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1 59- fa KVL THE PRINCETON UNION BY R. O. DUNN, i l.*s I NOT PAID I N ADVANOE. PVIO BI FIRST 8T EAST OF OOURTHOUS II a. I STAPLES. Bvstoesa Manager. TH05. H. PROW5B Bolter. The ostensible declination by Olsen of the agricultural college deanship diffuses an odor of fox., in the halls of congress. Judge Caivin L. Brown's dissenting opinio. i. the tax amendment case i. sound law and good common sense We had supposed that Frank Day was the de facto governor of Minne sota but it appears from Labor Com missioner Williams' expose that Har vey Grimmer is also it. So it turns out that Senator Tillman was followed about the country by secret service men at the instigation of President Roosevelt. If they kept up with Ben's gait they certainly went some. In its "Twenty-five Years Ago" column the Duluth Herald chronicles the dissolution of partnership of the firm of Champagne & Porter. Pre sumably the result of too much fer mentation. There appears to be as many fac tions in Chinatown, San Francicso, as there are in some of the churches of the country. Twelve factions of chinks recently entered into a pact at that place to keep the peace for twelve months. Bob La Follette has issued the first number of his "Weekly Magazine." It contains sixteen pages and the cover bears the motto, "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." Bob's troubles have com menced. Notwithstanding the four to one guess of the supreme court there is not a sane and sensible man in the state who honestly believes that a majority of the votes cast in the 1906 election was in favor of the wide-open tax amendment. Survivors of the earthquake in Mes sina have decided upon an immediate reconstruction of the city and the re establishment of the civic administra tion, and this in the face of predictions by scientists that a recurrence of seismic disturbances will continue for a period of at least three years. Dear old Lunnon has brought out the latest sartorial sensation in the shape of pants with wide velvet cuffs at the bottom of the legs. We would suggest the Beau Brumruel of Minne- sotaGovernor Johnas the proper person to introduce the fashion into this state. Since the employes' profit-sharing plan was introduced by the United States steel corporation in 1903 the workmen who purchased stock have received in dividends and bonuses the sum of $12,000,000. lb would be better for the working man were there more "grasping, soulless" corporations of this kind in the country. Amendments to the legislative, ex ecutive and judiciary appropriation bill, reported to the senate by the com mittee on finance, propose an increase of the salary of the president of the United States from $50,000 to $100,000 per annum and that of the vice presi dent from $12,000 to $20,000. These salaries are none too high for the true blue republican president and vice president of the gi eatest nation on earth. Mike, the Union's special St. Paul correspondent, wiji have some thing to say each week during the ses sion of the legislature- Mike's in- of the legislature as honest and well intentioned until he is positively con vinced to the contrary. It is fashion- Union does not care to be fashion the best of them. rRMS-Sl.oo PER YEAR IN AOVANOE. pleasure in nominating Frank Staey sugar cane. Others say they can make Dozens of papers in the state are complaining because Governor John does not remain at home and attend The president is now engaged in his to his duties instead of traveling annual occupation of exploding bombs about the country delivering lectures. Friday. It was an appeal taken by But then there is nothing for him to O. Homme of Yellow Medicine x. boo. of cartoons for 1909, containing a selection which has appeared in that paper during the past year, has been received at the Union office. The cartoons are Handy's handicraft. Handy is the caricature artist of the News Tribune and he holds a place in the front rank of journalistic illus trators. The News Tribune's book for 1909 is a splendid art production. Commenting upon the selection of Olsen to succeed Randall as dean of the state agricultural college the Mower County Transcript says: It will be a relief to the educators of the state that John W. Olsen will no longer be the figurehead in the state educational department office. His ap pointment as dean of the agricultural college is a ridiculous commentary on the old saying that merit wins. In Olsen's case it seems to be a case of political pull. Some sensational testimony came out in the Riddell-Riley election con test case involving the office of sheriff of Itasca county. William Schultz of Sand Lake testified that one man voted six times under as many differ ent names. This reminds us of the "good old days" in Galveston, Texas, when a man was permitted to vote in every ward of the city provided he cast the "right" ballot. The only incident "worthy of note" in the proceedings of the house on Thursday, says a Washington dis patch, and which caused a good deal of amusement, was a discussion of the forthcoming African hunting trip of President Roosevelt and a reference to the Ananias club. Pray, what is there about this tomfoolery that is worthy of note? The people do not elect legis lators to sit around and discuss wild beast hunts or tell snake stories President Judson of Chicago uni versity says that more attention should be given to character training in the public schools. He declares that "the proper training of character should be put into practice in every school room in the land, that it should be made apart of the training of every professional teacher, and should be foremost in the thoughts of all to whom are intrusted the destinies of the young." Dr. Judson's sentiments are worthy of consideration. i^kpjB^clTJ :p If the office of bank