Evening star., 1898-11-07
The st. Paul District.


The fourth or St. Paul district has in re-
cent years been reliably republican and no
one believes that Frederick c. Stevens. who
carried 1t by over 10000 two years ago,
will fail to carry it this time by long lead.
His opponent is Judge John w. Willis of
ST. Paul, a democrat of strong silver lean
ings. The voting population of the district
is largely urban, including as it does the
cities of st. Paul and Saltwater. The tinan-
cial agitation caused the schism of large
German democratic vote and this vote is
still with the republicans Nowhere in the
state was the gold democratic vote SO large
and We'll organized as in this district. Mr..
Stevens probable plurality is placed at
5000.
The fifth Minneapolis district is the
largest Swedish district in the state. the
Swedish vote, out of total of 46, ,O0O being
estimated at 10000. There are in addition
some $500 Norwegian votes ana large
section of foreign voters of other parcnta2e
The adoption two years ago of 4 constitu-
tiOnal amendment requiring as a prcrequl-
site to suffrage that the voter should have
become a fully naturaiZed citizen, that is
have taken out his second papers," has
proved matter of great moment to the
foreign-born population, considerable per-
centage of which has failed to complete
naturalization. This introduces a factor
of great uncertainty into the campaign and
while it will work to the disadvantage of
the fusionists in the northern districts. ii
is expected to have some adverse influence
on the republicans in this distric. This
will be mostly the state and local
tickets. however. Loren Fletcher is the re-
publican nominee for Congress in this dis
trict. His opponent is Prof. =. j. CaIon a
business college orator who was nominated
by the popuHsts and forced upon the demo-
Gratis and silver republicans much against
their will They are giving him only half
hearted support, and this is expected to
smooth the way for Mr. Fletcher who baa
already served three
that he will receive about $500 plurality
Fight in Duluth District.
1t is in the sixth Duluth district that
the hardest fight is in progress between
Judge Page Morris. renominated by the re-
publicans, and Charles A. Towne. the we'll
known silver republican leader. who de
serted the republican party while represent
ing the district in Congress, and who was
thereupon defeated in his fight for re-elec-
ton. Both are making very active can
vass and the result may fairly be said 70
be in doubt. The most significant fact is
the great slump in registration in Duluth
which was Towne stronghold-anG on the
iron ranges, where Morris was strong. This
is due in part to the constitutional amend
ment already adverted to and in part to
the absence of the big floating vote which
was then idle and is now at work But the
slump in Duluth is SO much heavier than
in the iron ranges that Morris is expected
to come off gamer and his probable plu-
rality is placed conservatively a 600 al
though many expect much larger figure
to be reached. Morris connection with the
securing of 81 tariff on lumber has proved
of immense benefit to him, as the large
numbering industries of the district are now
prosperous. where two years ago they were
in bad condition.
Towne has admitted lobbying agains. this
very measure. His ins,stence on the silver
issue, which is generally regarded through
out the district dead, has hurt him, and
on the whole. his chances for SUCCESS are
not deemed nearly SO good as they were in
1896.
The seventh district, comprising all the
northwest quarter of the state, has loEs
been the stronghold of populism. and Frank
M Eddy, the present representative, has
held it in the republican line for two sue
cessive elections simply by force of his
genius as a campaigner, backed by his hard
work at Washington in behalf of mis- con-
stituents There is a normal anti-republi-