The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-06-25
COZ. CLOUGH'S BIG LEAD,


GOT CLOUGH'S BIG LEAD.
Beginning with the Mile Laos con
fvention, on the 18th, there had been
| held up to Saturday night eleven
county conventions OF these, the fol
lowing gave their delegations to Gov
ernor Clough: Anoka, IL delegates:
Brown, u; LIE Sueur, IA; Lincoln. Z:
Lyon, 11;; Mile Laos, 8; Morrison, IA:
Mobiles, la total Of eight solid dele
cations and 80 delegates. But in Rice
county, the governor has 10 of the is
delegates, and in Kanabec he has
contrasting delegation in CON
vention where he had the ma
jority of delegates. He Wherefore has
SO delegates so far, not counting Ka-
nabec, while Clapp has 8 in Rice and
Van SAINT % in Winona.
So ends the first week Of the guber-
material contest. At this rate, the
governor will have a walkaway much
like that Of Mckinley. If he gets the
Kanabec delegates, as he probably
will, he would have los in a total Of
l35. That would be more than three
times what all the other candidates
together elect, or about Is per cent OF
the whole. This. is if anything little
better than Mckinley did.
It was first reported that Donald
Grant and his confreres outgeneraled
the Clough ma ority in Rice county
and elected ID Of the IS delegates there
for Clapp. The Faribault railroad
contractor may have outgeneraled the
Rice county farmers, but he could not
outvote them, and the delegates elected
happen to be in majority for Clough.
At Aitkin, Fergus Falls, Litchfeld,
Red Wing and other points local
primaries have been held, with vary
ing results. Aitkin sends to its county
convention a Gibbs delegation. Fer
gus Falls elects a Clapp delegation to
meet the farmers of Otter Tail at the
county seat. Both Litchfeld and Red
Wing elect Clough delegations. 81
The surprise Of the campaign is the
apparent lack Of strength of Mr.. Lee
in his own district. In Morrison
county he had about one-third Of the
delegates at the county convention,
and they bolted when they discovered
their weakness, without waiting for a
ballot. It is unfortunate for Mr.. Lee
that his first convention should pro
duce boiling delegation. It is law
OF politics that the majority never
bolts. Mr.. Lee is unfortunate in be-
ginning his campaign with bolt. His
friends showed poor Judgment in the
way they bolted. If they thought the
Clough majority was not properly
elected at the primaries, Lees friends
| + - e . Il
ought not to have attended the conyeu-
ton atsall, and should made their f chit
on that count. But having attended
the convention, they should have
stayed in it until the proceedings were
completed and then made their contest
on the proceedings. To attend and 20
just far enough to find that they were
in minority, and then bolt, does not
give them a good case to present to the
State convention, nor does it give Mr..
Lees gubernatorial boom a good in
PRODUCTION to the State.
The gubernatorial campaign. up to
date seems to be contest between
Clough, Clapp and Van SAINT, with
Clough so strongly in the lead that the
others will do we'll to get inside of the
distance flag. The only hope Of the
field against Clough is by a general
combination Of forces, and it looks
strongly doubtful if the combined op-
position will give the governor any
more trouble than it did Mckinley.
-. 5@5sss