New-York tribune., 1908-09-29
MINNESOTA FOR TAFT
HIS TRIP Il SUCCESS.
Big Majority for National Ticket
Predicted Candidate in n. Dakota.
by Telegraph to The TribuneI

Fargo. n. D, Sept 2S-Mr. Taft has traversed
Minnesota from the centre of the southern
boundary to the extreme northwest and in every
place he has had the most enthusiastic recep-
ton from the people and the most encouraging
assurances from the party leaders. After
careful survey Of the situation, not only as seen
from the special train. but as felt IN St. Paul
and Minneapolis during the Sunday rest. 1t is
regarded as an absolutely safe prediction that
Taft will carry the state by majority Of not
less. than 10000 and probably by upward of
$4,000
Not for many years has the Republican party
in the state been So thoroughly organized
the hatchet Of factional strife deeply buried.
The Republicans OF Minnesota have at last
..woke to the fact that they can win only by
pulling together and they pulling with
mighty effort. The state committee has per-
fected its organization along the lines advO-
Gated by Chairman Hitchcock A broad founda-
ton has been provided, and in each Of the $500
voting precincts there are five active committee
men who are seeing the individual voters. meet
ing and repeIling the charges Of the opposition.
and reporting TO and taking orders from the
county committees, which in turn report to and
obey the orders of the state committee itself.
then direct to the national committee. Ample
provision has been made for sending capable
speakers through the state to arouse the voters,
and in addition a schoolhouse campaign has
been instituted, and local "spelIbinders" are
doing everything possible for both national and
state tickets
DOUBT ABOUT STATE TICKET
In the opinion of the leaders the Taft trip
will go far to insure Republican victory and
they insist that Jacob Jacobson will be elected
over Governor johnson, the Democratic nomi-
nee They may be right, and Mr.. Taft has done
his part in helping along the state campaign.
Yet it would be a rash prediction to make at
this time that jacobson will win. even by a
small majority as in Ohio the old political lines
have been so far eliminated that there is little
on which to base a calculation. The total vote
in the coming election if it is brought out as
seems probable, viii be about $4,000. Of this
number the Scandinavians will cast fully one
third and the Norwegian vote will exceed the
Swede by about 1000. Under normal condi-
tions the Norwegans vote the Democratic ticket
and the Swedes the Republican In the three
past elections Johnson. Swede. has polled
practically the entire Scandinavian vote This
year the Republicans have nominated Jacobson
a Norwegian with a creditable record as
legislator for ten or twelve years behind him
He is a clean and able man who speaks English
with a strong accent and a few Norwegian
idioms. bu. he lacks the magnetism of Johnson
prominent Republican business man of St
Paul said yesterday: Il have 10 doubt that of
the two men Jacobson is the better I do not
suspect Johnson of being IN the least dishon-
est but rather of lacking that sense of pro
priety which Is in Ccnsonance with Roosevelt
ism and Taftism. Nevertheless shall cast nv
vote for Taft and Johnson because I believe
that Johnson IS a safer man than jacobson a
man less likely to espouse freak theories in
legislation go off the handle TO the detri-
ment Of the business interests and the prosper
ity of the state"
There were a dozen men in the company in
which this remark made, and every one
Immediately declared his purpose 70 vote the
same ticket, Taft ard Johnson and this senti-
ment is well developed that Taft and John
SON clubs are being organized in many parts
of the state The leaders believe that the
Scaudinavians will vote according 10 nationality
and therefore. Jacobson VIII receive from this
source as many votes Johnson. Basing their
calculations Minnesota's former normal Re-
publican majority of 5000 they say that Jacob
son viii be elected. Unfortunately. The Trib-
une's correspondent cannot share their sanguine
expectations
The great event Of the day has been the North
Dakota Republican grand barbecue at Fargo
where Mr Taft spoke twice to thousands of
persons. some of whom had come two hundred
and three hundred miles 10 see and hear him
The leaders are unanimous in their assertions
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