Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-03
Campaign is Expected to Cost Much
Coin.
BABCoCK's CHANCE Is GOOD
First Wide Test Of the Primary Law
Ii Likely to Be Somewhat
Disappearing.

row. The Spooner followers say there
is a real poetic justice in the prospect that
It will be through his own creation, the
primary election law. and by one OF his
own followers that his candidate. Irvine L.
Lenroot of Superior. will be defeated for
the republican nomination for governor.
The course Of the campaign has indicated
an overwhelmingly strong sentiment In ia
vor OF Gov. Davidson. the present execu-
tive. always praised by LaFollette until
the governor dared to run for office against
the mandate Of the senator. The aLenroot
hope Is based on the belief that the people
Of the state are still sufficiently reliant on
Senator LaFollette to vote as he directs.
regardless Of other considerations. II Len
root wins the contest next Tuesday 1t will
be by the aid Of this element, which has
failed to turn out in sufficient numbers at
the campaign meetings to make q showing
Senator LaFollette and Speaker Lenroot
for the Lenroot ticket. with Gov. Davidson
and r. NJ. Bashford for the Davidson slate.
to say nothing Of dozens Of minor speak
ers, have been touring the state for the
past three weeks, tho leaders delivering
four speeches day. The. cost Of the cam
paign will probably make the regular cleo
toral campaign comparatively mild, for
unless the respective bar'ls are deeper than
has been supposed, there will be little left
after the primary fight 10 over.
Denominations Likely.
The fight for Congress progressed to .
climax In the various districts with hardly
less venom than has been displayed in the
gubernatorial fight. With few exceptions
however. the present representatives are
likely to be renominated. The two most
notable exceptions may be Representative
Minor in the ninth, though he Il showing
strength. and Representative Cooper In the
first, where the most probable defeat of q
representative is likely to be reported
Tuesday night.
Local issues have largely entered into the
campaign Of the representatives.
In the first district Representative Cooper
was two years ago nominated by stalwart
personal friends. whom he promised. in
order to secure the nomination. to keep
out of the LaFoliette- Spooner fight. AS
soon as the courts decided In favor Of
LaFollette he broke that pledge. and was
heavily knitted at the poles, but not suff1-
GENTLY to defeat him. Now he Is running
against the leader Of the stalwarts who
supported him two years ago. T. 8. Nolan.
If he should chance to be nominated. the
odds are still heavily against him. for the
first can poll a strong democratic vote on
occasions.
The second district contest is savage.
John N. Nelson won the convention fight
for the seat of the late Henry c. Adams
over NJ 8. Dudgeon. Mr.. Nelson Is opposed
at the election for the remainder Of the
Adams term by Grant Thomas. acting for
Mr.. Dudgeon, there being no democratic OPP
position. The special election for the bal
ance of the Adams term takes place on
primary day, and on that day Dudgeon and
Nelson will be before the people again as
candidates for the full term. The fight Is
bitter, the anti-Nelson men having COM
bined against Nelson, who is the leader Of
the LaFollette machine in that district.
Babcock's Chance.
In the third district, J. w. Babcock is
practically sure of denomination. his La
Toilette opponents having spent their best
efforts two years ago in q vain effort to
defeat him. 1t is said by the LaFollette
men that Babcock and Davidson are in an
agreement to make no attacks on each
other, that being the home district of both
men.
hard-working candidates against him. but
the division of the anti-Otjen strength "a
likely to renominate him.
In the fifth is one of the hottest fights,
Representative Stafford, outspoken stalwart,
being opposed by Henry +. Cochems, the
University OF Wisconsin strong man. who
held world record for strength when TAX
ing postgraduate work in Harvard. His
athlete. He and Stafford are covering the
entire district, as with q fine tooth comb.
Stafford Is said to know personally every
voter In the district, and Cochems is try
ing to.
In the sixth Representative Weisse is GER
tain of reelection, and John J. Esch in the
seventh, as we'll as j. H. Davidson in the
eighth, are in no danger whatever. In the
ninth, however, there Is the same hot
fight that was waged two years ago
against Representative Babcock In the third
Representative Minor has been opposed by
Gustav Kuestermann. several times a can
men are not hopeful of victory, but say
that while there is plenty of anti Minor
sentiment, the opposition candidate is not
sufficiently strong to win that opposition
to his own standard. 1t Is q case again of
the evils one knows not of.
Mr.. Minor at the opening of the cam
pa1gn raced what seemed to be certain de-
feat He began his campaign. however. In
Stephenson's Marinette county, where he
had antagonized that millionaire lumber
man by naming q personal antagonist az
postmaster. Minor was able to win over
Marinette county to his standard In short
order, and began work in the districts more
favorably inclined to him. Now, 1t is BE-
heved. the only county that will vote
against him is Brown. the home Of Kues-
termann.
A Test Of the Law.
The tenth district fight is puzzle. Elmer
Morse Of Amigo is pittsd against J. H
ster Brown, who Is not again Q candidate.
renominated. for he lost caste with the
Spooner and LaFollette men alike two
years ago. when he kept out Of the cam
paign enough to anger the stalwarts. who
had counted him In their ranks, and had
not taken q sufficiently definite stand to
give him LaFollette's support.
Representative Jenkins, In the eleventh,
has not made q single speech. different IN
that respect from most Of the other candi-
dates in the state. He l. opposed by Ole
g. Kinney Of Colfax, but the man In the
fob has the usual advantage In this as In
other fights.
The election Tuesday will be the first
wide test Of the new primary law. All In
all, the new system has not given the people
the chance they desired to free themselves
Of boss rule. for LaFollette has been able,
It II believed, to dictate the votes Of large
number Of voters. even though he may not
have ruled enough to give victory. The
expense to candidates IL tremendous, and
some amendment 10 certain next lesiala-
ture.