The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-06
MOWER FOR IA,WNEY.
Knatvold Men Are Inclined to Con-.
cede the Congressman
Margin of 500.
Canvass Is Complicated by Local Is
sues and a Revolt Against
the Bosses. r.
From a Staff CORRESPONDENT.

Austin, Mimi, Sept. 6.-Mower county
presents a unique situation. This is
Tawney stronghold and yet hot
bed of disaffection. Nowhere in the dis
congressman than in Austin, and yet the
Knatvold men concede the county to Taw-
ney.
Senator Sweningsen is the king bee OF
Mower county politics, and Mr.. Tawney's
right bower. He is rounding up the votes
for the Winona man. and Is sanguine Of
a heavy plurality for him.
Mr.. Sweningsen is both strength and
a weakness to Tawney. County politics
for the local feud, Mower would be as
solidly for Tawney as it has always been.
But for the past two years there has been
revolt on against the rule OF So
called ring" of which the senator-post-
master is the head. In the absence OF
strong democratic opposition this element
has run county affairs with a pretty high
hand, and two years ago an independent
ticket was the outcome. There may be one
this year, but just now the fight is CEN
tering on Tawney, as by hitting him the
independents are hitting SWen1ngsen. IN
the city of Austin the size of the revolt is
surprising, and some predict that the Soo
city votes will be evenly divided between
Tawney and Knatvold.
Inc revolt eHLSIluS 1IllO IIAS SoASA''
to less degree. The Knatvold men admlt
that the larger part Of the rural vote Will
go against them, and their hope Is IN
light vote. Sweningsen Is strong WIN
the Norwegian element, and IS hololng
much Of it in the Tawney camp.
Handicaps knatvold.
Senator Knatvold's friends here are par
ticularly distressed over his accident, Tor
he has hardly been in Mower county, and
the program was to send him into the
country districts here this week.
1.-The hardest thing we have to contend
with" said a Knatvold leader to-day, is
the feeling that a man running against
Tawney must be a democrat. Ihere are
many strong republicans In the country
who have this idea, because they have
never known before of a republican run
ming against Tawney. If Mr.. knatVolo
could only have seen them he would nave
gotten that notion out Of their heads.
His only chance to meet the Mower
county farmers is at the county fair next
week, where he will spend two days.
It is claimed here that the Norwegian
settlement about Blooming Prairie, In
Mower and Steele counties, Is all for raw
ney, and that the eastern tier of towns
in Freeborn county, lying nearer to Austin
than to Albert Lea, is a Tawney strong
hold. These are dairy communities
strongly imbued with the idea that law
ney is their patron and preserver.
Has Business Opposition.
find a. large business element in Aus.
tin, which is keeping still, and doing lit
tie or nothing. that Is opposed to TaWney
Such men as Lafayette French, the at
torney; G. Schleuder, the jeWeler, and r
P! Mcbride, the grocer, are outspoken fo1
Knatvold, but others do not care TO OF
known as anti-Tawney men. 1t IS nara u
tell how far this feeling goes. The farm
ers are a. we'll satisfied lot. When they
used to be poor, they were red-hot poll
ticians, but now that they are prosperou:
they prefer to keep on making money, ant
| II is hard to get them interested IN poll
tics.
Estimates of the vote vary. Here, a.
| everywhere, the wet weather has put TN
farmers behind with their work, and i
| the sun shines Sept. 16. it Will be hk
pulling teeth to get them out at the pr1
| maries. The only hope will be to rount
| them up in the evening.
| Two years ago this county gave law
| ney 2,S9S votes. 1t Is not likely that tn
| republican vote at the primaries will ex
coed 1000, Of which 700 or 800 will b.
cast in Austin. The strong TaWney CLAIM
is $500, to 500 for Knatvold. Georg
Hirsh, merchant and chairman of tn
!
! ity, and says he is sure of $50. Anothe
! Tawney leader, who has been over tn
| county, puts it at 900. Still another give
| Tawney 60 per cent, which would be 1,2O
| to Knatvold's 800, only 400 lead for Taw
ney. The Knatvold men are inclined t
concede TaWney a margin of 500, but hav
| hopes Of an undercurrent which will Gu
| this down materially. w. D. Rossmar
| democratic congressional committeeman
| figures Tawney about 600 ahead.
Five Hundred for Tawney.
The vote is not likely to exceed 1900
and is more likely to fall below. Wit
this vote, Tawney should get 1880, an
Knatvold $50, a lead of 500 votes for Taw
ney. If the total vote exceeds 1000, Taw
| ney's lead will be increased If the vot
| is lighter, the worse for. Tawney.
| There is a warm senatorial contest
! the county, more or less mixed up wit
the congressional campaign. c. D. Belde
Of the Austin Transcript is backed b
Sweningsen, and is considered the Taw
ney candidate. Allen W. Campbell, his or
ponent, has the support Of the Knatvol
crowd largely, and the two are running
close race. ..
Mr. Tawney has sent out personal ar
peals to the dairymen asking their vote
and work in his behalf. - -
Charles B. Cheney.