The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-16
FLETCHER'S CUP FULL
THE FIFTH DISTRICT CONGRESS-
MAN HAVING HIS SHARE
OF TROUBLES
NEW ONES BoBBING UP DAILY

His Friends Have Taken Up Van
SAINTS Candidacy for Governor,
Leaving Collins to Hustle for
Himself in Hennepin Fewer
Places to Give Out, but just as
Many Friends to Place.
AS time drags on 1t is demonstrated
that Your Uncle Loren Fletcher Is to
have the fight of his long life for return
to congress next year. Just now he is
the special victim of the electricity
thrown off in the friction between Collins
and Van SAINT, with a small wheel label
ed "Eustis" running in between the two.
Not that anything is to be expected from
the Eustis wheel more than to keep his
erstwhile boom in sight; however, there
is very considerable faction in Henne-
pin' that which carried the primaries for
William Henry, and this faction wants to
make fight for delegates to give them
standing, or trading material in the
next convention. But as between the Col
Inns and the Van SAINT supporters it keeps
Congressman Fletcher humping to keep
himself squared" It was the former
who smoked out the Van SAINT candidacy
recently, and they are especially active
in the attempt to force Fletcher to show
how he stands. They know very well
that the congressman is for Van SAINT,
the best evidence Of which is that Post
master Love1oy, Senator E. e. Smith and
ex-Judge Jamlson are the open managers
of the Van SAINT campaign, as they were
two years ago. But this tunta have add
ed to their managing forces Of two years
ago, and include some Of Congressman
Fletchers bosom supporters, and the Col
Inns men are rapidly coming to the con-
clusion that it is the purpose to make it
ar out-and-out Fletcher-Van SAINT COM
bine. If this Is confirmed the Collins men
propose to commence their fight against
Fletcher at once. and make 1t with an
opposition Republican candidate, and
they are now canvasslng a number of
supposedly eligible gentlemen. If they do
this and get beaten, as is probable, then
they will openly fight Fletcher at the
polls. They do not hesitate to say that
they would support such a man as Judge
CAVITY or P. B. Winston, and they are
VIGOROUSLY encouraging the candidacy Of
Judge Canty, just now, for that purpose,
On the OCner mana the van SAINT men
charge that Fletcher is 600 free with the
blandness with which he welcomes all
gubernatoria1 ambitions. especially that
OF Judge Collins, and are ex-
tremely Jealous OF any move made
that helps Collins or any one else.
In a word they want the whole trough
all to themselves. 1t is very trying posi-
ton in which to be placed. Fletcher feels
It, and shows that he does.
The removals going on in the grain de-
partment are making Mr.. Fletcher no
end Of trouble. 1t is stated that he has
had snugly housed in that department an
average of twenty-five to thirty personal
appointments of his personal henchmen
for number Of years. Some of these are
even Democrats, and they lay down on
him to save them from Gov. Lind's ak
Fletcher has kept them in soft places so
long they expect that if they have to go
he will provide for them still, but the
fact is that Fletcher is out of soft places
just now. Several of those who have al
ready fallen were placed on the govern
ment dam, but there 1t too much work
there for them, and they complain bitter