examiner is tc Aman in Newington Center. Conn., be created4 In a letter to the Granite Falls Tribune Hon. L. H. Johnson of Min neapolis, former speaker of the house, takes exceptions to the accusation that he supported the democratic candidate for governor in the last campaign. Mr. Johnson asserts that he has sup ported and voted for every republican candidate for governor during theif past twenty years. No one who is acquainted with Mr. Johnson will ac cuse him of disloyalty to his party. We have always regarded him as a structions are to give the news as he tencing these assassins the judgf. in'the dispatches fhat these prisdners finds it, and to regard every member merely did his dutyhe meted oul no greater punishment than the cul1 prits were deserving of. Night riding e so-called, has attained such propor able nowadays to regard members of tions in some of the southern states Villains of the Castro stripe should the legislature with suspicion, but the that the life and property of the in able. There is a host of newspaper ardy, and it is to be hoped that the law providing for their extradition- correspondents at the capitol this penalties imposed by Judge Jones will for they are murderers and criminals winter, but we venture the assertion have a deterrent effect upon the of the deepest dye. Castro should be that our Mike will hold his own with operations of the infamous gangs of sent back to Venzuela to receive hjs cutthroats. by the legislature this claims to have discovered a method of winter the Union takes pride and making a good grade of paper from for the position. Frank is a financier it from cornstalks, pampas grass, of no mean ability. Besides he id straw, etc., at small cost. Then why handy with his pen, as witness his dont' they make it and enter into corn- handiwork in the governor's message petition with the paper trust? would be millions in it. A do at home unless he sits around and countv from n. ato\ainn nt T.^/ There important case affecting the use "stickers" in elections was ruled up0 by the state supreme court on a coun W decision of Judge Iro twiddles his thumbs'. So far as duties Gorham Powers in which the use of are concerned they all devolve upon "stickers" was ruled to be illegal and, Mr. O'Day, Mr. O'Grimmer and the i other members of the kitchen cabinet, declared to be elected to office. This A *k i IVXT -L ruling is reversed by the supreme A copy of the Duluth News Tribune's consequence, O. C. Snortum was court. Homme was defeated by Snortu in the primaries but was elected by the use of "stickers" on the general election ballot, and Snortum contested its validity. Judge Jones of Union City, Tennes see, on Saturday imposed the death released the political prisoners penalty upon six of the night riders twenty-seven in number, which the found guilty of murdering Captain despot Castro had confined in the Ranken and sentenced two accomplices dungeons of Fort San Carlos on an to twenty years each. In thus sen- island off Maracaibo. It is stated habitants have been placed in jeop- civilized countriesthere should be a The actual value and extent of the state's iron deposits is not known. The governor says that there are "over 1,000,000,000 tons of ore invassing sight, with new discoveries every sea son. "Northfield News. Perhaps the governor did say so, we should hate to dispute such eminent authority as the News. At even 25 cents per ton that would mean an ad dition of $250,000,000 to the state's per manent funds. It strikes us that the figures are rather extravagant. The tax commission estimates the iron ore on state lands at 141,575,398, exclusive of some undeveloped tracts covered by state contracts. Louis W. Hill, president of the Great Northern railway, has been tendered the chairmanship of the state highway commission by Governor Johnson. Mr. Hill is a young busi ness man of exceptional high ability and, if he can spare the time to devote to the duties of the position, he will undoubtedly make an excellent record for accomplishing things at the head of the commission. The governor*, is to be commended for making such -an excellent appointment. But had a re publican governor named Mr. Bjtll for a place on a state board what a. howl would have gone up from the "unter rified" democracy. If the Duluth News Tribune has sized up the situation correctly North eastern Minnesota need have no fear of an iron ore tonnage tax at this ses sion of the legislature, unless such a measure is favored by two-thirds of the members of the house and senate. That paper confidently remarks: "This section, therefore, can have no occasion for worry nor anxiety that any tonnage tax can get by the governor. He will veto any and all of them just as fast as they are sub mitted to him. He has said so, or his intimates and sponsors know not the truth, and he is a man of his word, a second Lincoln and a revised and ex purgated edition uf Theodore Roose- velt." In reply to a correspondent's query relative to the qualifications of Mr. Olsen for the deanship of the state agricultural school, Col. Whitman of the Ortonville Herald-Star sarcas tically remarks: "If the governor had asked our advice we should have suggested some simple test of Mr. Olsen's knowledge of farming, like grits for breakfast or a large red Weathersfield onion for dessert, and he shied we should have recom mended retaining him as the head of the educational interests of the state, where it does not seem necessary to know anything except a very cheap grade of politics." President Gomez of Venezuela has men from the best families of Vepezuelawere being systematically starved to death and were in a pitiable condition when given their liberty not be permitted to take refuge in TAX AMJBimilUUfT CAUBtMK By a majority decision of the state ftax A tha ta Mq caskt for the credited to the goods