The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-07-01
FACTIONS SPAR THEN ADJol RI FOR A DAY

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securing entrance, but those with tick
cts and press badges had to run the
gauntlet of a line of policemen and
assistant sergeants-at-arms before
being finally admitted past the swing
ing doors leading to the foyer. 1t was
a good-natured crowd and there was
little friction, and by 10 o'clock every
seat in the big theater was occupied
and scores were standing UP in the
foyer and banked in solid tiers back
of the seats of the balcony and gal
iery.
The interior of the theater presented
an inspiring spectacle, as one looked
out from the stage on the sea of faces.
The scene was frightened here and
there with patches of color, flags be-
ing hung from balconies and pillars
being wound with bunting. At one side
of the proscenium arch was charcoal
portrait of Lincoln; at the other, one
of Roosevelt, and beneath each was
the commonplace injunction forbidding
smoking in the theater.
The Hennepin and Ramsey Collins
delegations occupied the seats in the
parquet directly in front and to the
LETT of the stage. In a box at the left
sat the Stearns county delegation.
with a number of personal friends OF
Judge Collins. The Rice county dele
cation occupied the box at the right OF
the stage. The big Duluth delegation
was seated in front and to the left on
the stage, and in the middle and front
of the stage sat Mower county's seven
teen votes. Nearly 400 delegates had
seats on the stage, and the remaining
$50 were out in front, but to the rear OIL
the Hennepin and Ramsey delegations.
While the Collins delegations in each
instance were given delegate seats III
the convention, tickets of admission
were issued TO the contestants, and
they were in the balconies of the house
and at times used their voices to adj
vantage Occasionally there was a
burst of feeling as one rival delegation
would call to the other in terms other
than of endearment, but for the most
part the attitude between the factions
was one of armed neutrality.
Leaders Fear Explosion
Care was taken by the leaders lest a
spark should explode the magazine and
set the convention by the ears. Well
they realized the danger of their posi-
ton and the injury that would be done
the party in the state by an open clash
of arms, and the managers never for a
moment released their grips on the
leash that held their followers. Sew
eral times there were evidences that
the convention, which early reached the
boiling point, would let the steam es-
cape in a general ruction, but the lead
ers were wise and took no chances.
Among the men who were actually
in charge of the factions and knew OF
the fireworks beneath the ground on
which they were standing, there was a
sense of responsibility that destroyed
for the moment any pleasure to be
found in the game of politics and they
were careful in word and act lest their
excited followers should precipitate the
clash they were so anxious to avoid.
There was little danger during the
morning, but in the brief time that the
convention was in session during the
afternoon there was every danger that
the gun would kick and somebody
would be hurt. That an open fight did
not occur is due to the tact of the
leaders and the promptness with which
Senator Clapp, as temporary chairman
suppressed anything that savored OF
disrespect to men whom he had recog-
nized as having the floor.
While the convention was called fol
10 o'clock, it was 1920 when the Ram
sey county Collins delegation, led by
w. B. Webster filed into the hall and
got a glad hand from the Collins adj
herents. Ten minutes later Senator
Clapp appeared and received an ova-
ton and almost Immediately he wa:
besieged by delegations representing
Dunn and Collins with demands tt
know his intentions as to committee
on credentials.
For nearly half an hour w. B. An
derson, of Winona; Mile Bunnell, o.
Duluth. and C. A. Morey, of Winona
urged the Dunn plan, which was fol
the appointment of a committee of ont
from each of the eighteen judicial dis
tricts and two at large from both Hen
nepin and Ramsey counties. The Col.
Inns men, represented by Senator r. B
Brewer, James A. Martin and W. H
Grimshaw, proposed as a substitute
plan a committee of five each to bt
named by Collins and an equal number
to be named by Dunn, with two addi