The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-15
SHE'LL OR NOTHING
CLOUGH's sop TO THE SECOND
DISTRICT IS A PLAIN LIEU
TENANCY.
s ,
WEAVER DOES NOT LIKE 1T,
NOR Do ANY OF THE SECOND DIS
TRICT WAR HORSES In
TRUTH.
II
LITTLETON ALSO GETS OUT
+
To Save the Machine Support for
Speaker When the Next Leg
isIature Convenes.


The slate-like surface on which Gov
Clough has been planning to slide into
the United States senate next election
IS not as smooth as it might be- In
fact, it promises to be cracked up to
be anything but smooth.
You see, the governor has practi-
cally given 1t out that the Second dis
trict Will get no place on the ticket
but lieutenant governor, which will go
to Daniel Shell, of Worthington.
That is why Ed Weaver got off the
track in so positive fashion. Weaver
has lived in the rural districts long
enough to know what becomes of an
unruly steer who stands on a railroad
track to make contest with NOV
ing train. But Weaver also knows
that there are ways of getting trains
off the track, at that, and it is not i'm
probable that he will take occasion to
pull spike here and there and leave
a loose joint which may wreck the
fond hopes of the audacious Minnea-
po!itan.
The Second district is not content
with the lieutenant governorship. 1t
would rather have the attorney gen
eralship. The governor is kind of jol-
lying the Second district gang along
with the hope that perhaps that plum
can be dropped in the hands of Ben
Smith. Of Mankato, but the more ex-
perienced politicians of the southwest
ern counties are convinced of the elu-
siye character of this hope Neither
do they espouse the Shell game with
the enthusiasm that might be desired
by the governor and WOuld-be sena-
tors friends. There is some question
about the adaptability of Shells robust
basso to the presidency of the senate
He might drown out some of the less
stcntorian talent from other portions
of the state, possibly.
But the governor says to the stub
born young things who are inclined to
hold out and dispute the sway of the
machine:
You had better get on the band
wagon now, for the next time you see
it the seats may be all filled up, and
there are few little tinhorns left yet.
The First and Fifth districts can swing
this thing alone, and if you don't get
in now you may not have another
chance"
That is the way the governor argues.
If all his hearers agree with him, there
might be no political situation in this
state at all.
The best showing the First and Fifth
districts can make in the convention,
whether it be planned on the basss of
Coughs or McKinley's 1896 vote, is
two-sevenths Of the convention, or
about $50 Of the 1920 delegates
i,I, {a&l
a sixth of the convention, or, in round
numbers, 20 per cent Of the delegates,
and. if the opposition to the machine
sticks together, it will be seen that the
band wagon may have a hard road.
Weavers official declaration of with
drawal is contained in this weeks is
sue of the Window Reporter. It is as
follows:
AS 1 have never been a candidate for gov
ernor, never asked for support under any
circumstances, do not claim that the Second
district owes me favors, do not claim stand
ing over thousands throughout this district
and state, do not care to stand in the way
Of a Second district choice, 1 have decided
to very cordially thank those who have Of
fered me loyal support assuring them of nv
appreciation and to say that 1 am not can
didate. and my name will not go before the
state convention.
Weavers friends say he has been too
long in politics to get outside the
unless he knows that there is going to
be an explosion in the magazine short
ly and some intimate that he has a
fuse ready, evenznew.:
Still another concession to the slate
was made yesterday, when Judge S. T.
Littleton. Of Dodge county, who has
cherished a fond ambition to be attor-
ney general, withdrew from the con-
test, giving the First district guberna-
81 lot fo1l OF
He smooths over his position with the
explanation that.f at The time he en-
tered the race, his friends who urged
him in did not realizedhow strong the
Van SAINT boom was going to be, and
that they like he, himself, are now
content to sacrifice the lesser for the
greater honor.
OF course if the machine should see
fit to reward the Dodge county states
next house of representatives, it would
not be polite to intimate that this was
the result of a deal put up yesterday.
Among the callers at the capitol yes
terday was L. P. Hunt. the Mankato
Republican editor. L. P. has been a
staunch Weaver man, and it is proba-
bly, safe to assume that Mr.. Hunts
conversation with the governor, which
lasted until a late hour. related very
closely to the disposition to be made
of the Seventh district when the ma
chine finally daubs its slate on the
windows of the convention hall.
The following figures show the vote for
Clough and for Mckinley respectively in the
districts which the governor thinks he has
fixed safely:
First Clough. Mckinley
Wabasha 80. ................ ,147 $3.50
Waseca ...... ................ 1861 1902
Steele .......... .............. 1 $40 2046
Dodge ...... ,.........,... LII / 900