The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-05-01
THREE OF A KIND.

gives promise of 'making sDavid hus-
tie to save his "white alley"
Eustis, Van SAINT and Lee held a
conference Thursday and agreed to
submit their cases to the primaries.
1t was determined that there should
be placed in each voting precinct in
the county an anti-Clough ticket, and
that this combination ticket should
have printed upon it, besides the
names Of the delegates to the county
convention which is to select dele
gates to the state nominating con-
yention, the names of the three CUB
ernatorial aspirants-Eustis, Van
SAINT and Lee: that voters be request
ed to mark opposite the name of their
favorite and that when the final
count of these marks is made the pro-
portion of the delegation which each
one of the three candidates shall have
shall be in proportion to the popular
vote of the principals.
uC IL hEOS has vi OONClUl W.
casions expressed itself as believing
that, among all the candidates thus
far mentioned, Mr. Eustis would
come nearest making an ideal COVER
nor. And while this position has
been taken it is nothing in disparage-
ment to any of the other gentlemen
who have been discussed in cOnnec-
tion with this office, as they are all
honorable and capable men.
The eXpediency of the move which
has just been made on the guberna-
torial checkerboard in Hennepin
county cannot be foretold at this
time. There is a something about
combinations which does not down
easily with the average voter. Some
may look upon it ia the light of one
combination trying to down another
combination, and result advantage
0usly to Gen. Clapp or Jno. L. Gibbs
who seem to have been dropped out of
the Hennepin calculation, but who
may be in at the finale with more
strength than the Hennepin cOmbl-
nation is figuring on.
While everything is credited as be-
being fair in "war and politics. it will
strike 'the average voter as being
eminently fair that each and every
candidate should be willing to stand
before the people on his own individ-
ual merits-letting the best man win.
1t is hoped that the best man may
win in the next state convention,
but who that man may be is about
as difficult to determine now as it was
before the recent Eustis-Van SAINT
Lee compact.
And in the meantime the ants
should keep an eye on Mr.. Clough.
He has a little combination of his
own which discounts all the others,
as he stands alone as the recipient of
the strength of his forces, without
being required to "divy." A "full
hand beats "three of kind in some
games that are played, and the
game of politics may not prove an
exception.
Another matter which must be con-
sidered in connection with recent de-
yelopments, is the fact that Henne-
pin county will contain only about
one-tenth of the numerical strength
of the state convention. The forma-
tiOn of the committee of one hun
5red" has proven an impolitic move,
and instead of aiding the cause for
which it was organized it may be
safely said at this time that quite
the reverse followed it's denoument.
Is it not possible that a like disaster
may follow upon the heels of Thurs
days combination? There is just as
much reason why Mr.. Eustis should
have gone into Winona county and de-
manded division of the -Clough
forces as for Capt. Van SAINT to go in
to Hennepin county and demand such
a division. Yet had Mr.. Eustis as
sumed to do this he would have been
kicked sixteen feet by the genial cap
tain. The FREE PRESS takes it for
granted that there are good many
men in Minnesota outside of Henne-
pin county who want to see Eustis
governor, and who would be willing
TO do some personal work to bring
about such result, but the recent
compact is not intended to give some
of the eX-Mayor's rural friends very
much encouragement nor any
great amount Of confidence in the
outcome. If Van SAINT and Lee had
exhibited an equal amount of. self
sacrificing spirit as Eustis, they
could have more thoroughly convinc-
ed the masses of their desire to wipe
cut the administration machine by
leaving Hennepin to be fought out by
Mr. Eustis, single handed and alone,
than is now apparent.
The Renuhlicans of the state wi