The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-06-23
From Saturdays Daily.

GEORGE r. Autnler, lne pollllcdi
dopster on The Minneapolis Tribune,
writes this for his paper
Sam B Wilson of Mankato may
be the next republican candidate for
congress in the second district, to
make the race against w. S. Ham
mond. Second district republicans
have been looking over the situation
and have decided that the time has
come, il 1t Is ever to come, when
>1he district is to be redeemed.
They see the second district piling
up republican majorities on state
and national issues, and then 1t
turns around and calmly elects w
S. Hammond, democrat, to congress
Second district republicans do not
belittle Mr. Hammond's personal
popularity in the district. They re-
aliZe he is strong man and the
next election will find it more diff
cult than ever to defeat him, should
he be a candidate for congress. This
will be due to the fact that as a
member of the dominant party in
the house, Mr.. Hammond has ceased
to be lay figure and has come out
as a prominent member of the house
organization. On the other hand
this may be source of weakness,
as heretofore Mr.. Hammond has
been a negative force instead of a
positive one in congress in his
participation in the organization
Of the present house will
give the republicans Of the district
an opportunity to try him out on
his merits. The republicans of the
district feel that past defeats have
been due to the fact that the district
had definitely decided to rid itself
of McCleary, but the republicans
have not found itself in position to
tion there had been movement to
get together, and rid the district of
the primary troubles that have in
ured to the benefit of the democratic
candidate in the past. 1t looked as
il a harmonious arrangement had
been reached in the case of the late
Clarence G. Dinehart, but death
spoiled all calculations. Franklin
F. Ellsworth of st. James won the
nomination and would have had, a
good chance of election had the re-
publicans stood together But it
appears they did not. Much of this
situation is charged to the fact that
Mr.. Ellsworth would not work har-
moniously with the rest of the party
and was too much of an individual
list. Whether this is true or not,
the republicans of the district be-
lieve the time has come when they
should eliminate party rivalry and
unite on one man. There has been
a good deal of quiet discussion of
the matter of late, and it appears
that Mr. Wilson of Mankato is the
man who is most likely to be picked
as the right candidate in the right
place. He was prominently connect
ed with the Eberhart campaign and
il would not be unlikely that the
Eberhart influence will be thrown
to him. The present aim is to elm
mate primary contest if possible,
and thus obviate the necessity of
party rancor that is usually engen-
dered in primary contest. The
situation is complicated by the fact
that Mr. Hammond has been promi-
nently mentioned as possible can
didate for governor Mr.. Hammond
put a damper on this talk when in
st. Paul recently by saying he eX-
pected to be candidate for con-
gress. In the event of his running
for governor, there is likely to be a
contest for the democratic success
sion between Senator S. d. Works of
Mankato and Representative Albert
Pfaender of New Ulm. In the event
that Mr.. Hammond runs for con-
gress, Representative Pfaender is
being discussed as a possible candi-
date for governor"
When interviewed by The Free
Press today Mr.. Wilson said: "It is
too early to talk about the matter"
Attorney c. J. Laurisch stated to-
day that he has not determined
whether he will be a candidate for
congress. He has the matter under
advisement.
WinOna, June 2O.-The crops over