Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-04-01

H When the St. Cloud Journal.
Press recently expressed a desire
for the nomination of a Republic.
an candidate for governor "free
from machine taint," the Tran.
script suggested that Van SAINT had
: less ''machine faint" than the
Journal Press. The st. Cloud
paper replies:
eve borrowed that expr ession
from the Transcript Of couple of
years axo-and the ''taint' has
not improved with age. But the
Transcript now appears to enjoy
the things it abhorred ashort time
SINCE"
1t is q well.known fact that part
of what was the 1896 Republican
machine is now supporting Van
SAINT, part of it Collins, and some
of its leading officers are still in
doubt. But the effort Of the
journal Press to attach the saint"
to Van SAINT, becauge Clough is
supporting him IS not warranted.
Clough and all the rest of the
crowd knew that there was scarce.
ly chance Of nominating for goy'
e"nor this year any of the leaders
of the Republican machineof 1895,
and none of such leaders are now
candidates. It was not the mere
fact of a "mach,ne" controlling
the party that brought the Re.
publ1cans near to defeat in the
state, and LIFT : public sentiment
that practically barred any of the
machine leaders from heading the
ticket in 1898; it was the methods
used by the machine and its
strikers in the nominating con.
ventions that brought about these
conditions. Tie cooperation of
leading officials and officers Of the
party organization is to be expect
ed in politics. Organizat on and
united work Is as essential for
candidates to carry caucuses and
conventions as it is for parties to
carry elections. Those means are
employed everywhere, and are en-.
tirely northumberland those who
have the support of the most
voters and e;egat, s, and succeed
IN conventions, constitute the best
'machine." The mere fact that
Clough carried the state conven.
ton in 1895 with his machine did
not account for his small vote at
tho polls, or his weakness in the
party since then.
The damage to the party and
candidates m 1895, and the machine
faint that the Journal Press now
says should be avoided, were caused
by the methods used by the Clough
supporters in controlling the con.
vention. The corruption and fraud
we're the boldest and most extern.
s,ve ever practlced in Minnesota.
Money was used not only for le-
ultimate campaign expenses, but it
was employed to colonize voters
and control Republican caucuses
with Democrats and non.residents
The rights of Republicans were
entirely ignored in many localities,
and all means known to rotten
politics were used.
= The man,pulators depended on q
presidential ticket to pull the state
ticket through, and national issues
were 50 strong that thev could
still drag ,Clough through if his
majority was 50, 900 less than Nc
sKinley's.
" 7 But the state nominating cam.
paign of 1895 ended that machine
and it's leader as useful element
in any future campaign in Mime.
sofa. Neither Clough nor ans
man who was closely associated
with his nominating campaign was
a possibility as head OF a ticket in
1898.
" Good men have come forward for
the Republican nomination this
year. Van SAINT, Collins and Eustis
are all honorable. able and popular
men. None of them was identi.
fled with the Clough methods of