The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-04-29
Hoot Mon

almost enough to make break into tears for, alas
politics is not what it used to be. The oldest in.
habitant is conscious Of great falling off in the game
since the pesky primary election law adopted As
instrument of reform the primary law may be
right but it certainly took Of the picturesque
features of politics when it removed the local
conventions with their wide scope for the exercise
of human talent. See what have lost-preconven-
ton campaign in which the candidate for sheriff made
a combination with two candidates for coroner, fgur-
ing throwing them both; the evening meeting at
the Union League when the precincts reported their
delegates and the candidates each figure out clear
majority (the estimate of relative strength in the
morning papers to be SO rudely shattered the
BALLOT; the struggle for the temporary Craftsmanship
carrying with it the committee on credentials, the
growing, the kicking and the smoothing out of the
beaten minority-it has all gone by the board ana
in its stead has come plain ordinary juggle.proof
ballots. It was fercely hard on the who had
owned ''his precinct" since the building Of the /
suspension bridge and who had attended every
vention since John Il. Stevens built The House.
Everybody remembers something interesting about
the caucuses There was the time when the school
janitor organized and beat Charles A Pillsbury in
his own precinct and when Dan Donovan failed for
the first time in ten years to carry the third ward
and retired from politics; when A j. Boardman beat
W. H. Eusts in all his precincts, "where he ate
where he slept and where he boarded Al Borak, the
horse that ran away from the Lord Mayor of Dublin;
when Emerson Cole got excited over the sale OF
vote in his ward that he pretty nearly saying
something out loud ~.
Some of the old-time city and county conventions
intensely dramatic One that is especially re-
membered was that in which P B. Winston and C. NJ.
q lSalz Lo Hrol Sha
tional politics in this county. Winston carried the
convention secured the Endorsement for district dele
gate to the national convention, but just at the
moment Of adjournment some one sprung motion
to recommend Foote for delegate.at-large 1t was,
of course not binding the state convention, but
the carrying Of the motion implied Endorsement
of Foote at home, which made the Winston men so
sore they ready to eat tacks for several days
afterward.
:
Of all the wild-eyed gatherings which
held In the city, perhaps the nearest to a bed OF
anarchism the convention which nominated Ames
for mayor in 1885, The doctor had been nominated
and evening paper for which David Blakely was
writing editorials made assault upon him. The
nominee came before the convention in the evening
and, brandishing aof the offending paper delivered
an Elijah Dowie TRADE in which dirty stnkero
one of the milder epithets. Dr. Ames then at
of the foodtides of his popularity the galleries were
filed with the sort Of people who worshiped at his
H dangerous looking of passon-nfamed faces was
looked into by the eyes of speaker than that.
It would have required scarcely more than the en-
couragement they received to have converted the
crowd into mob. That the convention at which
F. G.. Hobrook sprang into notice as a politician.
p p Swenson had been nominated for city controller,
but "Pete" had other fish to fry, he had made all
his arrangements to be nominated for sheriff of the
county and therefore declined to for controller
A hurryup call made for substitute and some
30 1ir Ho1h
young democrat, an expert bookkeeper and
fitted for the office" Mr.. Holbrook nominated
and elected and fortunately all of the Endorsements
he received from his proposer proved justified. Mr..
Holbroook made model controller and attained
strength in politics which was lasting.
The political conventions were great places to
develop what was in Quekness, knowledge and
it must also be said, 'bluff' counted for heap in
them. Occasionally they were characterized by Q
sense of Justice, but often the ruling passion
was victory. The majority inexorable They
must rule having "won out, and the other fellows
unjust take their medicine The minority usually fig
ured that it would get on top and ride the other
fellows next time
One curious feature Of the Hennepin county con-
ventions in those days the way in which the
ticket was parceed out It usually understood
and agreed that the Scandinavians should have q
place the ticket, and the German element another,
= and 80 on down the line until it sometimes hap
court commissioner superintendent Of schools.
There was also geographical arrangement of the
ticket The eighth ward, because of its immense re-
publican majority, generally drew place, and the
third, which debatable ground, got another.
Care was taken not to overload the ticket with too
many men from part Of the city, all of which
looks queer to when nationality is not
heard of and when all the candidates might come
from the ward. But in those days it was a
!, real strain the political managers to get their
ticket so nicely balanced racally and geographically
that the opposition could find flaws in its makeup.
tEf
} For many years Kelly and Doran ruled the demo-
cratic politics of the state They directed the state
ticket and when democracy out they distributed
the patronage The arrangement between these men
was unique The country is familiar with the idea
Of the state boss but Minnesota gave the first il
stance Of partnership between two men to do tn,
things that single boss usually does. Kelly and
Doran were equal partners and while they could
agree with nobody else in the state, they appeared
always to agree with another. They ruled state