St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-01-24
Sixby and His Staff Were Too
Much for the EX-Federal
Officials.
D. II. CLoUGH GOES UP.
Sketch of the Two Leaders in
the Great Contest Just
Ended.


The senatorial contest is ended. As
foreshadowed in the GLOBE for the past
week the Washburn forces, utterly and
completely routed SO far as their own
candidate was concerned. were unable
TO mass the opposition to Nelson to any
purpose, and the we'll coached runner
from the prairies of Douglas county
went in at canter with seventeen
votes to spare.:t
So far as the final result was con-
cerned all was settled and over when
the Nashburn managers, after an all
day morning without any settled or
definite plan Of action. Now that it is
all over it is easy to see where various
deals could have been made by which
the result might have been changed
The principal difficulty was that Sem
ator Washburn could not be made to
see what was plain to his managers a
week ago, that there was no hope of his
election. Had lie come to full realiza-
tien of this week earlier and massed
his strength with that OF COmstock, as
attempted Tuesday, Nelson would have
heen defeated. But Senator Washburn
was the last to hear the call which sum-
moned him back to private life. and
ti,tn fn f-n IL Of IN
friends until it was too late for them to
accomplish what the senator most de-
sired the defeat of Nelson.
Nelson owes his election to three
causes-to Washburn's unpopularity, to
his own strength with the common peo>
pie, and TO the perfect organization of
his forces. The order in which these
are taken in point of Importance should
be the reverse of that named. His
campaign for the senatorship was sue
cession of mastery strokes of policy,
following each other in such rapid sue
eession as to absolutely dumbfound his
opponent. He had in the person of
FANS BiXby the
Fest Political Manager
who has ever moved on the political
checker board in Minnesota. Bixby
had, in the persons Of d. NJ. Clough,
John Goodnow, Hi Foote, Tim Byrnes
AID half a dozen others. as able set Of
heutenantS as ever came to the support
of leader.
From the outset the Washburn peo
pie never made move, either publicly
or secretly, but it was known and
couEteredi in the Nelson camp before its
effect could have been even conjectured.
The moves OF the Washburn people
never got far enough along to have an
effect. When Washburn attempted to
mass public sentiment against Nelson
lie found that the field had already been
worked, and many of the men upon
whom he was depending to circulat o
petitions in his behalf were already do
ing or had done that service for Nelson.
When they sought to bring discredIt
upon Nelson by showing that his sup.
holders they found that the people had
already learned that Washburn's cam.
paign was Ill the hands of federal of1i-
cials.
Nelson started in by filling the field
with local candidates, each one of whom
withdrew from the support of WASH
burn from one to half dozen votes, and
by the time the straw candidates were
ready to withdraw Nelson had the votes
of their members. AT late date the
Washburn men made feeble attempt
to play the same game, but only sue
ceeded in losing votes from their own
column 10 the candidate they raised up,
and these in turn were transferred to
the Nelson side.
Washburn's foolish organs raised the
cry of doodle" only to find that in
stead Of weakening Nelson's cause it
was given additional strength for the
reason that Washburn's name was,
probably wrongfully. connected with
charges of the same kind six years ago.
The Washburn managers were SIM
ply
Outmanaged at Every Point
of the contest, and met the most com.
plete and inglorious defeat which ever
fell to the lot of any organization in the
state.
Among the causes which led up to the
final lresult it would be gross and pail
pable injustice not to mention the Min
neapolis papers. which not only Afford
ed Coy. Nelson the preteXt for announc-
ing his candidacy when he did, but fol-
lowed it,up by driving many unpledged
and indifferent members into the Mel
son camp. Any man who refused on
the first call to declare himself for
Washburn was placed on the broiler