The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1920-03-19
MINNESOTA POLITICS
(by VANCE CHAPMAN

This week Minnesota Republicans
are endeavoring to centre on can
didate for the Republican nomina-
ton for president. Monday dele
gate caucuses were held, or were sup
posed to be held, in every precinct
in the state and when this letter was
in the making county conventions
were being held for the purpose of
naming delegates to the district and
state conventions to be held Wednes-
day and Saturday. The State con-
vention scheduled to be held in St.
Paul had the call in point of interest
as it is here will be determined the
question as to- who controls Minneso-
ia Republican circles, the Old Guard,
headed by E. E. Smith, F. H. Car
penter and Andy Rain, all of Min
neapolis or Gov. Burnquist, Chair
man Gustaf Lindquist of the Repub-
ican State Central Committee and l.
A. Caswell of Anoka now engaged in
plotting the Wood presidential boom
to a safe harbor. In the country
districts little interest is the rule, but
in Minneapolis where the fight for
control is extremely bitter, the con-
test is at red. heat. AS betting
proposition the Wood candidacy is
a twenty to one shot, but control of
the convention and the selection of
a national committeeman, which is
one of the chief bones of contention,
is along sitter lines. Here the odds
are not so great. So keen is the Min
no VOLTS
the county central committee of that
district has cut loose from the state
organization and is going it alone.
1t has its own preferential ballots
with Herbert Hoover as a drawing
card, makes its own rules and is
using every effort to perpetuate it
self. That a eontesting delegation
will result is almost certain, but the
possibility of such has in no wise
deferred those with whom harmony
is secondary to ambition. The state
convention promises to be a warm
one.
The Republican state convention
to be held in st. Paul Saturday will
probably be the last political gather
ing of its kind as far as the Gopher
state is concerned. Predictions are
plentiful to the effect that it is the
end and that the present state wide
primary law will be more firmly en-
trenched. The proposed elimination
convention for state office may even
be affected. The trouble is that a
self chosen few have the rule, or
ruin idea and the rank and file sim
ply will not stand for it. 1t is the his
tory of the majority party of later
years and it is simply a case of his
tory repeating itself. Too much
small town stuff perhaps better ex-
plains the situation. This same rule
or ruin idea put Townley over in
North Dakota and it has political
Minnesota on the run at the present
time so get ready boys for a presi-
Dental Proficiency primary law, a
stlffenlng of the present state wide
primary law and anything else that
the minority can cook up. 1t is
coming and the present presidential
hight is going to hasten the day.
That the grain interests have DO
litical Hennepin county by the throat
is pretty well shown in the inexcusa-
BILE effort to force Herbert Hoover on
the Republican voters of the state
irrespective of whether he is a can
didate for the presidency or of the
political brand which convention
of duly called Republicans can only
pass upon. In defiance of the orders
OF the state central committee, the
Minneapolis Republican organiza-
ton has directed that his name be
placed upon the preferential ballot
winch Is to be voted, while those in
the employ of Julius Barnes, the
head OF the United States Grain cor
poratlon, who is Hoover's chief presi-
Dental hacker, have caused to be
distributed throughout the state
Hoover stickers for the further en-
barrassment Of the party. That the
Hoover boom will not get anywhere
and that ii it does it will be repudi-
ated by the state convention is more
than certain, still money in chunks is
being spent and the situation fur
Their complicated for the edification,
and If possible, the further enriching
OF a few. In Minneapolis alone
probably more money has been spent
IN the interest of the Hoover candi-
dacy than all the other presidential
candidates combined, and that with
put even the knowledge of whether
Or not he is candidate or to what
party he belongs, and the shame of
t all is that men who ought to know
better are at the head of the move
nent.
One of the active candidates for
ielegate-at-large to the National Re-
publican convention is Senator w. F.
Brooks of Minneapolis. Another is
i. II. Bach of Owatonna. In the
selection of the four delegates at
arge the likely apportionment will |
,e one for each of the three big |
titles and one from the country and |
he chances for Senator Brooks sell
'ctlon are excellent. In the fight |
n for control in Minneapolis Sena-
or Brooks has held aloof and this
as strengthened his position. The /
tate senate of which he is a member
with him almost to a man. South
IN Minnesota is generally accredited i
the candidacy of Mr.. Bach.