The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-19
MINNESOTA POLITICS
Strenuous Primary Campaigns Closed To-
morrow-Three Hot Congressional Con-
tests, and Great Rivalry for Seats In
the observation-disclosures Issue Not Dead
democrats Urged Not to Vote at Re-
publican Prims aries.

Tomorrow is primary election day. Re-
publicans and democrats Of Minnesota
will vote by direct ballot on candidates
for congressman, district judges, mem
bers of the legislature and county officers.
The result of the primaries will do a great
deal more to determine the makeup OF
these offices for the next two years than
| the general election will.
| Six Of the congressional districts have
no contests. The most exciting congress
sional fight is in the second district,
where the campaign of Congressman Nc
Cleary and H. J. Miller has reached a
fever heat, and will draw a large vote.
In the sixth district Congressman Buck
man and Al. f. Foster are In another hard
struggle for the republican nomination.
The result in both these districts is hard
to determine. Both sides are making
strong claims. The odds are naturally on
the present member in each case.
In the fifth district five candidates are
struggling for the republican nomination,
and three democrats are contending for
the place, on the ticket filled two years
ago by Congressman John Lind. Loren
Fletcher, former congressman, will run
| well up, and may head the list, tho it
would not be surprising ito$see Az all
beat hinnsouts al the: Wire.# The nonina-
| ton Is considered equivalent to an cleo
ton this year, and the democratic con-
test Is supposed to be for the privilege of
leading a forlorn hope. W. H. Williams
| is thought to have the call, with DR.. G.
H. Kohler a possibility.
There are contests for the republican
legislative nominations in the large ma
jority Of the sixty-three districts, not less
than 23O republican candidates having
filed. Some Of these districts embrace
three or four counties, and the contests
are on a large scale.
| With good weather a heavy vote will be
polled in the cities, while the farmers will
begrudge the time from their fall work
Rain enough to stop threshing would
mean an increased vote in the country
districts.
The Buffalo Journal is one paper thai
is not willing to consider the merger ques-
ton dead because of the decision in the
Northern Securities case. It says edi
torially: "'@."
Those who favored the merger plan Of Mr.
Hill are constantly reiterating that the mer
politics. The merger, as applied to the North
ern Securities company is dead, as that compan!
has been declared illegal, but merger in broat
sense, as used in Minnesota politics, means thu
consolidation Of the Great Northern and North
, ern Pacific railroads, parallel and competin,
lines. Mr. Hill began his attempts to creat
this merger more than ten years ago, and ha
evolved several plans to effect it without violat
ing the laws of the state country. TIL
| Northern Securities company was thought to b
invulnerable, but, like previous plans, that ais
his magnificent enterprises this is doubles
| the most important in his estimation, and it
accomplishment would be the jeweled crown 0
his successful lifework. We do not believe til
motive Of oppression has ever entered his mind
, and that he sees only resulting economy in or
, Grating the roads and the protection Of the prop
! critics from m'tsnalnagement and wrecktng by I'll
, scrupulous men, Those opposed to his merge
plans give him credit for worthy motives in hi
endeavors, but they believe it is against publ
;, policy to place SO much power in the hand
Of one man, or few men banded together.
Those who still talk merger well know til
Northern Securities company plans are no longe
to be considered, but believe there Will be othe
plans devised, and that such plans should be OF
r posed by the state and national government a
strongly as was the plan Of the Securities con
pany. Hid. g.,-
. Speaking of the situation in Renvil1
county, the Buffalo Lake News says:
Several hundred democrats voted the republ
g can ticket at the primaries two years ago. TIL
4 was partly due to desire the part Of thes
i democrats to strengthen the candidacy Of SON
i republican friends and partly to the selicit
a tion Of republican candidates for democratic SUI
:, port. The News would advise democrats
: take no part in republican primaries. II
S democrat who daes so commits moral crime ar
places himself in a false light before the pu
lie. To be sure, republicans are responsible
e for primary law which, in many cases. leav,
4 the democrats without any voice in the selectic
- Of public officials but the fact remains TIL
l. democrats have no legal moral right to pa
: ticipate in republican primaries. Let the r
) publicans fight their own battles and settle the
q own difficulties.
: The Browns Valley Tribune says:
A great many candidates for office base the
., politics the returns of their respective cou
d ties at the last election. AS goes the count
=. SO 90 thew p