The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-06-24
Crist Of the
Political Mill

The Minnesota Republican big wigs
from Granville Pease and Joel Heat
wole to their friends and ardent adj
mirers Robert Jamison and S. John
son, he of the public examiners Office.
have never grappled with more I'M
certainty than now confronts them in
attempting to get a line on the situa-
ton within the party.
q q
While there Is not so much talk
about the other places on the state
ticket there is quite as much uncer-
tainty about them as there is about
the nomination for governor. The par
ty woods are full of gubernatorial as
pirants. To date only two of them,
Dunn and Eddy, are real in the sense
Of landing the nomination. Van SAINT
is a possibility. Heatwole is another
and one stands about as much chance
of landing the nomination as the other.
q q
Eddy and Dunn as a matter of
course, publicly disavow any active per-
sonal interest in the gubernatorial sit
uation year before the convention.
Their disavowals are worth only their
face value. Dunn means to be gov
ernor. So does Eddy. Neither is of
that stamp of politician that quits be-
fore the flag is down. Each is trying
through. his friends to get in on the
ground floor by tying up the other fell
lows territory. Each is acquiring re-
eruits who will stick for the big show.
U q
Dunn has been the expected candi-
date for years. He is generally rec
ognized as one of the biggest of the
big party men. He is liked and fear
ed. His power was demonstrated by
the nomination of Iverson for state au-
dftor, which could not be accomplished
without the strenuous efforts of the
Princeton man.
u q
Eddy has not been visible on thu
gubernatorial horizon for more than
half dozen years, but now that he is
out, politicians and press are quick to
recognize in him a formidable candi-
GATE. Eddy must make the trial next
year or retire to seat far from the
orchestra so far as the game of state
politics is concerned. 1t is only fair
to assume that he knows this to be
true and the work already done in his
pehaf indicates that he means to
make the fight of his life.
u q
Van SAINT is a possibility rather in
the sense of a dark horse than in the
sense OF party or popular demand
Tor MIN to try for the third-terrn nom
NATION. The third-term idea is not
popular, and in the Seventh district.
which is the place where Van SAINT
is strongest, there is no enthusiasm
and 1t is not difficult to believe as Ed
dy's friends claim, the Glenwood man
can bring the district into the conyen-
ton solid.
Representative Thomas Ofsthun.
with his second state fish hatchery
appropriation, is in much the state Of
man encountered with a hot brick
and no place to drop it.
q q
Heatwole is a possibility in the same
sense. Handsome Joel is easily enough
king of the Third district, that does
not mean that he is close to the peo-
pie of the state. The rank and file of
the party outside of his own bailiwick
have yet to learn of the worth and
virtues of the Mortified organizer.
Last winter he made scores of inf1u-
entail party friends. Some of these
men were, prior to the speakership
fight, prejudiced against Heatwole, not
because they knew him but because
they did not know him. Now many of
them are his warmest admirers and
would support him for anything in the
gift of the party.
y q a7elf=-
The nationality racket which has
moved many good men to disgust has
reused HI. G. Miller, editor of the St.
Peter Free Press, to an editorial dis
cussion Of the question that is replete
with common sense and which recalls
the position of an eminent Irish-Amer-
lean party manager, who once threat
ened: IF youse fellers don't watch
out, somebody will want to nominate
an American, see?" Miller says:
Secretary Schmahl, Of Redwood, has
been mentioned as a possible candi-
date for either secretary of state or
state treasurer, and his claim is said
to be based, to a considerable extent,
upon the SuppoSition that he, as rep
resentative Of the German American
element, would stand for more in that
respect than the present incumbent,
Mr. Block. The Free Press hasn't much
time for the nationality racket, but is
of the opinion that if this old habit is
to be kept up at ALL questions of this
nature be left to the parties directly
affected and who are more competent
to judge in, the matter than profess
sional politicians. 1t is, perhaps, we'll
enough to recognize the various ma
tionalities on the state ticket as a mat
ter of fairness and good policy; the
notion, however, that a Swede must be
secretary of state and German state
treasurer, is ridiculous and should be
no longer tolerated. Let every candi-
date be chosen because of his fitness
for the position he seeks. We are a
cosmopolitan people and should act &C
cordingly. First of all. let us be Ameri-
ans" George A. VanSmith.