The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-05
IN RANKS OF REPUBS
CHANCES ARE FOR A LONG AND
LIVELY BATTLE NEXT
SUMNER
VAN SAINT FEARS DARK MACS

WiROna Man Is Alarmed by the Pos
sIbiIity of Too Many Dark Horses
Getting Into the Game to Split Up
His Vote on the First BnIIOt-Berg
Says That He Is Not a Candi-
date.
There Is every promise that the state
and national campaign of 1899 will be one
OF the hottest political battles ever fought
in Minnesota. It will not be long after a
new figure is inserted in the date line that
premilinaries will begin and the first
states made. With Van SAINT as the only
candidate that has thus far declared him
self as an aspirant for gubernatorial
hOnOrs, all factions OF the Republican
party are lying low, waiting for events
to shape themselves. Judge Collins,
Moses E. Clapp and Robert G.. Evans are
Rominally candidates, while other Repub-
hcans, such as S. C. Comstock, Albert
Berg and Robert c. Dunn have been
spoken OF. but there is a very small ikeu-
hood that the names Of either of the lat
ter will be brought before the convention.
a nomination is not equivalent to an cleo
ton this year, and the note of warning
sounded by a prominent Republican organ
has not fallen Oh deaf ears.
The party leaders realize fully that they
have got to have a good man, if they can
hope TO defeat Gov. Lind. a we'll known
Republican is authority for the prediction
thar the fight viii eventually simmer
down 70 Clapp and Evans. Both are re-
garded as very strong men, particularly
Gen Clapp, as il is believed that he would
be able TO make q campaign on national
as well as state issues that would be
most notable one. Evans is regarded as
clean cut candidate, and is being talked
OF as possibility. Judge Collins position
is hard 10 define. He has not as yet de-
clared himself as candidate, and the
machine politicians are trying to figure
out whether he is stronger now than ne
was TWO years ago. Under certain cOndi-
tons 1t IS certain that Collins IS stronger.
At least he has not lost any wind and
II he came out as q flat-footed candidate
his support would be strong, not only
from his own distrl [, but from all sec
lions of the state. Auditor Dunn would
hardly consent 70 enter the race. To
properly make the fight he would have to
resign, and he would rather wait another
two years than take his chances now, as
the field is so large that he might be lett
at the post.
sam q. Iverson wants to be state audi
tor, to succeed Mr.. Dunn, when he either
steps into the governors chair or retires
TO private life. Sam has had a pretty
good thing as q state official for the last
ten years, and ii is argued that he ought
to stand aside and give some other good
Republican chance. Then again the
authorship Is one Of the most important
state Offices, and il is exceedingly doubt
fUl II he could secure the Endorsement of
the party. Sans home is in Fillmore
county, which already has Sam Langum
locking after the secretary Of state nom
nation, and besides the First district has
Van SAINT to begin with. 1t Is true that
Sam has lived IN St. Paul number of
years, but St. Paul may want to shoot
Moses Clapp at the gubernatortal nom
nation. Oar Reese, too, wants to run
again, and MS COurUesies TO the soldiers
OF the Thirteenth at Frisco recently and
on the way home are believed, by Oar at
least, TO have made him solid with the
soldiers of the regiment, and all their
fathers, brothers, wives and sweethearts.
With such d following Oar does not see
how he could be defeSed. Still it would
be better not to have too much st. Paul
blood seeking favors in the convention,
looking at it from Darius standpoint.
Apropos OF the hanging on of a con-
siderable number of very offensive Re
publican parisans in the state grain de-
partment, ii is stated on good authority
that the frequent unfOunded criticisms
of the new state service are due to sys-
tematic scheme for discrediung the work
OF the new appointees. If the reports
current, especially in Minneapolis, are
anywhere near reliable, the situation
calls for speedy and energetic action by
Gov. Lind.
There are, 1t seems, some thirty or more
Republicans yet in the Minneapolis de-
partment These recognize that they are
or he 7
be making concerted efforts to do as
much damage, in discrediting the service
as they can, before departing. They are
said 10 do this by circulating false reports
concerning the work of the new en-
plOyeS, magnifying difficulties encoun-
tered, giving out false items of losses of
shipments Of grain, when cars are in
JUred in transit, and otherwise, and
especially in discTediting the new men
when they have taken the places of the
old. An instance of this is said to be
IN the case of Scale Expert Col. P. P
SwensOn, to assist whom an old employee
Republican, was sent TO Minneapolis,
and went the rounds Of the work the
colonel was to do. No such assistance
was actually needed by the colonel, who
as sheriff, and large businessman, IS
familiar with all kinds of public OF
private business, and who as a dealer in
scales and other machinery, was perfect
Iy qualified to disharge his duties Put
the department made the detail, and the
man detailed has. it is said, been making
It his business TO follow the ground gone
over, and belittIe or undermine Col
Ewensou's position with those with whom
; comes In contact, In various ways: for
Instance, processing that he, the supposed
expert, was sorry that no better material
was taken in the successor TO the place
vacated by the Republican, that 1t was
hoped TO great injury to the service
would result, and the like.
The most perricious of this sort of IN
demanded work is said to be at the
hands of men near the head of the
service who should be above such mean
business, and their remaining intimates
The latter, it IS said, supply them with
points from the inside, and those who
have been discharged attend to the out
side work of poisoning the public mind
This IS done also by items given the hos
tile press, instances Of which are cited in
recent Minneapolis publications. When
these are traced, it IS impossible to find
the authors. That It las come from the
department is the most that can be
found out.
The weighing department, under Chief
Weighmaster O'Brien, IS the object of
these Vaccinations, as well as the inspec-
ton department. A fragrant case as to
the latter was the Wflmar case, in
which 1t had been assorted that four ele-
vator men there were charging bad work
in inspection. This was disproved by the
WiIlmar Argus, which interviewed each
of the four grain men interested, proving
the charge wholly false It is now be-