The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-31
SPEAKERSHIP CONTEST SEEMS To
HINGE UPON SOUTHWESTERN
VOTES MONDAY.
CAN SHELL DELIVER THEM7
HIS DESIRE TO BE SECRETARY OF
STATE MAY HANDICAP
HIM.
KRAKER, OF sTEARNs COUNTY,
Me1rOse Independent, VIII Vote for
Jones If the Republicans VIII
Let Him.

AS the speakership contest now
stands, it looks as though the second
district held the balance Of power. The
opponents of Jones count upon the
practically unanimous support Of the
First, Third and Seventh districts IN
the Republican caucus, the First dis
trict will have Is votes, the Third has
Ia, and the Seventh 10, in all 40 Tha
Jones people claim the Sixth solid, IL
votes, and in fact IL, for they expect to
ring in Joseph Kraker, of Stearns coun-
ty as a Republican on the caucus.
They count, too, upon the Fourth and
Fifth districts practically solid, Is and
IL votes respectively, making another
80 votes, aside from Kraker
There Is left the Second district. with
15 votes. The Jones people have been
counting upon that
When Dan Shell, of Worthington.
who was among the earliest candidates
for speaker suggested, declined to run.
1t was generally understood that it
was a move in the interest of Jones.
who was to reward him by the chair
manship of the committee on grain and
warehouses. Mr.. Shell was to do the
best he could for Mr.. Jones in the Sec
ond district, and Mr.. Jones, if elected.
would give Mr. Shell the coveted plum.
However, Mr.. Shell has other ambi-
tons, it seems, and the chief Of these
is the Republican nomination for Sec
retary of state two years hence AL
bert Berg having had it two years
must either get the governorship or
nothing, and Shell feels that he is not
treading on any ones toes in thrust
ing himself thus early into the field for
Berg's place. However, his longings
in this direction may restrain him
somewhat from becoming in any sense
an offensive partisan in the present
speakership fight, as he is not anxious
to ALLEVIATE himself from any faction or
district in the Republican party Of the
state to promote the ambition Of some
| one else.
This is the factor that the Underleak
people are counting upon to carry them
through, and the seeming result is that
the delegates from the Second as they
come in will be subjected to the most
vigorous system Of buttonholing vet
seen in the canvass. The Underleak
syndicate argue that if they can get
a majority OF. the fI5 votes in the south
western corner of the state, Shell Will
automatically yield to the wishes OF
his constituency, sacrifice possible
chaiSmanships, and join the combine
against the triple district wall which
will be built about his secretaryship
ambition in the event that he should
kick over the traces.
*%S
A number Of the mem bers went home
yesterday, and 1t is likely that a few
more will leave today in order to have
the new year we'll started at home.
However, not all will go, for tomorrow
VIII mark the opening of the real
active fight. Henry Feig went to the
Merchants yesterday and engaged
quarters for Mr.. Underleak, who will
open headquarters there early to-
morrow morning and will remain con-
stantly in the saddle until the end Of
the fight The Jones headquarters viii
be removed from the Windsor, but it
was reported yesterday that the Todd
county man would also have head
quarters at the Merchants so that the
rural delegate who marched up street
from the union depot will have little
trouble in being initiated into the fes-
tiVities of the campaign.
There are ninety votes in the Re-
publican caucus on the face Of the re-
turns, but the Jones people will try
to make it 81. You see it does not
take any more votes to make ma
jority of 81 than of 80, while the 9lst
vote in this case happens to be a.
Jones man 1t is pretty sure. Joseph
Kraker, of Stearns county, is the man
the Jones people will try to have in
stalled in the gathering the first of
the week. He ran on an Independent
ticket and was elected and while
oil IL,
the same county were either
fusion or Democratic, it is
said that Kraker has declared his
willingness to vote with the RepubIi-
can caucus. and the managers Of the
Jones campaign will endeavor to seat
him. They are not unwilling to admit
that a vote here and there will
be acceptable III their ranks, al
though they me1ntain that there is no
doubt about the ultimate result of the
present canvass.
The attitude of the cities is source
of much conjecture. While 1t is a-nat-
ter Of general Information that Jones
has number of good friends in the
Twin city. delegations, it is not ad-
mitted by the athree-sided combine
that the Todd county man will be able
to swing eth er the Fourth or Fifth
districts into line fo him under a
an open fight, they will divide tha
honors with the northerner.
***
Saturday will be a busy day. The
Second, Fourth and Sixth, and pro-
badly the Fifth district also, will hold
caucuses to determine not only their
position, if any, on the speakership
fight, but also to consider the respect
i've claims Of candidates for appolntive
positions. AS indicated above, the
meeting Of the Second will be watched
with especial interest, although the
Fourth and Fifth NAV develop some
surprises. The Sixth is esteemed as a
foregone conclusion.
Joseph Kraker the Stearns county
Independent, whose position with re-
spect to the Republican caucus is a
source Of so much conjecture. arrived
in the city yesterday and will be here
the greater part Of the time until after
the session Of the legislature. While
Mr.. Kraker's remarks were very guard
ed. he indicated that the Jones people
were warranted in counting on his
support, provided they could secure
his admission to the Republican eau
Gus, as it is seemingly about the only
show the Stearns county man has Of
getting any particular glory out of the.
present session.
While there is little talk Of com.
binations between either of the speak
ership candidates and the seekers for>