Evening star., 1923-07-16
MINNESOTA TODAY
PICKS LA TOILETTE
OR HARDING POLICY
Voters Making Choice Be-
tween PreuS and Johnson
for u. S. Senator.

BY the Associated Press.
ST. PAUL, Mimi, July 16.-Voters
of Minnesota today are writing the
verdict in the unprecedented contest
involving the selection Of United
States senator in succession to the
late Knute Nelson. In $500 polling
determining whether a supporter of
the Harding administration shall go
to the Senate or If mis- state shall
throw its complete senatorial
strength to the La Toilette group.
While there are three candidates,
1t is between Gov. ]. A. o. Preus, re-
publican and a Harding adherent. and
Magnus Johnson, farmer-laborite and
follower of Robert NJ. La Toilette,
that the real contest lies.
James A. Carley. state senator and
democratic choice, 10 the third can
didate, but even his close political
friends counted him out of the race
before the polls opened at am.
today.4
Ends Bitter Campaign.
The election ends a campaign un-
usual in the political annals of the
state. Called specially to fill the va
cancy Senator Nelson's death created,
the June is primary was marked by
balloting that attracted only few
more than 100000 Of the states S00,-
900 votes.
1t had been expected that Gov.
Preus would resign and accept ap-
pointment to the Senate, but the
chief executive. acting on an opinion
of the states attorney generals office.
held such procedure would be Illegal
and his call for the special primary
and election followed.
Immediately after the primary
there was no apparent change in the
attitude of the average voter. poltti-
cal spellbinderS cast their spell In
vain, and indications were that to-
days election would roll round with
prospect. Then it appeared that the
country at large was vitality inter-
ested in the outcome-that II viewed
it as a test between the policies of
the Harding administration and
things advocated by the La Toilette
bloc.
Large Vote Expected.
This national interest, many poll
ticianS say. went a long way toward
arousing the voters of the state to
the Importance of the conests. and
a vote considerably larger than the
primary poll would be cast today.
The usual expressions of confidence
were available today at the several
party headquarters, but the neutral
observers protesting in analytical
turn of mind found little tangible on
which to base predictions on the out
come with any assurance of accuracy.
In the general election last fall,
Minnesota chose as United States
Senator Dr. Hendrix Shipstead, a
farmer aborite. giving him a total
of 325.372 votes. as compared to
241. .S33 for Senator Frank B. Kellogg,
republican.
Beat johnson Before.
Competing in the gubernatorial
race In the same election. Gov. Preus
defeated Magnus Johnson, 30s.756
votes to 295,479. with the candidates
bearing the same party affiliation as
they do today.
Preus supporters say the Johnson
vote last fall was carried through by
the Shipstead showing: Johnson ad-
herents say the farmer-laborites made
no fight for the governorship. con-
centrating on the senatorial race and
that today. with all interest centered
on the single contest, Johnson will
poll a vote In ratio to that given
Shipstead over Kellogg
There are other forms of conjecture
today, but the best informed neutrals
seemed content to await the closing
of the polls at 8 pm. and the tabula-
tion Of the votes. before making any
with IFS" as Minnesota, in recent
years, has become a state of political
upsets since the advent Of the farmer
labor party.