Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-03-25
QUEER PROCEEDINGS.

Of Republicans Of the Second con.
gressional district ut Mani alto is
one Of the queer developments of
state politics this year. The
sudden fear that SOM Of the
people have acquired ola una.
chine" victory il pathetic. Men
who now most dread "msch me-
control Of the Republican state
convention were cooperating
with that machine and it's detesta-
BILE and damaging work in 1895.
The narrow escape that Clough
had at the polls in that year
seemed as effective in disrupting
the organization Of officeholders
Is could have been hoped. So
this year when the campaign for
the Republican nominate N
opened there We're all kinds Of dit
ferences between state officers,
committee leaders and county
strikers. Gov. Clough offered his
help to the candidate who made
the hardest fight against the ma.
chine in 1896; Auditor Dunn early
espoused the cause of Judge COL
Inns; Thos. Bixby was being
groomed for the head Of the ticket
himself, and the old "machine"
was plainly divided.
But men who had for years
been active parts Of the Clough
machine, began criticisms on Van
SAINT as the "machlne' candidate.
There is MOTH 6 whatever to
show that the Winona leader had
changed his attitude toward ma
chine methods, and under the con.
ditions he was warranted in &C.
cepting any help that voluntarily
came to HIM from parts of the dis.
and divided element
that had before controlled the
party by means that Van SAINT
will never employ or approve.
We do not believe that there
is any call this year for Repub.
leans of any county or district to
assemble to denounce any of the
present candidates for the Repub.
ican nomination for governor as
,ympathizers with the old ma.
,hlne, or that any Of them can be
truthfully denominated as the
of the 1896 machine.
who we've supporting
he machine and those who were
itin the last campaign
alike recognized that none of it's
.ctive members could this year
esd the state ticket to victory.
The members of the party were
practically unanimous in the idea
hat the nominee for governor
his year must be some man who
vas not connected with the deal
hat nominated Clough in 1895.
There is just as much difference
n opinion among one class of Re.
,ublicans as there IS among the
'ther as to who this leader
hould be. Machine and anti.
Machine men are supporting Van
'ant; the same is true Of Collins
nd Eustis. They are all good
men, and any Of them will b. &C
eptable to the rank and file Of
republicans. To denominate
ither as the particular choice of
he machine is unfei and not
by the we'll known con-
itions in the state today
Let the Republicans of the state
lave a decent and fair campaign
or the nominating convention,
nd the leader chosen will COM
aand the party vote and be elect
d. None Of the candidates yet
AIMED will employ any but fair
avans, and the Republicans who
ssemble anywhere to protest
g inst the assumed danger of
electing any particular man now
j the field are not acting for the
est interests of the party.
The Mankato conference is not
alculated to help the Republican
arty any. It is a queer proceed
1g. When one considers that
ome of its promoters have
elped Clough wnen he was
ecidedlv wrong. it IS interesting