Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-11
SITUATION IN MINNESOTA AND
WISCONSIN.
Some Lively Contests in Progress
Fight on Representative Tawney-
Roosevelt is Very Strong.

SiOnai nominations Will De made In every
district in the state.
AT the same time legislative candida. cs
and county officers will be nominated N
every county under the provisions of a
new primary law which Is being carried
out for the first time.
Consequently there is great activity. es-
pecially among the republicans, and there
are several contests which partake of all
the excitement incident to a general cleo
ton. The convention system has been
abolished and the voters cast a direct ballot
for those candidates who have filed for a
nomination.
Lively Contests in Progress.
I'm seven of the nine congressional dis
tricts there are lively contests in progress.
the most marked being in the first, third
and fifth districts. Representative James
A. Tawney, the northwestern member of
the ways and means committee, is having
hard fight, and it is claimed by the re-
publicans in opposition that If the old con-
vention system prevailed he would be de-
feated by State Senator T. V. knatvold a
popular republican who has created some
thing of sensation by tackling Mr. Tdw-
ney and announcing a platform that 3eemS
to meet With approval, not only in the first
district, but elsewhere in the state. Sena-
tor knatvold took issue with Tawney on
the Cuban reciprocity question. He an
nounced that he favored a general tariff
revision and declared that he would work
Tor the elimination Oh the DUTY on lumDeT,
which Is oe of the commodities largely pur-
chased by the farmers of the district.
'Knatvold's platform called forth dec
laration from Mr.. Tawney in which he
pledged himself, If elected, to work for
tariff modification. Moreover. Mr. Tawney
In his platform announced that the Fifty
eighth Congress, if republican, would re-
wise the tariff. Hence whoever wins will
Tawneys record and his prominence in
the House give him a decided advantage.
The farmers give him credit for passing
the ofeomargarine bill and his friends
claim that the sugar trust is fighting him.
ION the other hand, Senator Knatvolds
supporters insist that Mr.. Tawney has al
ways stood for a high tariff; that he as
sisted in framing the Dingley bill, and that,
although a member of the ways and means
committee. he will not be able to accom-
plish tariff reduction They further claim
that Tawney is not in sympathy with Presi-
dent Roosevelts ideas reciprocity, and
tho are flooding the district with circulars
quoting Tawney in opposition to the lres!-
dent.
Both candidates are working night and
da", and southern Minnesota has never
witnessed a hotter fight
Gov. Lind to Try for Congress.
I'm the Minneapolis district Representa-
tive Loren Fletcher has the nomination
practically won over a divided opposition.
But his great fight will come later, when he
democratic nominee. Lind is a great cam
paigner ami vote getter. and the democratic
national committee have placed unlimited
assistance in the way of campaign speak
ers and literature at the disposal of Gov.
Lind
In Representative Heatwole's old dis
trict there are seven candidates six of
them running neck and neck. The man
nominated can win out by receiving trifie
over one-sixth of the total vote cast. thus
making him a minority candidate. Oppo
nents to the primary system point out some
wea kness in the law viewed from party
standpoint. Under the old plan all candi-
dates and their friends would be together
In convention when a nomination was
made and there would be opportunity to
patch up differences and promote harmony,
but under the primary system candidate
defeated at the polls by very narrow mar
gin will naturally feel and cannot be
expected to work for the ticket with much
enthusiasm.
Representatives ]. T. McCleary and F.
c. Stevens will be renominated without OPP
position. j. Adam Bede will succeed Judge
Page Morris in the new eighth district.
Bede has gained a reputation as a wit and
story teller. and it is said that he is the
equal of John Allen of Mississippi as pro-
Queer of mirth In Representative Eddy's
old district there is a good-na tured contest,
and NJ. J. Downing. formerly secretary of
the National Republican League, has
shade the best Of 1t for the nomination.
Strength of President Roosevelt
President Roosevelt is as strong in Min
nesota as was James G. Blaine. He will
visit the state this month and make several
speeches. The republican state conven-
ton is on record as favoring his nomination
in 1904.
The democrats are lying low. trusting
to some detection In the republican ranks
as a result of the coming primaries. They
hope to be able to elect John Lind but the
latter Will be forced to defend the Kansas
City platform and all of Bryan's political
positions. Some of the best republican
speakers of the country will be sent to Min
neapois to assist Mr.. Fletcher.
GOV. Van SAINT is popular, and will carry
the state by at least 5000 on the usual
light vote in an off year.