The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-26
MINNESOTA POLITICS

There is absolutely no show Tor the
reelection of Senators Nelson and aClapp
III. the rival pipe :dreamers or pollt1cal
deals are both to be believed. e..
Each side, according to the otner, is
year, and aims at the retirement Of Sen
ator Nelson in 1906.
According to Frank Eddy's organ, the
st. Paul Dispatch, which Endorses Gov
ernor Van SAINT but does not urge him for
a third term, the merger interests are
going to support Heatwole for Senator
and throw down Senator Clapp. They
are going to organize the legislature later
to accomplish the retirement of Senator
Nelson
The Faribault Journal, in an article APP
parently inspired, if not written by its
owner, Joel Heatwole says that the Van
and elect either Thomas Lowry or M.
D. Mum to the senate, and that after
Governor Van SAINT has had third term
he will try to- defeat Senator Nelson.
{ These rival schools for scandal are
working overtime fixing UP combines for
the other fellow. 10 the uninitiated 1t
looks like the old military game of min
ing and countermining, each side trying
to blow the others Notifications into the
air. There is just a grain OF truth IN each
story enough to give 1t yerisimihtude.
such fables are easy to construct 1t
has been really a hard proposition to get
at the inwardness Of the situation. The
plans of the rival forces are beginning to
take shape now, andyitSis possible to get
little lineup on the fight that's coming.
The senatorial talk might as we'll be
eliminated Neither side is making any
fight on Senator Nelson. He is allied
with the anti-merger forces now rather
than with the railroad wing. The Great
Northern interests would like to put him
out Of the way. but they are not in any
hurry to tackle the job
Each side would like. to see the other
make a fight on Clapp. The junior sena-
tor has friends in both camps, and also
enemies. He is pretty strongly in
trenched. and If any candidate for. gov
to do UP Clapp. he would find a hornets
nest about his ears. Senator Clapp has
worked somewhat with the HeatWole
wing, and Bob Dunn supported him for
senator, so they are naturally allied.
HeatWole has no intention of fighting
Clapp. 1t is very likely that Thomas
Lowry will be a candidate against Clapp,
but the administration crowd will not
tie up to him. They: could not afford
| to make a fight for1firn in the state con-
vention where the: Endorsement Of Capp
will be forced. Contrary to a. general i'm
preston, the 500 gave; no support to the
state authorities in their merger fight,
|
/ they owe Clapp nothing. the statehouse
people feel friendly TOT him.
The game centers around the governor
i ship, with the attorney generalship SUI
preme court judges railroad commission
ers. delegates to the national convention
land national committeeman appointment
as paWns to be played for by either SIDE
/ Bob Dunn is expected to announce him
4 self as a candidate for governor in a very
| few days. With hisiHannouncement will
come a declaration of principles, made in
his usual emphatic style. There is every
I indication that a truce has been patched
UP between the Dunn forces and the Heat
wole organization, and that Dunn is to
be the candidate on whom they will all
unite. From the Great Northern stand
point Dunn was not an ideal candidate.
! He had displayed too much independence
! in the past. HeatWo did not want him,
| for they had been enemies for years, and
after a brief reconciliation, fell out last
winter over the board of control bill. All
that time Heatwole declared that Dunn
could not be trusted. and Dunn abused
Heatwole in choice inNectiYe. The Heat
:. woe people cast aboutsfor another candi-
date. and it is understood that Frank
Eddy was considered in the connection,
He was rejected as not ava liable, and
i the more they thoughtaabout Dunn the
4 more they came to fear him. They felt
that if Dunn knew their support was with
/ drawn, he would confsasout in the open,
, make an appealSto the people as an anti
railroad candidate, and then nothing could
stop him. It would be better to keep on
good terms with him, and, if possible, put
him under obliga tons. So the fight has
been called off, and the support OF IeatT
| wole+ and his machine, as well as the
Great Northern influence generally, viii
| be cast in favor of Dunn. His support
| will be a solid phalarlx, and his follow
ing confidently expect him to win. He has
in Hennepin county the open and active
support Of Thomas Shevlin, and this
means that the Dunn forces will support
Shevlin for national committeeman Ray
Jones has sunk his gubernatorial ambi-
lions, If he had any, and will lend assist
ance to Dunn. He will seek again to
name the delegation from Hennepin coun-
l ty and If he names it, the delegation will
/ be for Dunn. He will be assisted in this
effort by a large element Of local repub-
licans who are friendly to Dunn, as wei
I as those naturally controlled by the
| Fletcher Sheylin influence.
I Frank Eddy is the only. open candidate
for governor, and there Is. a good deal OF
speculation as to where his support is
4 coming from. The Heatwole article de-
! clares he has been lured in by the Van
SAINT men to keep votes away from Dunn
| However, his declarat ton against the mer-
ger is calculated to take votes away from
/ Van SAINT on that issue, and it is certain
i he is not the Van SAINT candidate. The
administration people will watch his on.
sIaughts on Dunn and Heatwole with sat.
i isfaction He has been heard to say tina
Z; he is going after Heatwole hammer anc
tongs. However, they have no intention
as far as can be discovered, Of throwing
3 him any votes, and do not seem to thinl
that he WILDE a powerful factor in tht
convention. 1t looks as tho Eddy had no
! received much encoura cement from either
of the two opposing factions, and was go
ing into the fight on his own hook to make
. things lively. He Is the tenfant terrible
in the republican family just now.
It looks very much as If Governor Va,
SAINT would be a candidate for thirt
nomination Opinion among his friends
is much divided. and many of them haV,
advised him to keep out, on account of thu
prejudice again a long tenure of office
They would prefer to see some new ma,
: come out who would be satisfactory to tn,
administration. No one has been brough
out who has the 30. K" or who is will
ing to go after the nomination. Attorne.
4 General Douglas or Railroad COMMISSIONS
Staples would be acceptable to many bu
neither seems to take to the idea. In de
fault Of a new man, the governors friend
are pinning their faith to him. He re
81 fuses to say that he is a candidate, ant
also declines to say that he will not be
He cannot remain passive and get thu
nomination, and it is predicted that h
will be an open and avowed candidate b.
next February, unless some one else come
| ont ryl1o bp kn indOrSipo