The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-07-08
MINNESOTA POLITICS

Heatwole and Eddy Both Against Plan
OF Five Delegates at Large ana Want
Number Reduced to One Eddy
wants Representation on the Aver
age Vote for State Candidates
Minneapolis Man May Run for Sec
rotary of State.
Two prominent country newspapers,
both Of them edited by former con-
gressmen, have gone on record as Oh.
posed to the injustice Of the system Of
allowing five delegates at large for
each county in the republican state
convention. Both favor return to
the allowance Of one delegate at large,
when prevailed until the -fve-at-large
machine to minimize the strength of
He9ImInepln and Ramsey counties.
his is the recommendation of Joel
t. Heatwole of the Northfeld News
and = frank N. Eddy Of the Sank Cen.
ter Herald, both astute politicians Of
of any undue friendship for the large
cities. They do not argue the ques-
ton, but merely state their position,
which requires no defense from the
standpoint Of political Justice.
| Each statesman editor has his own
l
ton. Heatwole would have the Dunn
vote used in apportioning delegates,
while Eddy proposes the plan followed
ln number OF other states, which is to
take the average vote cast by each coun-
" Tor all candidates on the state tick
ct. AS there were eleven places on
the last state ticket, this method Of
nulllfy the scheme to punish the coun-
lies fS ), that cut the head Of the ticket.
Wnlle Hennepln gave Dunn only 1857
VOTES, Hennepin's average for the
e eoo republican candidates was 49,
for each $50 votes, and one at large.
Hennepln would have on the Eddy
plan 20 delegates out of convention
OF Io3, or practically one-eighth Of the
convention. This would give Henne-
PIN practically the same share of the
Roosevelt vote, with one e'1 delegate at at
large; This would make a convention
OF l,033, of which Hennepin would have
4 l27 delegates.
The Heatwele plan, followed out to
f da9oa extent Of f knocking out the five
p pn bef e. lasge would Sl give He9ne
conventions. In the 1904 conventions
of the delegates, while last fall Hen
nepln. cast ll.2 per cent of the Dunn
vote IN the state and l4.5 per cent Of
the Roosevelt vote. Based on the Dunn
vote, with only one delegate at large
| to the county, and. using 200 votes as
j the basis Of figuring instead Of $50,
a there would be convention of ISL
delegates, of which Hennepin would
have 79, or somewhat better than 10
per cent.
/ The trouble is that the plan SO elab-
orately figured out by the Northfeld
| editor nav NOT ha usad nv the state
committee, which, with two or more
exceptions, is not inclined to follow his
lead. When the time comes the COM
! mittee will do its own figuring. It
J, probably will stick to the system Of
and Eases The a. u on tie
Dunn vote, then out OF a convention
Il of 979 delegates, Hennepin will have
only 6S, or. less than Z per cent, tho
the county cast over II per cent Of the
, total Dunn vote.
4 After all, no one has presented a
sound argument yet against basing the
convention representation on the presi-
Dental vote, according to the time hon
ored custom in the state. It is true that
good many democrats voted for Roose-
welt, but the same. thing was true both
times that Mckinley was a candidate,
yet no state committee ever based the
7 convention apportionment on the vote
v
democratic votes for Roosevelt were
scattered all over the state, and no
! particular county would suffer by the
7 plan. To base the apportionment on
Z the Dunn vote would be, among other
things, a confession that the republican
which is manifestly untrue. The Eddy
9 plan is equitable, but to adopt it would
: take considerable figuring, not only in
apportioning state delegates, but in
making up the apportionment by vot
ing precincts in the county conventions
The matter Of local representation
+ also enters into the question. If the
apportionment was based on the Dunn
vote, the democratic precincts Of Min.
neapolis would gain delegates in the
county convention, while the strongest
: republican precincts all over the city
r would have their delegations cut in. two
j., unless the county committee disre
: garded the action Of the state commit
!. tee and used the Roosevelt vote.
n Based on the Dunn vote, Mr.. Heat
: wole's own county Of Rice would droI
: from II delegates in the 1904 conven
: ton, to u, and If the delegates at large
0 were reduced to one from each county
Rice would have only g. Come to think
Of it, however, Mr.. Heatwole is moi
n much interested in Rice county's dele
e cation.
Captain Joseph E. Osborn Of Mime
v apolis, a prominent Swedish republican
and a veteran Of the civil war, is be
ing frequently mentioned in connection
o with the nomination for secretary Of
: state. Captain Osborn is now employed
n in the state auditors office. He has ;
: wide acquaintance; and If he entered
t the lists for the nomination would com
mand a good following.
: A boom has been started in the sew
enth district for Congressman Volsteat
r as q candidate for governor. This i
it discouraged by the. congressman !
friends, who intimate that it is NOV,
Of the Bowling men to sidetrack Vol
q stead and open the way for the Rem
vile county man to realize his cherishe,
: ambition. This is denied, and the Vol
n stead boomers insist that their mai
would make one of the strongest candi
dates who could be found, and that b
# would accept if nominated.
Charles B. Cheney.
It'll 5 WHAT CIrIES hRE n0iMc