St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-01-04
Smoked HIM OUT
Nelson Compelled to Throw
Off the Mask and Declare "
Himself.
WASHBURN FORCES RALLY.
Claim That Nelson's Duplie-
ity Will Solidify Their
Strength.
G'CLEARY'S LITTLE BOOM
Regarded as Only an Incl
dent in a Long Chapter
Uf Events.
HON. KNUTE STANDS PAT,
And Coolly Ignores the Albert
Lea Pledge to Serve Out
His Term.

announcement of the candidacy of
Knute Nelson for the United States
senate. There were several minor SEM
sations, but the Nelson sensation was
the king bee, and the discussion of all
other topics was promptly dropped
when the announcement was made. 1t
was q sensation, but not a surprise.
For several days it had been known TO
confidential friends of the governor
that he would be an active candidate,
and when Private Secretary Bixby made
the formal announcement to number
of gentlemen in the Windsor hotel the
only surprise it created was at the early
announcement. 1t was evidently not a
part of the programme to have Gov.
Nelson announce himself a candidate
at this early stage of tho proceedings,
and but for the direct attack of
the Minneapolis Tribune the gov
ernor would not have come out of
his retreat 80 sGOn. 1t is generally un-
derstoOd that Senator Washburn, rely-
ing upon personal pledges of Nelson
and his friends, refused to believe that
the governor would be candidate, and
that he discouraged the "Smoking-out"
process to which his friends have been
subjecting the governor. 1t would ap.
pear, however, that the senator's friends
are better posted than himself, and that
they were perfectly correct in the as
sumption tnat Nelson was only await
Ing favorable opportunity to enter the
field.
Immediately after the announcement
Senator Yale and other friends of
WashDurn repaired to the capitol to
learn from the fountain head whether
the announcement was authoritative.
Without any ado the governor declared
that he was a candidate. About this
time Senator Washburn appeared, and
the Two gladiators
Met Face TO Face
The senator reminded the governor of
the pledges made by the latter, and
stated that SO far as Nelson was con-
cerned he considered that he could not
without diShonor become 8 candidate.
Nelson replied that neither Washburn
nor any man had a proprietary claim
on the senatorship, and that he, Nelson,
was candidate. Senator WaShburn
repeated what he had said. and the TWO
men parted, probably never to meet
again as friends.
Mr. WaShDurn returned to his head
quarters at the Windsor, and to a repre-
sentative of the GLOBE made a calm,
dispassonate and conservative state
ment. He said that he was at first
unable to convince himself that the an
n0uncement of Nelson's candidacy WAS
authorized. lie had received from the
governor the most satisfactory assur--
ances that he would not be a candidate.
He and his friends had given to the
governor the most loyal support, and
the Minneapolis Republicans had stood
loyalty by the ticket. He felt that Nell
son was bound by every obligation that
should be sacred to stay out of the sem
atOrial fight, but now he was in it there
would be no quarter shown on either
side.
Washburn'S friends, however, were
not so cool about it. There was hot in
dixnation, and specific charges of
treachery were not lacking. No sooner
had the report been thoroughly circu-
lated than there was rush to the Wash
burn headquarters. Some were friends.
some were opponents, and some had no
particular interest except to see how
the Washburn men would take it.
Viewed
From Il Washburn Standpoint,
the situation is changed only in that
Gov. Nelson is now an aYowed, instead
Of secret candidate. The senator him
self is probably the only man in the
Washburn camp who had accepted the
Nelson pledges at par, and there is
scarcely doubt that even he took them
with a grain of allowance. With
the more prominent of the Wash
burn men, such as Loren Fletcher,
"Bob" Evans, Mayor Eustis, D. F.
Morgan and those of the Hennepin del
egatiOn who are for Washburn first,
last and all the time, the opinion pre-
vailed and was freely expressed that
the announcement Of Nelson's candi-
didacy would strengthen Washburn
very materially. The expression most
frequently heard was: Its all right
now: we.know whom we are lighting and
where to find him;" and one enthusias-
tic Washburn man added: "And you
canbet your life Well find him, too"
incidentally to the announcement Of
Nelson's candidacy there was g. good
deal of discussion relative to the posi-
ton in which Mr.. Comstock would be
left by this new development. Among
the Washburn mon the opinion prevails
that Coms;ock
WAS IA E7ona Eide Candid ate,
and that lie, like Washburn, was VIC
tim Of Nelson's duplicity, Mr. Wash
burn himself and his leaders ad.
nit that Comstock had a perfect right
to be Z candidate, and they now think
be was induced to become such in the