The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-17

BISMARCK, N D., Jan. 16.-CSpe-
ciaID-A final caucus was held by the
Republicans tonight, but there was no
choice for senator and tomorrow the
first vote will be taken in the house
ard senate. The minority will then
take a hand in the game, but the indi-
cations are there will be no change in
the situation, and that both the John
son and anti-Johnson leaders will hold
their forces. The result OF the last bal
lot taken tonight was AS follows: john
sen, so; Lamoure, s; Marshall, Il; Lit
tie, 9; Hanna, 6; McCumber, S. and
Cooper, 4. Johnson, Of Richland, chang
ed to Johnson on the first ballot and
third ballot, leaving the congressman s
strength unchanged. The net result
of the two weeks caucusing has been
the loss of one vote by Johnson.
Up to o'clock this afternoon it was
uncertain whether or not a caucus
would be held tonight The caucus
committee met at noon, but adjourned
until later without action. At the sec
end meeting a final test of strength
was decided upon and caucus called.
The announced agreement of Mckenzie
ard the six field candidates that one of
the number shall be selected IN case Of
JChnSonS defeat is believed TO be a
sep to the local Marshall men. who
were disaffected through distrust of a
protracted struggle. Mckenzie is slow
ly drawing the line above favorite son
candidates His plan for the DISPOSE
ton of them is not matured. but will
depend on developments.
No senatorial campaign in North Da-
kota has been more complex than that
being waged at the present time. The
caucuSeS and the canVaSSeS have not
materially changed the situation, and
it now begins to look as though the
problem of the next senatorship might
be solved in joint ballot of the legisla-
ture with the fusioniSts factor in the
result.
In political battle where skill and
shrewdness of mana cement are alone
to be considered, the Johnson forces
are overmatched. He has against him
such political experts as Mckenzie
Jud La Moure, Baily Fuller, John Hag-
CERT and a dozen others, who know
every turn in the road of North Da-
kota politics. They are seeking to wear
Johnson out and force enough of his
supporters away from him to put him
out of the race. and then settle the
distribution of the spoils among them
selves. But the congressman played a
counter card, which may prove a win
ner, when he started the inflow of pc
titions and delegations of his friends
TO the capitol city to work among the
members, by which it is made more
apparent that the present contest is the
old struggle of the people against the
politicians.
The federal officeholders of the state
do not seem to. be lined up on any one
particular side of the contest Marshal
Aaggert is working against Johnson
while the congreSsmanS right-hand
man, aside from Col. Johnson, is Ernie
Kent, receiver at the land office at
Grand Forks, and all of the candidates
in the field have more or less support
from other federal officers, including
the postmasters of their various local
sties.
AS has been said, the opponents of
johnson hope to wear out his strength
and draw his supporters away from
MIN. The prospect, however, of the
field being able to agree upon any one
man does not seem bright, and so far
as an inference can be drawn it seems
to indicate that Johnson will hold his
supporters to the end