The Saint Paul globe., 1902-12-02

a hand in the contest, but say there
will be no names mentioned.
"The governor will undoubtedly take
the position that the legislature should
be organized by the friends of the ad-
ministration,"' said one of the personal
and political friends of Gov. Van SAINT
last evening, "but will not go so far as
to say who shall be speaker"
The Babcock people are equally well
pleased over the promised return of
the governor today, and say that it is
certain that Gov. Van SAINT will reiter-
ate what he said in his Chicago inter-
view, published in T h e G. OBJ e Satur-
day, that he is not taking any hand in
the fight.
Politicians acquainted with the gov
ernor and his political sagacity say
there is no telling just what he will
do and for this reason many of them
refuse to even guess as to what stand
he will take in the row.
Don't Like Idea of New Candidate.
The talk about new candidate in
place of Johnson when made to any of
the henchmen of the Minneapolis man
at the mouth. 1--WE are in the fight to
a finish" said Tom Girling, last even
ing, "and there will be no back down.
Johnson is as good as elected and
there will be no shifting to another
candidate"
What is there in the talk that Min
neapolis is trying to hog matters by
having the presiding officer in the
senate and the speaker in the house %
what has Minneapolis got now?''
queried Mr.. Girling. "It is the most
important city in the state, casts one
seventh of the entire vote, is the rich
est county in the state and all it has
is the lieutenant governorship. We are
entitled to the speakership and what is
more to the point we have sixty six
votes pledged to our man which set
ties the question beyond any dispute ~
Both Take to the Grass.
Mr.. Johnson was not in ST. Paul
yesterday. At his headquarters it was
announced that he was out in the
country attending to some bridge bust
ness of a private nature and not look
ing after his political fences.
DR.. Babcock was also out in the
country and as he is not in the bridge
business it was understood he was
doing missionary work for himself.
The Babcock men deny that they ex-
pect any compromise with Johnson;
declare that it is fight to finish and
say Iney WOulQ not WllnQrdW even
should Johnson quit.
When the speakership contest first
started an informal meeting of the
Fourth district members was held in
this city. AT that time there were but
four candidates in the field for speak
er. DR.. Babcock, J. II. Burns, E. w.
Stark and J. o. Haugland. It was
decided that the district delegation
should support Babcock as against any
e
ed and a vote to that effect was taken
and recorded.
Ramsey Is Shifty.
Since then Johnson has been brought
into the game and there is a possibility
that If another meeting Of the delega-
ton was called there might be a
change of sentiment. It is whispered
that the appointment of st. Paul
man for the position of oil inspector
might be the lever by which some
of the Fourth district delegation might
be pried loose from the Wadena man
and induced to support the Mime
-apolis candidate.
The appointment of cloak-room
keepers, door keepers, waste paper
basket keepers, flag raisers, assistant
door tenders and the other hundred or
so employees during a legislative ses-
sion is expected to have some weight
in the speakership fight. All of the
candidates for these lucrative jobs are
of course with the administration. Not
that they have any particular prefer
ence as to the administration, but
simply that 1t allows them to get posi-
tions. The parties who are expectedly
looking for these jobs are working
night and day both here and in the
various parts OF the state where they
reside for one or the other OF the
speakership candidates.