The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-06

Building, WashtH0toft.
Washington, Sept. Gas examples Of
what the republican national campaign
committee has had to contend with this
year in the way of ''roorbachs,' two sam
pies are here given
Mr.. Tawney's Troubles
1t is we'll known that Tawney Of the.
first Minnesota, was one Of the active
leaders of the beet sugar republicans in the
house last session, and had lot to do
with the failure Of the Cuban reciprocity
bill, for the bill was passed by the house
in a form that it was we'll known would be
repugnant to the senate. Not long ago a
report was circulated in Minnesota that
the republican congressional committee,
at the suggestion of the president, whose
Cuban views are public property, was un-
friendly to Mr.. TaWneys candidacy Tor
reelection, and was preparing to lend
counsel and aid to State Senator L. V.
Knatvold. who is trying to defeat him Tor
the nomination. The report was exceed
ingly pla usble, and we'll told that Mr..
Tawney himself was mised by 1t, and
wrote a long letter to the committee, COM
planning at the rank injustice of its atti-
tude, and saying that such policy was
calculated to do the republican party over
the country more harm than good. 1t
was a stab at free speech in congress. If
a republican in the house, when differing
honestly from his republican colleagues on
q matter Of policy, was to be pursued In
this way, it was high time the whole
country knew about it.
OF course, there no truth in the re-
port The committee had taken no hand
in the REORGANIZATION contest in Mr.. Taw-
ney's district, and for the most obvious
reasons could not afford to take one, even
if it's members wanted to do so, which
they did not.
A letter written Mr. Tawney assur
NF
the president or Of the congressional COM
mittee to interfere in any district prior to
the nomination Of candidate. In every
instance the republicans OF a district were
to be permitted, without influence of any
sort, to select their candidate. Then the
congressional committee would get busy
and try to aid In the election Of that can
didate. Any other policy would be the
worst sort of folly, and as Mr.. Tawney
had suggested, would do the republican
party more harm than good.
The Fletcher Story Groundiess.
A little later story was put into cir
culation that the committee was interest
ing itself in behalf of Loren Fletcher in
the Minneapolis district, and that the
president had gone so far as to ask the
committee to do what it could to help the
Fletcher candidacy along. Now, since Mr..
Fletcher is also insurgent it would
seem on the face Of things that the COM
mittee and the president were inconsist-
ent in trying to harm one insurgent and at
the same time help another, in the same
state: but people who, in a campaign, are
looking for sensations seldom stop to In
quire regarding the probabilities, and SO
p this Fletcher story got abroad, and came
back to annoy the committee in New
York.
1t need hardly be said here that there
is no truth in it. The committee and the
president, as in the Tawney case, are
keeping their hands strictly off all dis
tricts in which there are nomination con-
tests between good republicans. 1t ought
not to be difficult to understand that they
could not afford to follow any other policy.
To Get After Lind Later.
After the primaries, however, the COM
mttee will probably give the Minneapolis
district considerable attention, especially
if Former Governor John Lind Is the nom
inee Of the democrats. They will put into
the district some of their best speakers,
and possibly some money, provided the
nominee is not himself we'll fixed finan-
cialy. AS between the three republicans
who are seeking the ton, 1 am in
position to say authoriIatively that the
president and the committee are not busy
ing themselves. They will trust to the
district to select the most available and
the strongest man; him they will do their
best to elect.
A Safe Working Margin Expected.
1t. is apparent that the committee ex-
poets the fifty-eighth congress to be re-
publican probably not strongly 80 as
the present body, but strongly enough tc
insure a safe working margin. The
present congress was elected in the last
Mckinley presidential landslide; this is
the "of year, when republican MAORI.
ties always run low. Still, there Is no rea.
son to expect democratic victory, and i
proof Of this statement were needed Il
could be secured at democratic congress
sional headquarters in Washington, where
what little work that is being done is per.
functory.
There are officers of the committee who
do not have any comprehensive grasp o.
the situation and cannot tell, without con.
sulting their books, what the situation il
IN any particular state; and even the
books disclose only an unsatisfactory gen.
eral statement and no trustworthy details
The democrats in the present campaisr
are simply marking time" The f1fty.
eighth congress, should it be republican
will be the second "off year. congress- I'm.
der republican control for more than 8
generation. The other one was the fiftv
sixth congress, which was elected in No
vember,, 1898. Before that time. az fe
back as it Is worth while to remember tn,
democrats had always elected the lowe
house In the "off year"
The Committees Annoyances.
AT the present time the national repub
hcan committee is making no claims O
estimates, none Of it's officials or EN-
ployes Is submitting to an interview. O,
the outlook, and will not do 80, and no
pody Is authorized to speak for the com
mlttee. Towards the latter part of Octo
Der Mr. Babcock, the chairman Of tn
committee, will make a formal statemen
10 the country regarding the outlook from
our point OF view, but even this will prob
ABLY not go largely into detail :.
The committee has been considerably
annoyed over false reports, circulated h
NOSE who are anxious to in5ure the re-
puollcan cause, if possible. The first a
! tnese purported to be a Statement from
Mr.. Babcock, circumstancial. and rafn
INTO minute detail, giving a list If ~
d1stricts' by states. which the republican
noped TO carry in November. AS soon a
the mails could bring the word, letters o
inquiry began to arrive from the severa
states In which Mr.. Babcock had pre