The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-06-03
MINNESOTA POLITICS

MINNESOTA POLITICS
Prospective Delegates to State Convention
Promised Free Trips to st. Paul
Trouble Ahead for Candidates for Rail-
road Commissioner Who Have Been
Promised the Dunn support-Pushing
Tactics Have FalIed-DenIaIs Of Heat
Wole Interview Amuse Politicians
AS the state convention approaches, evil
dence accumulates that the campaign In
behalf of r. c. Dunn is going to be car
ried on with a lavish hand right up to con-
vention day, and on a scale that has not
been equaled since the nomination Of w.
r. Merriam.
One report has come in from so many
different directions, and with SO much de-
tail. that its correctness can hardly be
doubted. It is that prospective delegates
to the state convention have been assured
that they will be furnished transportation,
and all their expenses at the convention
will be paid. Republicans in doubtful
counties have been solicited to get out and
work for Dunn, with the promise that If
they do they will be put on the delegation
and will get free trip to st. Paul. This
argument has been so generally used that
| 1t seems to be the program to entertain the
entire body Of Dunn delegates, and pay
their bills from the treasury Of the Dunn
campaign fund. Not all the delegates ia
vorable to Dunn will accept this hos
pitality, of course, preferring to be indie
pendent.
| There Is some speculation as to how Mr..
Dunn's managers will be able to carry
out promises that have been made to sew
eral candidates for railroad and ware
house commissioner. There are now about
ten active candidates in the race for two
nominations, and it is currently reported
that not less than six of them have en-
tered with an understanding that if they
come down to the convention with delega-
lions they can deliver to Dunn they will
receive the solid vote Of the Dunn dele
gates for the office they seek Such as
surance has brought them into the field,
and 1t will work all right until they have
delivered their goods, and the roll is called
on the nominations for railroad and ware
house commission. Then somebody is go
ing to be disappointed, and there is going
to be some disturbance Of the atmosphere
which will rival Dunn's references to Sam
Johnson.
In one or two cases it is believed that
the candidate has entered just for a
stall" and has no. real designs on a
nomination. In the event of Dunn's nomi-
nation and election, he is to get some
; thing else, equally as good'' -.-.
The state has been pretty well combed
for candidates to carry out this program
!, and the Dunn managers have been espe-
cially anxious to bring out men in Col
in Hennepin to get candidate or two
in the field but 1t failed to work.
There has never been any doubt about
the disposition Of the two forces in Hen
t nepin county. If the Collins men contro
f0fN no 1o1~, -.
to the state convention will be instructed
to vote for Collins. If the Dunn mer
should win out they would instruct fol
Dunn. There is still some third candi.
date sentiment here as there is out over
' the state, but as far as the partisans Of
the two candidates are concerned, the fght
. will be decisive and to a finish. There
is nothing in the report that the Collins
e men here have been playing for an unin-
$ structed delegation.
In fact the Collins men are standing
. pat all over the state. They say tina
I there is no occasion to talk dark horse
: when they have the fight so well in hand
II The Dunn organization has made 6
ilerculean effort in the last three week:
i to- rush Judge Collins and his support
$ ers off the earth. By sextravagantI claims
e newspaper interviews, and every means il
;, their power, they have tried to create E
stampede the theory that it is al
over and Dunn as good as nominated
So far as can be seen, these tactics have
I not gained inch. The Collins forces
r are intact, and as far as the genera
. lrnass Of voters is concerned the develop
= ments Of the last fortnight have great.
:. added to the strength of Judge Collins.
c The efforts of Joel P. Heatwole to craw
q out from under his interview in 7, h
j ourn a l. announcing his intention t
9 go after Moses E. Clapp, are furnishing
d politicians considerable amusement Tn
: | interview was authentic, and easy to sub
= stantiate. Not only that, but until it
: publication Mr.. Heatwole was making tn
" same statement freely to politicians h
met in st. Paul. It did not create a grea
sensation in the inner circles, where MI
=, Heatwole's plans and ambitions had bee
- understood for some time, but it did sti
% up storm about the Dunn headquar
e tiers. There is no love lost there for Sen
;, ator Clapp, but Mr.. Dunn himself and hi
- closest friends have insisted that the sen
atorial issue be kept in the backgroun
until after the convention. They "wer
= up in the air. and an open ruction an
J., split in the Dunn forces was only averte
by Heatwole's disavowal of the interview
- which was first made in an evasive wa!
s. and then with all sorts of emphasis
Everybody who cares anything about til
senatorial matter now knows just whs
the combination between Dunn and Heat
wole means, and the denials are only use
full for consumption in the back district
J. Dunn men admit that the only thin
s, wrong with the IIeatwole interview We
N that it was inopportune. For instanc
"a Sam Langum says in his Preston Times:
Of Not that we would consider Mr. Heatwole
ly candidacy treason, but. doubling the polite
isd0% least Of IT at ca fes particular tim
up by phone, end, just as we e
r pected, he denies The minneapolis journal sto
d, in toto. People will believe Mr.. Heatwole, al
l. the opposition to Dunn has merely fred anoth
" boomerang.
~ One Of the queer turns Of political 70
~ =. tune was illustrated at q meeting held
20 20 this city week ago, in the interests
- r. G. Dunn as a candidate for governo
=, On the platform at this meeting w;
~ Adolph Biermann of Rochester, who w;
ne state auditor from 1891 to 1895 Biermar
was elected by the fusion of democra
oe and farmers alliance men. His admin
!; IN tratton Of the office, particularly with r
n. gard to state timber Sales was fierce
st attacked, and R. G. Dunn, as editor of Il
ne Princeton Union, led in the attack, WIFI
ne resulted in Dunn being nominated by tt
u republicans for auditor and defeati
ls Bierrnann in 1894. Since that time Bic
;. mann has not been very active in po
lie tics, but Of late he has been travelil
as southern Minnesota in the interests
ne Dunn, and is one Of his warmest supper
rs ers. Charles B. Cheney.