The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1906-02-15
An EARLY CONVENTION.

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convention. In fact we think We
we're the first to urge such action
: on the part of the Republican State
Central Committee. We have nc
personal interest in the matter.
As far as we are personally con-
eerned it makes no difference to us
when the convention is held. If it
did we would remain silent on the
question. As tar as returns have
come in at least five-sixths of the
press and leading republicans agree
With us in the proposition that the
earlier the convention can be held
the better.
However, there are some very
honest republicans and republican
journals that differ from us in the
matter. One very earnest, honest
sheet says in substance: ''Every
CRATER and leg puller is in favor of
an early convention" Another
remarks that can early convention
means that the candidate will be
subject to vituperation and abuse
for months" And still another:
"a long campaign means that the
candidate will be bled to death"
Are these statements correct7 In
eur opinion and in our experience
there is ten times as much "leg
pulling and grating" done before
the conventions are held than after
wards. In the last campaign ten
times as much money was spent in
the pre-convention campaign as the
state central committee had at it's
disposal after the nominations were
made. A long, hot pre-conventlon
campaign with numerous candidates
is the 'grafter's" and "Leg Puller's'
dream of paradise.
As to the other two propositions,
If we cannot name man who can
stand in the limelight of public
scrutiny both before and after
nomination andfrom whose armor of
rectitude the shafts of vituperation
and abuse will fall harmless, we
better not make any nomination and
if candidate permits himself to be
''bled" by ''leg pullers, =" either be-
fore or after nomination, he is unfit
tobe governor of Minnesota.
We believe that the selection of
a candidate for governor will be
made from the names, already
mentioned. We do not believe that
this is year for ga dark horse" OF
an untried quantity. We believe
that the republican voters will be as
well qualified to make that choice
in six weeks from now as they will
by the middle of June. An early
convention will not furnish time or
opportunity for the partisans of the
different candidates to get by the
ears or stir up intercine strife
within the party that proved SO
disastrous in the last campaign.
There is much work to be per-
formed by republicans before the
election is held and too much time
cannot be given to perform the
work.
The state central committee must
be organized, an executive commit
tee selected and campaign planned
80 that when the real campaign
opens the republican coharts will
move forward to the goal with the
precision and regularity of we'll
trained army and not like multi
tudinous mob that are as apt to fire
at one another as anyone else.
A complete and thorough poll
list of every voter of the state
should be made.
Two full meetings of the full
state central committee should be
held; one as early as June the
fifteenth and another about three
weeks before election.
Before a single speech is made
the speaking corps should be
selected, the state mapped and
routed, and before single speaker
is sent out he ought to know where