The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-18
Grist efz6s Political Mil

Yesterday, the eve of St Paul's first
experiment with the primary election
law, was day Of uncertainty and pc
ROD of hedging with the follor-ings Of
the several Republican candidates for
mayor. The candidates themselves vero
more conservative in their claims and at
last all of them admitted that the Re
publicans have not taken andy to the
primary ticket presented for their dis
eliminating judgment.
All of the Republican candidates claim
ed to be confident that each in his own
particular case faced nothing but victory
at the polls today. but none Of the So
called leaders in the race for Republic
an preferment had any very substantial
grounds for his argument Twelve hours
peTore the polls opened this morning the
man who could pick the Republican win
ner with degree of certainty which
would warrant substantial bet in sup
port of his guess, was a quantity un-
known in the land. At the last minute
the boom which has been rolled UP on
newspaper space for Doran by the ma
chine crowd which took him up as a
forlorn hope, seemed to have experienced
a puncture. Men long rated as among
the keenest political prognosticators in
the Republican party who had no per-
sonal interest in either Warner, Doran
or hiefer. were hopelessly divided as TO
the relative strength of the three. and
We're equally at variance in their esti-
mates of the strength that either Leigh
ton, Seng or Robi.lard will show ~
one point they agreed upon with sur
pr1slng unanimity. The Republican, vote
at the primaries will be far lighter than
at first expected. The rank and file Of
the party is not pleased with ,ne primary
ticket, and will not bind itself by vote
at the primaries to support any one of
the men seeking the mayOralty nominal
ton The estimates Of a dozen prorni-
nent Republican politicians. VINO have
long had close touch upon the party
pulse did not vary in the extreme to ex-
ceed 1,0OO votes. The lowest estimate of
the Republican poll is placed a $780, and
the highest at 5000, while the normal
party vote. based on strict party lines
should be about 1890. Not only the po-
Htical wiseacres but the Republican can
dldates freely admit that the reason for
the light vote lies in the peoples I'M
Willingness to tie themselves up to the
ticket that may be the result Of the pri-
maries or to any of the men that may
be nominated for mayor on the Repub-
Hcan ticket.
The popular belief among Republican ms
and politicians generally Is that the Re-
publican mayoralty aspirant who can
pile up 1900 to ESQ votes today will be
an easy winner of the nomination. The
recent attitude Of the Republican press
Influenced by the strings of the machine
men, whose forlorn hope Doran has the
honor to be- has helped to give him a
shade the best Of it in the popular mind
Several prominent Republicans who have
never participated in local politics to the
extent Of becoming candidates. claimed
to be satisfied that Doran will have from
200 to 400 the best of Warner and Kiefer.
On the face of the tangible data there
was little ground for substantiation of
their claims. And their lack of faith in
their own predictions was evidenced bv
their unanimous admission that Doran
would not run as well after nomination
as would either Warner or Kiefer.
In view of the light vote expected bv
the Republicans, the three candidates set
down as minor lights IN the race must
prove important factors, and Kiefer and
DCfan both stand to lose more from lie
lesser lights campaign than Warner.
For instance, while the Doran men claim
that their candidate will poll IS per cent
OF the party vote III the First ward. some
of the best Informed party workers IN
the last few days cut down the Doran
estimate of so per cent to g. Robillard'g
candidacy may not be a real big thing,
as compared with the gross results to be
reached by the leaders, yet in the First
ward it should reach proportions large
enough to do harm, and Robillard gains.
on the face of them are Doran losses.
It is also generally admitted that Warner
has made gains in both the First and
Second wards within the last week.
Leighton, who expects to beat the best