The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-21
WAR INTHESECOND DISTRICT
CAPT. VAN SAINT rs LOOKING
TOWARD MANKATO
The Conference to BE Held TomOr-
rGw VIII Open His Eyes rs to His
Chances of Securing the Repub-
Iicnn GubernatoriaI Nomination
Open Its batteries on the Machine.

~ the
Open Its batteries on the Machine.
In forty eight hours Capt. S. R. Van
SAINT, Gov. Clough's candidate for gov
ernor on the Republican ticket next
fall, expects to have a better idea
where he is at than he has this morn
ing.
Between now and that time the Sec
ond district will have shown its hand.
Tomorrow the party men and the Of
ficeholders of the Second district hold
q meeting at Mankato. The state news
papers have speculated freely on the
probable result ever since the call for
the meeting was issued, but will have
10 wait for a conclusion.
1t has been claimed by some that
when the meet has adjourned a pro-
test against Gov. Clough's alleged eff
forts to perpetuate the present pos
SCISSORS of state offices will have been
framed, in language so vigorous and
letters so large that Gov. Clough would
be able to stand on the capitol steps
and read the fiery words blazing
against the Second district sky in the
vicinity of Blue Earth county.
The anti-Clough people have found
JOY in anticipation, because they claim
that, if the Second district repudiates
state house methods and repudiates
Van SAINT, not as a man or a guberna-
torial candidate, but as the legatee of
Gov. Clough, 1t might mean the un-
doing of the entire plan of the Mime
apolis politician.
The calling of this convention is re-
garded as a piece of political work
clever enough to have originated in
IL, In Of To Qixyh, nd xroi ilEa
some people do think such IS the fact,
there are a great many more who think
L. p. Hunt of Mankato, and Hays,
of Sleepy Eye, and Ed Weaver are
shrewd enough to have planned it.
Those who suggested 1t concluded be-
fore issuing the call that, If the dis
trict, in convention, could manage to
pass anti-Clough resolutions, 1t would
have more weight than anything else
they could do. So they decided to take
q chance at 1t.
If they lost, they still felt they had
gained victory, because they would
weaken the effect of the convention Of
the State League Of Republicans Clubs
which takes place the same day in Min
neapolis. In this they claim they have
already been successful, for while the
newspapers of the state and especially
of Minneapolis have devoted good
deal of space to the MankatO gathering
the Republican clubs.
The object in detracting public at
tention from the Leagu of Republican
Clubs is easily under stood Eli Warner,
the man who some weeks ago pledged
the Ramsey county delegates for Van
SAINT, is the president of the Minneapo-
lis gathering. Eli is also chairman of
the state central committee. Unless
the Minneapolis delegates to the con-
, vention are numerous enough and suf-
ficiently &oculated with the EuStis po-
litical virss to tone down the attack,
# has been figured that the league con-
vention would burn with CioughVan
SAINT enthusiasm. 1t was therefore fig
ured it would be wise to have another
convention that wouldn't use the same
fuel, but would produce just as much
heat. While the league convention
may therefore be an object lesson to
the Republicans of Minneapolis, who
have never warmed up for Clough, the
Mankato affair may be an object les
son to the whole seven districts of the
state.
Then again it may not. The Clough
people have not done active work in
the district, it is said. Eli Warner, the
gentleman so plentifully supplied WITH
vest pockets assets in the shape of
delegations, has been circulating
through the district. 1t has not been
reported that he was not feeling well,
so it is not supposed that he was max
ing the trip for pleasure. He has, it is
thought, been urging those in the dis
trict who are in favor of the machine
to get out and make themselves heard.
Another thing that is going to cut
some figure is the fact that the Second
district is full of state officeholders.
They are all expected to find some bus-
ness to take them to Mankato tomor-
row.
Dan Shell, the big Mobiles county
man, will probably be on hand to op-
pose any protest, because Shell has
been flirting with the machine and the
Irritation hasn't closed. So long as
there is the present coldness between
Oar Reese and the machine Shell has
hopes that he will be taken up as the
candidate for clerk of the supreme
court.
Shell was in st. Paul the other day
and talked the matter over with some
\ friend. He used the Windsor hotel tel
ephone, so there was no necessity of
secret connection to learn what he was
talking about. He couldn't understand
why the governor couldn't make Reese
fish or cut bait. or get out of the boat
right away quick. But Reese will not
be hurried. He agreed to join the COM
b!ne weeks ago, and authorized War
ner to say so. But he won't warm up.
He is willing to stick to that if it is
, not. the machine may find it necessary
to do something else. So while he hes
itates, Shell remains on the anxious
seat.
Then there is J. H. Block, the Nicollet
county politician. Mr.. Block is expect
ed to be at Mankato with a number of
st. Peter Republicans prepared to fight
any effort to injure the plans Of Gov.
Clough or Van SAINT.
There are still others who will be
r. there, which means that there Is going
to be fight along the skirmish line be-
fore the Second district gets a chance
to trains its guns on the state machine
directly, because that is what Is ex
pected to be the case, If there are
enough nti-administration Republi-
= cans on hand to do it.
The dissatisfaction In the Second dis
tr!ct is not due so much to the candf-
: dacy of Van SAINT as to the possibility
of Gov. Clough's appointees remaining
in office for another term. They feel
that one term is enough for some of
them, and that II is time there was a
change in the head Of the state labor
department and several other offices
The impression Is that the election Of
Van SAINT would mean continuation
of these people in office.
Then, in the Clough slate, the Sec
ond district has been left out in the
cold. 1t could have had the lieutenant
governor possibly, but Ed Weaver
spurned 1t; in fact nobody wanted it.
The district might also, possibly, have
been allowed the attorney generalship
but only on condition that the machine