The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-13
In A POLITICAL WAY.
FERMENT IN FIELDS LOCAL
AND STATE
REPUBLICANS MEET TODAY

REPUBLICANS MEET TODAY
Together to Consider the Plans
for the- Coming Campaign-Nota-
lions of the Fray In the City and
Out of It-Republicans TAIk OF
Dfsciplining Hennepin County.
The Republican state central commit
tee will meet this morning at It's rooms
in the Endicott. Arcade to settle several
important problems, chief of which are
the basis of representation, not yet for
mally disposed of at meeting of the
committee, and the question whether to
hold one convention for the nomination
of delegates to the national convention
and for the naming of the state ticket as
well.
1t Is urged that the one convention plan
VIII save great deal of anxiety and sus
pense, as we'll as expense, but there are
not few Republicans in and out Of the
committee who want to know just what
the scheme Is behind the one convention
proposition before they commit them
selves thereto. There is widespread
suspicion that there may be a woodchuck
concealed somewhere in it, Of which the
uninitia ted are wary
It looks as though the proposition is
anti Van SAINT, or, speaking perhaps more
truly not inspired by his friends, al
though not necessarily inimical to him.
IF tho two conventions orc ooIJod fn-
gether it then gives the advocates of the
old representation an added argument for
discardtng the Eustis vote as basis of
representation, and the Eustis vote would
be VIGOROUSLY in Van SAINTS favor on ac-
count of the added strength 1t would give
the First congressional district. If the
two conventions are held together 1t
gives a plausible pretext for using the
Mckinley vote as the basis of representa-
ton, while under custom 1t would be in
order to call the state convention to
nominate a ticket on the basis of the
Eustis vote. This custom has been rev.
erently observed by the party in the state
field, although there are local precedents
for departing from the custom as a mat
ter Of policy.
In 1898, when 1t was proposed to fix the
basis in the Republican county conven-
ton on the gubernatorial vote of 1895, as
had been the custom, 1t was considered
by the county committee pontic not to
take this action, which would have been
quite slap at the First ward. the usual
large Republican vote Of which was bad
ly cut into by Lind. but not by other
parts Of the ticket. 1t was argued at
that time that the Republican vote should
be based on the strength of the party as
a whole, rather than on the specific vote
given any one candidate, although, of
course, 1t was necessary to select some
one candidate as basis Of computation.
So, In that convention, the Lind vote was
abandoned, and the state committee Will
be asked to abandon the Eustis vote for
reasons Of policy to keep good-natured
the communities which have shown more
or less independence In their dealings
with the party ticket.
Against this view. however, will be
urged that the experiment Of the Ramsey
county people was not an unqualified
success in that the ward whose Repub-
licanism was so fostered, turned right
around again and gave Lind another
overwhelming vote in the following cleo
ton in spite of the tender consideration
it received at the hands OF the Republic
an party.
Still another factor may be introduced
the Eustis vote as a basis Of representa-
ton would be distinctly to the advantage.
of Minneapolis and this is a community
which there is an especial disposition
to discipline, even among parts OF the
state which admit some faltering afie-.
glance to Eustis. 1t is charged that Min
neapolis has shown too much OF q ten
dency to hog the game and too little 10
play fair after nominating conventions.
This year the county of Hennepin comes
under the operations Of new primary
election law which makes quite connect
uraI the maintenance of closely cropped
party organization with well developed
disciplinary functions. In the past the
party has gone ahead under vigorous
policy, administering f1gurative poiltlcaf
spankings to unruly politicians, Whether
they dared to throw mud on Loren
Fletcher or made aldermanlc combines
with unwashed Democrats. How they
will be able to dress down recalcitrants,
after the new law goes INTO erect Is
something Of a mystery, and there Is
possibility that the legislative delegation,
hitherto strongly Republican. will not De
the only thing in Hennepin county IN
which the Democrats will make great
gains.
OF course, one party will have no better
disciplinary functions than another I'M
der this primary act, 1t is presumed, put
In the legislative fight the law promises
TO rebound directly to the advantage OF
the Democrats, in that it does not count
upon the way in which the Republicans
had previously gerrymandered the OLD
districts to get the best that there Was
out of them.
The Forty-first district Is pretty ex-
ample. It has been customary to elect
the senator from the Fifth ward, the as
trict as whole being generally strongly
Republican, although the Sixth ward Is
Democratic by a large majority For
this reason the Sixth ward Republicans
have always had to concede the senator
ship to the Fifth ward, In return fer
such house members as the Fifth would
carry through from the Sixth. Under the
primary act in force in Hennepin, which
does away with the nominating conven-
tion 1t will be difficult to make up the
trades as they have been in the past,
and while the senatorial plu1ns VIII not
be shaken down at the 1rst election,
there will be a chance in 1902, perhaps. for
some Sixth warder, for instance, to get
himself nominated by the Republicans,
and thus break up the old plan,
although the party will still have the
power. always 80 freely exercised In
Minneapolis, Of cutting the obstreper-
Gus officeseeker who has ignored the time
honored division of the party plumber.
This cutting, while it will have its dis
culinary value, will, however, be OF lit
tie or no consolation to the Fifth ward
Republican whose name does not get On
the ticket as the party nominee.
Minneapolis title to consideration at
the hands Of the party elsewhere In the
state Is thus made even more intangible,
for while the law was adopted by the
members of the party in the legislature,
it was adopted by the members from else
where in the state who were willing to
let the Mil City experiment all it wished