The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-20
PELLETS OF POLITICS.

Frank Forbes, secretary of the board
of trade, has at last announced his cam
didacy for register of deeds. Mr.. Forbes
has been before the public for many
years past. Several years ago he was
secretary of the Business Mems union.
which position he filled with more than
general satisfaction. Four years ago
Mayor Pratt selected him as his secre.
tary, and when Mr. Pratt retired from
office last January Frank entered upon
the arduous duties of reading clerk of
the lower house of the state legislature
In this position he made many friends.
Soon after the legislature adjourned Mr.
Forbes was elected secretary of the
board of trade. He is a young man
of excellent standing, has a host of
friends, and will give the other candi.
dates more trouble in the race for the
nomination he seeks than any one men.
toned so far. Leading Democrats.
however, say Hennepin county will go
Democratic next time. In that event
Mr. Forbes would have many sympa-
thizers. On the other hand, should he
be elected there is little doubt that he
deeds.
Stranger things have occurred In Min
neapolis in the past twenty years than
the possible nomination next year of
eX-Mayor Ames on the Republican tick
ct for the office CT chief executive of the
city. This talk has been going the
rounds for several days, but the Repub-
lican press has so far taken no notice
of it. This may be due to the fact that
vt does not care to help the doctor. Thew
know if they say anything kind about
him they will DE accused of hypocrisy:
while on the other hand, if they adopted
their old-time tactics they will simply
help his candidacy. These are the two
horns of a dilemma that they do not
care to tamper with.
Last year the genial doctor ran for
mayor on an independent ticket, and,
though abused and maligned by both
parties, polled over 5000 votes. In OPEN
ing his campaign he said he had been
a Democrat for many years, but had
sickened of free silver and quit. He did
not say a great deal against his old enc
my, the Republican party, and a good
many voters were led to believe from his
utterances that he was gradually en-
bracing the faith of the G. O. P. The
old war horses of the latter are no little
disturbed over the above rumors, as the
doctor is very uncertain quantity when
1t comes to running for Office. As a
politician he is a hard man to handle
and as an officeholder he is simply him
self, assuming all responsibility and al
lowing no one to dictate to him. Should
he break into the Republican party next
year and announce his candidacy for
mayor, his chances for nomination woul6
be good.
Some people are never satisfied If they
are not finding fault with their neigh
bors, particularly if the latter are CITY
officials. This is especially noticeable in
the slurs cast upon the city council for
its action at the last meeting in voting
the paltry sum of $175 ito swell the
fund now being raised for the enter
tainment of the Thirteenth Minnesota
on its arrival from Manila. 1t must be
admitted that the sum appropriated by
the council is ridiculously small, but
when that body gave all it had 1t did
the best 1t could. The council has no
fund, apart from the contingent fund.
from which it could appropriate money
for miscellaneous purposes, and as the
amount appropriated was all the con-
tingent fund contained there is not much
room for criticism.
Already the Minneapolis coal barons
are talking about the upper tendency in
the prices of coal. AS long as the mos
quito fingers on the front lawn the coal
barons can lower or raise their fuel
prices without precipitating a panic
Mayor Gray has not yet decided what
he will do with the petition recently pre-
scented him by R. D. Cone, D. c. Bell
and others, In which he was requested to
close the saloons on Sunday Perhaps
he will veto 1t. If he does his veto will be
sustained and no attempt will be made
to carry the cumbersome document over
his signature.