The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-09-28
'SPFAKERSHIP FIGHT
B0IHERS dunn MEN
Friends Of the Several Cand;.
dates Would Learn Attitude
Of administration"

rsopert C.s Dunn and the Repub-
slican state central committee will
lind it difficult to keep out of the
speakership fight, which has opened
Ear in advance of similar contests to
determine. the man who shall guide the
destinies of the next house of repre-
sentatives of Minnesota.
Numbers OF prospective members of
Ine Legislature have called at the Re-
.puDlcan state central committee head
quarters during the past few days and
ought to learn the attitude to be TAX
en- by the administration, with refer
ence to the speakership. So far all in
quirers have been told that Mr.. Dunn
mas no preference in the big field of
candidates for the speakership. Prac-
tically every one of the five candidates
were more or less pronounced Dunn
men in h preconventfon fight, and
each has been led to expect some
measure of support in his ambitions to
be speaker.
Committee Is Holding Off
1t is doubtless altogether. too early
TO expect the Republican machine to
take a hand In the fight, for it has
troubles Of its own just now. If Mr..
Dunn should be successful in Novem-
Der the trouble will then begin, but in
any event the speakership fight in the
next legislature gives promise of being
one Of the prettiest contests ever
waged for the fife in Minnesota.
1t is now Frank Clague, of Redwood.
against the field. for his friends claim
that ne will go into the fight with a
much larger support than any n of
the other candidates.
Il. L. Ofsthun, a member from Pope
county, who has been renominated for
announcer term, was in st. Paul yesterday
booming the Redwood county man.
sCiague will come up with the prac-
tlcally solid support of his congressional
distr1ct,' Mr.. Ofsthun said, and he will
nave more votes on the first count than
any one OF the candidates. He will have
a pronounced strength among the old
members, n they will form a nucleus
about which his total vote will gather.
We expect Mr.. Clague in town in a day
or two to look after his fences, for there
are numbers of men who have been nomi-
mated, and who have 40 opposition in their
districts for election, who are coming
to st. Paul to size up the situation"
Anderson May Be Backed
w. B. Anderson, of Winona, who was
the personal representative and floor
leader for Mr.. Dunn in the Republican
state convention, is one of the most
active candidates for the speakership, and
1t has been stated again and again in
Republican political circles that Mr.. An
derson would naturally receive strong sup
port for the speakership from the Dunn
following. His nomination to the house
over Register of Deeds George French,
of Winona, was largely u to the fact
that Mr.. Anderson was understood to
have excellent hances for the speaker
ship. Heyis at the head of the A. Oh.
W., a well known fraternal society in
Minnesota, and this has given him a
large acquaintance which is expected to
develop additional strength for him in the
speakership fight.
In the combinations of strength which
will doubtless be made by the weaker
candidates in order to defeat Clague and
Anderson it is not unlikely that new men
will be brought into the fight. J. B.
Kelly, of Dakota county, who has not
been a candidate for speaker, has been
receiving some attention lately in this
connection. He is an old member who
won a denomination after a hard fight,
and provided he is chosen to again repre-
sent his district it is not impossible that
he will become a factor in the contest.
He is a close personal and political friend
of Joel p. Heatwole, of Northfield, and
this is not counted to injure him any
should he become a candidate for the
gayel in the next house.