The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-15
MINNEsoT A POLITICS

MINNESOTA POLITICS
B Bob Dunn is confident that he win be
nominated for governor. He was IN st.
Paul Monday consulting with George
Finn and some Of his other lieutenants,
and he talked over the situation with the
air Of one who is on the eve Of a tri-
umph. I've got them skinned" he told
his friends, with even more than his usual
confidence.
Dunn still holds OF from making a for
NAL announcement, and 1t looks as tho ne
was trying to command the situation ana
drive everybody else out of the field be-
fore he himself comes out IN the open. He
has a strong organization, and is In touch
with leading men in every county In the
state. He has such assurances OF sup.
port that he counts on delegations enough
to give him majority OF the convention
To do this, Of course, he counts on Ram
sey, which has It's own candidates for at
torney general and he also hopes to carry
Hennepin, in spite Of local candidates..
Eddy's candidacy has not gained any
ground for some time. While the Glen
wood man has a great many friends in all
parts Of the state, and his platform meets
with general approval, he does not look
like a formidable aspirant for the NOM
| nation. The third term candidacy Of
Governor Van SAINT has not developed, and
the governor will not say anything that
can be construed as consent. However,
| he is being used as rallying point for the
opposition to Dunn. There is a large ele~
! ment in the party that will not stand for
| Dunn. It is very much UP in the air for a
candidate now, but is holding together as
| best it can. in the hope that the governor
| will announce himself. In this state Of
affairs Dunn Is naturally gaining.
The governor is in q difficult position.
He is not an office seeker any longer. He
has had all the glory there is in the gov
ernorship, and is a loser financially by
staying in. He refuses to be considered
| as a candidate for another nomination,
but so far his friends have succeeded. in
keeping him from an open announcement
! Of his retirement. He has become very
much wrapped up in the anti-merger
fight, and is anxious to see that a can
dtdate Is nominated who is not backed
by the railroad influence. No available
man has been brought out-for the admin
istration support and it looks as tho
the governor would yet be forced in as the
only hope of his friends in the party, and
4 placed in the unwelcome attitude Of a
third term applicant. The opposition to
/ Dunn is determined, and If it finds no one
else, it will raise the Van SAINT banner,
/ in spite of him. and make a fight under 1t.
1 If they make the fight without his con-
! sent, they will be handicapped. They
might win il the governor became an
active candidate, but he will shrink from
! being placed in that position His politi'
cal record is now splendid. Defeat next
summer would tarnishi it badly. 8 = ~.
I ; All these circumstances are favorable to
Dunn, and it Is no wonder that he feels
confident. He has great positive strength
4 and strong backing. The railroad inf1u-
ence prefers him to Van SAINT or Eddy
and the elements in the party hostile tc
/ Van SAINT and friendly to the railroads arc
hn 40 q Ivy ho fc on1
to the liking of a good many of them
Dunn will get the benefit of railroad sup.
| port, and will have to stand a good dea
of hammering on that account. It is ex
pected that Dunn will answer it with hi:
! record as state auditor. -%s.f>5 -
Much depends on the result of the In
vestigation Of the auditors office, now be
ing conducted by an expert accountan
employed by Public Examiner Johnson
If Mr.. Barry's report produces evidenc
that is palpablys. damaging to Dunns rec
ord, 1t will be a serious blow to his can
didacy. If it shows the office was hon
estly conducted during the eight years q
the Dunn regime 1t will be almost a
i good as a certificate Of election for. tn
tall pine from Princeton. 81. &c.,
u This is assuming that Dunn places him
self right on the merger issue. He cannc
disregard that question, and will have
: make a public declaration on it befor
: the convention meets. The party is com
: mitted to- enforcement sof the laws, an
cannot name a candidate who will ne
: stand on that platf oAEas1 Dunn realize
that fact, and his fris,kds look for a pub
; HE Stands for enforcsmennatt 81 the law
Much depends on the character Of thu
statement.
4. The Browns Valley Tribune does n.
favor Dunn; neither does it agree6to tt
p third term idea. The Tribune yeditorqd
a clares for some new man, IN the folloWir
a | extract: s'% :. r. ,<ss.j ~
J, mo lukewar,n, pass it-over- lightly cal
= didate will do; hemust stand squarely ar
8 unalterably opposed to mergers and me
t. gerites, if the republican majority is
+ be maintained. AS to Governor Van San
:. we can hardly believe that he is seektr
Il a third term. But If so, we do not consit
: er it., as good politics for the party !
: again place him at the head of the tickle
: Not because he has not in the main fu
: filled his duties faithfully and well, b'
e because Of the prejudice to third terms
It general, and the further fact that durir
= the three years OF his vigorous admin
tration in the enforcement Of law, mar
bitter things have been said against hi
l. which, tho not we'll founded, find weig
II with some people, and Of course IN OIL
cial appointments to minor offices the
are always more disappointed than sat1
e fed ones, and sore spots are left tn
d do not easily heal. A new candida
q standing squarely upon the same ant
- merger platform upon which the govern
l. stood, would not have these minor ms
i, tiers to contend with or harass him, al
le would be stronger from the start than T
~ governor could possibly be- A new cano
y date who will openly and unhesitatins
l. subscribe to the old anti-merger platfo1
l. will be the proper political caper for t.
ia republican partysin Minnesota In 1904
IL GlenwoodE has secured the fish hatche
a. at last, but 1t will not do any busine
to this coming season. Glenwood will d
- vote it's energies this winter to hatchi
~ political conspiracies.f
a. Charles, B. Cheney
TRAVELLING BACKWARD ~
al Success. s l.