The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1901-05-20
McKINLEYS RETURN'H He WILL PULL OUT
Statement Expected From Major
Conger to That Effect.
HIS CANDIDACY MEETS A FROST
Opposition to Cummfns May Shift to
Trewin-WOrk Cut Out for
Mr.. Hull.

Special to The Journal.
Des Moines, Iowa, May 20.-Develop-
ments Of much significance in the con-
gressional politics of the seventh district
accompanied the recent meeting of the
republican state central committee of
Polk county. Congressman Hull received
a serious setback and corresponding.
impetus was given to the campaign Of
Judge S. F. Prouty of the district court,
who is planning to force his way into
Hull's time-worn congressional shoes.
Several weeks ago, Prouty sent out a
letter to the candidates for committeeman
urging that men be elected who were i'm
partial and not committed to Hulls inter
est. This letter stirred the Hull forces to
activity and when the primaries were held
they succeeded, as they supposed in get
ting a safe majority of those on whom
they could depend on the committee. The
meeting of the committee for organiza-
tion has Just been held. A hard fight
arose over the craftsmanship. The con-
test ended in turning down the candidate
of the Hull men and in electing as chair
man Deputy County Treasurer Al Lay
man.
M NJ Robertson, who was the candidate
of the Hull supporters for the chairman
ship, was put in as secretary as a balm
to the hurt feelings of the Hull contingent.
While Layman is not an avowed enemy
of Hull. he is regarded as friendly to
Prouty and at least as impartial. The in
cident is regarded here as of much i'm
portance as indicating that Prouty's
strength is greater than expected and as
strongly emphasizing what has been fore
told in various ways before, that HulPs
congressional seat will be placed in great
jeopardy next year.
The Fight in Dallas.
thus far have been generally favorable
to Cummins. 1t now appears certain the
anti -Cummins forces will fail to carry
Dallas county for Major Conger. short
time ago the friends of Conger in Dallas
county gave up the idea of making a fight
for their candidate. 1t was then real
lied that to concede Dallas county to
Cummfns would be likely to hurt irrepar-
ably the Conger campaign. 1t was then
determined to fight and for the past ten
days every effort has been made to make
votes for Conger. The fight is already
virtually lost to him in Dallas, as the
caucuses held the past two days have
given Cummins f1ftytwo instructed dele
gates in the county convention. Conger
has none and the Cummins leaders, who
need but ten votes more to control the
county convention, say they are assured
of two or three times that number.
The real crisis of the Dallas county
fight was passed when the caucuses were
held in Perry Saturday. There the fight
was bitter in the extreme, prohibition and
temperance workers in Des Moines joining
in the fray against Cummins The Conger
men lost in all three wards of Perry
thus giving twenty-one delegates in the
county convention to Cummins and set
ting the tide for Cummins in the county
so strongly that both machine and anti
machine men agree it cannot be over
come.
1t is asserted by the Conger men the
leaders of the Cummins forces in Dallas
took snap Judgment on them by calling
the caucus without giving requisite no.
tice. The other side declares this untrue
that ample notice was given and ample
time allowed all to vote that desired to
do so.
Conger Practically Out of 1t.
The general impression here is that
the Conger movement has run its course
and that the opposition to Cummins will
now shift it's support to Trewin. Thus
far Cummins has III delegates. He has
carried Polk, Boone, Story, Woodbury.
and Sac counties OBrien county, though
it instructed only for Brown for railroad
commissioner, is for Cummins. Guthrie
county has instructed for John Herriott
Union county and Adams have instructed
for Judge H. NJ. Towner for supreme
Judge and are strongly anti-Cummins.
Major Conger has returned from Wash
ington and a statement is expected from
his name as a candidate.