Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1896-11-20

Democracy and Populism and the
disgruntled element in his own
party, was little short OF the
miraculous. u
The statement that all the men
who were Clough's enemies il the
fight last summer went around
during the entire campaign
with knives ii their boots
and with only one interest in the
fight and that was to do up Dave
Clough by fair means or foul, is
one not warranted by the facts.
The Banner certainly meant its
article for local application in
part, and it IS especially untrue
regarding the Republicans in
Morrison county who opposed
Clough's nomination. The men
who led the fight against Clough
in Morrison county in the nomi-
nation supported the straight
Republican ticket during the
campaign, and the Banner has no
ground for questioning it. These
Republicans loyalty supported
Clough, notwithstanding the fact
that Clough's representatives. in
this county had been grossly I'M.
fair to the party's Interests in the
campaign. To begin with, the
Clough delegates to the state con-
vention from Morrison county
had no right to represent the
county, and they were not fairly
chosen. Democratic and nou-
resident voters had been used by
wholesale to pack caucuses in
favor Of Clough, and even after
such means had been used the
Clough forces were in a minority
in the county convention, and 5he
gag rule was applied in the con-
vention, and no vote allowed on
any material motion. The pro-
ceedings in the county convention
were an Outrage on the Republic
an party, and no local nomination
by such means would be worth
filing for place on the ticket.
The state convention, of course,
admitted the C]ongh delegates.
The opposition did not carry the
fight into the Legislative or con-
gressional conventions, as there
was no contest on nominations,
and there was a desire to end the
trouble as soon as possible. The
Clough crowd showed their dispo.
sition then by removing such men
as G. A. Lindbergh and NJ. N.
Williams'from the essional
and legislative committees, and
placing the party's interests in
much less competent hands.
Then the Clough crowd had
encouraged candidates for county
office who stood no earthly chance
for nomination, and another con.
test was forced on the party, with
result of delaying the county con.
vention, and finally rendering the
campaign too short to be most
effective. IF the Clough leaders
had either worked to harmonic
the county contests, or plainly
said they would not, the convention
would have been called earlier,
resulted the same, and a better cam.
paign made possible.
The result was that the local
Republican campaign was embar-
raised, and all Republican candi..
dates secured smaller vote than
they would if the party had been
thoroughly harmonious, and
Clough's opponents certainly did
all they could to secure harmony.
But Clough received loyal sup.
port, and received in Morrison
county about SO per cent. Of the
Mckinley vote, while as shown
above the Clough vote IN the state
was less than Sc per cent. Of the
Mckinley vote. In the city Of Little
Falls Clough received SO per cent.
Of the Mckinley vote, while in
Bellevue (Royalton) he secured
but II per cent. Of the Mckinley
vote Bellevue is about the only
precinct in the county in which
Clough's decrease cannot be ac-
ID. y r -