roads amend- to just deserts. T^-^ ^^*r-, Jfc&tgd. the so-called wide-open tax amend- readily conceded that Mr. Hall in Many voters, who did not be- our judgment, is the following It is elementary that election re turns especially certified are prima facie evidence of the correctness of the result thereby shown, and in the ab sence of proof to the contrary, not mere assertion in a notice of a contest, import absolute verity and are final and conclusive. To overcome this presumption the evidence of irregular ities, errors, or defects must be clear and free from doubt. It is unneces sary to cite authorities to a proposi tion so fundamental and necessary to the integrity of our elections. It is also elementary that in contest pro ceedings the contestant, however broad may be the allegations of his notice, is required to go no further with hisof evidence than to make out a prima facie case in his favor. He may prove less but never more than he alleges. (Paine on Elections, 824). He may attack by his evidence such of the re turns as he chooses, and if he thereby changes the result announced by the official returns, he may rely upon the verity of those not attacked and rest his case. At this point, by all the rules of proceedings in cases of this kind, the contestee must take the laboring oar and overcome the prima facie case thus made." Notwithstanding the decision which makes the amendment part of our state constitution thousands of people will continue to believe that it never was adopted. At the election last November an amendment similar to the tax amendment that was voted upon in 1906 was submitted and failed to secure the necessary number of votes, which goes to prove that a majority of the voters of the state do not believe in giving the legislature1 carte blanche in taxation matters. Under the constitution as it now stands it is possible for the legislature exemp,t any class of property from fcrarti provide that a taxed At a certain rate, class of property of equal value at less rate. The bars are down, all con stitutional restrictions are removed and any kind of tax goes. A copy of No 1, volume 1, Follette's Weekly has been received. The contents of the magazine give no immediate indication of setting the world on fire, as might have been ex pected by those who took cognizance of the advance advertising sheets. The articles are commonplace, lack originality, and"r are decidedly ih 4 MkM "t3j.*if.1,% AIT VJfA\8WEBABT.E ARGUMENT. ..n^EW^oM. h*^ i commissi is com- son politics-you mustebe for supreme court, handed down last Fri- posed of three capable men-Messrs, first, last aned all theytime, and day, the canvtfstf wliie% declared that Lord, McVey and Hall. It will be ment, voted upon in 1906, was valid is point of ability is, to say the least u** ud upheld and tWdistrict court at Duluth the equal of his colleagues. In the axe reversed. The facts in the case are as forthcoming report of the commission follows: Through an error in the to the legislature it is understood that printing of the tally sheets prepared Messrs. Lord and McVey will recom by the state for the general election, mend a tonnage tax in "preference" to SS^ held in November, 1900, in many an ad valorem tax for iron ore. Mr. Z^JZS^EL^JZ election precincts the votes cast for the Hall dissents. He takes strong Frank Day's paper good roads ammendment were grounds innfavor an as valorem to the amendment, and the votes tax and advances several powerful amendmencrediteed wer arguments i supportf of hi conten ment lieve in removing all constitutional restrictions from the legislature in ore actually mined (or shipped) in matters pertaining to taxation, voted tion, the most important of which, in 11A against the amendment. On the other hand the good roads amendment was popular with the peoplealmost everybody believes in improving the highwaysand the error in printing the tally sheets was to say the least a queer blunder. Certain parties in St. Louis and Carlton counties con tested the findings of the state can board which declared the tax amendment carried and the good roads amendment defeated. A recount of enough election precincts was had to demonstrate beyond a doubt that the tax amendment was defeated and the good roads amendment adopted, and on the evidence adduced the St. Louis county district court so held. The state appealed to the supreme court and, stripped of legal verbiage, that court now holds that, in order to setplus aside the result as announced by the state canvassing board it was incum bent upon the contestants to prove by a recount of the entire vote or at least of such a proportion thereof that even if all the remaining votes were counted one way they could not affect the final result. Judge Calvin L. Brown, who iproperties. generally regarded by lawyers and laymen as an able jurist, hasfiledan elaborate dissenting opinion in which he holds: eaJ If it is a year of pros perity with a large *nd unusual de mand for iron and steel, the output of the mines will be large, resulting in a correspondingly large revenue from the tax. If the year is one of depres sion, panic or stagnation, the output will be small and the revenue corre spondingly small. "This would result in a perennial uncertainty as to the amount of revenue the public would derive from this source which would be at all times embarrassing. The state, county and assessment districts which are entitled to the proceeds of the tax may or may not have a large income therefrom in any one year. Their respective treasuries may have a surplus or a deficit depending entirely upon the prosperity or depression of the iron and steel business for that year. "In any year in which there is a surplus of revenue by reason of a large output of the mines, such sur is apt to be squandered for un necessary public purposes. It is not the