numbered among the lost.
Ever since it became apparent that
Washburn could not win. the eX-mayor
of the mill town has been confidencing
himself into the partial conviction that
he was a logical candidate. The author
Of My Policy" is not the kind OF man
who can be easily imposed upon, and
lie always comes in when it rains-if it
rains boiling water-but he has not vet
learned that the logical candidate is al
ways defeated. So he argued with him.
self and Joe MannlX in this vein: 1.-The
people do not like Washburn because
lie is too stiff and crusty. Now, l am
neither stiff nor crusty On the con-
trary. am affabIe. The people do not
want Nelson because he is governor. l
am not governor. Comstock will not do
because lie belongs to
Jim HIPS Crowd.
81 am not that kind of a nut cracker.
McCleary won't do for several reasons.
principally because he hasn't any votes :;
and as for the rest-well, they are small
fry, anyhow.
'1Ow, | nominated Jim Blaine, and
Jim Blaine's name Will do to coniure
with in Minnesota for years to come
principally because he is dead. And
then there is that Cling business. |
fancy rather took the shine off of the
police force in that case. and if there is
anything to be detected l rather think I
am next"
Then he held caucus with himself,
and, after nobly resolving that the party
should be saved, even if he had to- save
it himself. tipped it off to Joe and got
ready to enter the senatorial slaughter
house. But he is still at large, not
present, but accounted for. The Wash
burn people considered the matter care
fully at the conference, and. after dis
missing it as one of the minor details of
the campaign, forgot all about 1t, and
forgot even to send the mayor word to
put his hopes in cold storage until some
thing turned up.
Senator Washbnrn stated to his