The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-10-04
JIM BENNETT IN THE BUNCH
Frank Larrabee In Crowd
to "DO' the Governor.
WILL TAKE EXECUTIVE At WORD
He Has Said That He Is Not and Does
Not Propose to Be President
iaI Candidate.

ST. Paul, Oct. "A repetition of the
1904 fight at Duluth for the control
Of the Minnesota delegation to the
next national democratic convention
seems imminent.
Representatives of the Hearst wing
of the democratic party in Minnesota
We're in st. Paul yesterday. meet
ING was held at the Frederic hotel
for the purpose of discussing the stu
alton. T. r. Hudson of Duluth, dem
ocratic national committeeman for Min
nesota, was in charge.
Though present indications give, Min
nesota to Governor johnson in the
event that he will allow the use of
his name for. the democratic nemina-
tion for president, the Hearst wing of
the party, or rather the radical wing,
want a Bryan delegation sent, and the
meeting yesterday was for that pur-
pose. They propose to take immediate
steps for the control of the state demo.
cratic organization, and, if some of
their number is to be believed, the
fight will be taken into every county
in the state and to the very doors
of the next state convention. They
declare that the present organization
does not represent the views or senti-
ments of true democracy.
T. T. Hudson of Duluth; James Ben
of Duluth, were the first to arrive
on the ground.
"Some one has been stringing you"
said Jim Bennett to The Dispatch. 81
know nothing about a meeting. The
whole thing is a bum steer and L
ought to know, for l would be next if
any one was"
Mr. Bennett believed, though, that
Minnesota was for Bryan. He was
careful to refrain from any comment
on the crowd now in control, but he
smiled knowingly when asked if the
Hearst crowd had designs on the or
ganization.
T. T. Hudson, more adroit than Mr..
Bennett, could not be drawn into any
statement concerning the meeting.
Like Mr.. Bennett, though, Mr.. Hud-
son was positive that Minnesota dem
ocrats favor Mr.. Bryan. 'Why, we
have Mr.. Johnson's own word for it
that he is not candidate. He has
said himself that Bryan is the only
logical man for the place." said Mr..
Hudson.
Hudson and Bennett lowered around
Labor Commissioner Williams office in
the basement of the building, but the
Minneapolis man could not be found.
He kept out of the way. Williams,
when seen, denied any knowledge of
the meeting and said if there should be
one he would not be present. He
admitted that letter had been re-
ceived by him from Mr.. Hudson ask
ing him if he would be in st. Paul
Oct. |. There were other decocrats
about the building who said they
had seen the official call for the meet
ing which Mr.. Bennett so strenuously
denied.
One thing noticeable was that none
of the Hearst crowd called to pay
their respects at the office of Governor
Johnson. Even F. A. Day was ignored,
and Mr.. Day is chairman of the state
central committee. This fact, or that
the meeting was being held, did not
seem to worry Mr.. Day. He put this
same crowd to rout at the last con-
vention when an attempt was made
to depose him as chairman, and he
only smiled when asked if they were
after him again.
C. f. Vassley of Little Falls, a
member of the board of control, spent
some time with the Hearst state lead
ers. Minneapolis was represented
Frank Larabee being an early arrival.