The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-14
MINNESOTA POLITICS

Second District Campaign Presents Some
Interesting Features-MccIeary confi-
dent, but Miller Men Hopeful Of Victory
Formal Opening of State Campaign
Approaches-cIapp and Anti-clapp Con.
test In the Fifty-Third District.
The congressional campa ign in the Sec
Ond district is the spectacular feature Of
politics this week. Congressman Nc
Cleary is up TO his ears in work, and he
has large force employed at his literary
bureau in Mankato, sending out literature
and letters to every voter. He is also get
ting around as far possible to repair
the breaks made in his fences by Millers
energetic campaign.
Herbert J. Miller has covered the dis
trict in lively fashion, and he is now
assisted by able lieutenants in every coun-
ty Of the district. The editor of the Man.
kato Free Press. which is supporting Mil
Ter, has been making tour of the dis
trict and in his letters from each place
gives a list of Miller leaders by name
1t is the opinion of good judges that Mil
Ter will carry Mankato and most of the
towns in the district, so it will depend on
the farmer vote. If this turns out strong
for McCleary the towns will be outvoted.
Miller and his friends are working hard
among the farmers to offset the strong
McCleary sentiment cultivated by the per-
sonal letter system. The Miller papers are
making hard drives at the personal letter
business, and endeavoring to make it
ridiculous.
The second district campaign resembles
the one fought in the first district two
years ago as to the issues inVolved-free
lumber tariff reduction and reciprocity.
However, the KnatvOld campaign started
with a rush, and the first two weeks Taw-
ney appeared beaten. He came in at
the finish with a campaign which took the
Knatvold men off their feet. It is entire
ly different in the second this year. Mil
Ter started in without much hope himself
of a victory this year, and he got very
little encouragement. His supporters de-
clared they were going to make a protest,
and prepare the way for winning fight
two years hence. AS the fight progressed,
more Miller sentiment was developed than
any one had anticipated, and the Miller
campaign really grew from the start uD
to the present time. Now the enthusiast
tic Miller men are predicting a victory.
and there does seem a chance of it. The
primary law favors the man in office and
| McCleary has a splendid organization, so
that it will be one of the wonders of poll
tics if he IS overthrown. If Miller comes
anywhere near victory, it will be re-
| markable demonstration of the strength
of tariff revision sentiment in southern
Minnesota.
The last of next week will see both
parties well launched on the state cam
paign. Candidate Dunn has already start
ed his at West Duluth and at Minneapo-
! lis, and will open it again at Rush City
Friday evening. These dates were made
without consultation with the state COM
mittee, which has not decided just when
his campaign will be considered formally
opened. V However, Senator Nelson, the
oratorical heavyweight of the republican
forces, will open things at Madison Sept.
! %, and the following evening the ma tional
end of the campaign will be appropriately
launched by the Fairbanks meeting in St.
Paul.
The same night, Sept. "a. the democratic
state campaign will be formally opened
by big rally in Minneapolis. John A.
Johnson and F. G. Winston will make the
principal speeches. John Lind is now alb
sent in the east, but is expected back be-
fore the meeting, in which event he will
probably preside and make the opening
speech. The republican committee plans
to hold rally in the same hall the follow
ing week, for the express purpose of over
shadowing the democrats in attendance
and enthusiasm.
| The legislative contest in the fifty-third
district is a warm one While there are
three candidates for two places. all are
| conceding the nomination Of f. R. Kinds,
the Hubbard county candidate. The fight
| Is between Judge Asher Murray and Will
liam Dover, both of Wadena for the seat
: vacated by DR.. Babcock. Dover has the
support of the Babcock element, and has
not declared himself OIL the seratorship.
Murray is committed to the reelection Of
Clapp, and is making his campaign on
that basis. He is said to have a clear
lead in his own county of Wadena which
| S,,Io !, i,,, to,
while Dover counts on support in Todd
county. The heavy republican vote is in
Todd, which will settle the contest.
DR.. Babcock, who was elected speaker
under the management Of joel HeatWole,
is understood to be making a quiet little
tour in the interests of the anti Clamp
movement, getting pledges from candi-
dates for the house not to vote for Clapp.
However, this work is being done very
quietly, and the participants are denying
any special interest in the matter.
J. Adam Bede, who has just returned
from Chautauqua tour in Kansas, Ne
, braSka and Iowa, says the Roosevelt en- =
, thusiasm is at high tide in those states,
and that the ticket will carry Nebraska
, by Is, 200 to 40 900. He does not think the
, democrats have any real hope of defeat
ing Roosevelt, but expects to see them
| concentrate their efforts on close con
gressional districts in the hope of get
ting control Of the lower house. They
may gain few districts in this way. but
he does not think they stand much show
, of accomplishing the result.
Marshal Grimshaw's fondness for tell
e ing phrases has stirred up resentment
: among the democrats. He made a speech
: Monday evening in st. Paul in which
Y he pleaded for straight ticket, saying:
/ II want you to hit that conglomerate
mass of ignorance and insanity that goes
: under the name of democracy, and hit II
: hard Those who know Grimshaw under
stand that he did not mean what he said
in a literal sense, but used it is an ora
! torical figure. However, democrats who
read of the speech are very indignant
e and are talking about the civil service
regulations.
Senator Fairbanks will make seven rear
f platform talks in Minnesota while on his
3 way to st. Paul, Sept. "a. He will leave
e Chicago the night of Sept. %, reaching
La Crosse at s am, and will be taken
along the line of the Southern Minnesota
e division of the Milwaukee. stopping to
speak at Rushford, Lanesboro, Spring Val
i ley, Austin and Albert Lea, and then
coming north over the Rock Island speak
ing en- route at Owatonna and Faribault
From here he will jump to Montana,
Charles B. Cheney.