habit of the governing bodies in American counties or municipalities to allow a surplus to rust in the public vaults. In any year in which there is a deficit in the revenue by reason of a small output of the mines, such deficit must be made good by increased taxes upon the real estate and personal property not included in the iron "The existing ad valorem system presents no such uncertainty in the public revenues. They are practically fixed and determined each year and are not dependent upon the fluctua tions of the iron and steel market." OPINIONS OF EDITORS I M MM Beneath Notice. A lying man has no standing people won't even take the trouble to sit up and notice him.Walker Pilot. Tough Legislative Sinners The bigger the sinner, the more prayers there are offered for him. This was aptly illustrated by the large number of aspirants for the position chaplain of the legislature this winter.Walker Pilot. Governor John's Veracity Questioned John W. Olsen has stepped out of the office of state superintendent of schools into that of dean of the state agricultural college. There was no politics in the appointment of Mr. Olsen, says Governor Johnson. (9) Roseau Times. Educators Wanted to Get Rid of Him It would be real interesting and in structive for Dean Olsen of the farm school to print autograph copies of a few of the many letters written by educators from all parts of the state, asking how they could help him getpresented his present job.West St. Paul Times. Condemnation Deserved. The primary election law has re ceived more condemnation at the hands of the people than any law put on the statute books in recent years. A revision of its provisions is abso lutely necessary if not its repeal. Brainerd Dispatch. A Twin City Corporation. th arm taxation or certain class of property shall betthea disburses nine-tenthforfalms, the funds cease our acquaintances will mourn and another among twin city residents.Vesta or heave a sigh of relief. This is not Censor }J Anent the Snob BiUy Has a mind of His Own The state fair is nothing more than Sentinel. a twin city corporation supported by shall be just as mean and niggardly as we can be and keep out of jail or the taxpayers of the state. It has all vn taxpayers i in state it na an as we can be and Keep out of lail, or W. H. Williams, state labor commis sioner, will tell Gov. Johnson a few society, and if he wishes to be a dam- things before he walks the plank, and phool in general that same law will at the same time enlighten the legis- protect him in doing so. In fact the instruments through which the law operates seem to take peculiar delight in giving him that protection. lativebodi a little. Billy Williams, as he is affectionately called by his friends, is a good labor commissioner, teal but these things don't count in John- read Day i minhdeverfsknaecbJohnso u cu from Fran Bill had a to tak P Bu if wha Se to Pood od Broad- Neff Will Famish a Lemon. The United States usesp seven billioncae sugar a ea W W win hand you one the next gu election.Lake Crystal bernatoria How Politics Are Being Eliminated The elevation of J. W. Olsen, state tonnage tax is levied upon the superintendent of public intsruction, to the position of dean of the agricul tural college is a typical example of the manner in which the Johnson ad ministration is separating politics from the affairs of our educational institutions.Lake Benton News. He Is Immaculate. Every once in awhile one reads of glaring conditions discovered in cer tain public offices by the state ex aminer. If it is a pertinent question we would like to ask: Who in fa examines the public examiner? Of course, we are acting on the theory that it takes a thief to catch a thief. Foley Independent. 5 Wherein Has He Distinguished Himself" And now the democratic henchmen of Gov. Johnson are calling those papers who do not believe that the sun rises and sets in his immediate vicinity,, "peanut partizan editors May we inquire wherein the governor has particularly distinguished himself during the past four years, except as a good jollier and all around mixer? Preston Times. Olsen a Mere Politician The state agricultural college, the fountain head educational institution of the greatest agricultural state in. the union, should be under the charge of a man especially fitted by experi ence, education and practical knowledge for the position, and it is a burning shame that the school should be dragged into politics, and the action of the past week does not reflect much credit on the democratic administration.Spring Valley Sun. Absent .Most of the Time In many states the law provides that when the governor is absent from the commonwealth which elected him its chief executive, the lieutenant gover nor becomes acting governor. This might be a wise provision in Minne sota. We have a governor who is absent from the state many days in delivering lectures for his own profit. There should be some responsible authority when he is so often absent, and it would seem to be much safer to have this authority vested in the lieutenant governor, elected by the people, than in a clerk selected by the governor. Here is another oppor tunity for the republican legislature to safeguard the interests of the people.Journal-Press. 5* A Slam at Lone:-Winded Messages. Neither a president nor a governor can outline in a message of manage able proportions full details of the legislation which he recommends. He would find no difficulty in summariz ing in a newspaper column or two of snappy, meaty propositions the whole legislative program that he wishes to set before the legislative branch. Ex ecutive achievement, apart from mere buncombe and brag of personal or party accomplishment, can best be in departmental reports. These reach legislative bodies in iar more complete and understandable form than can be included in any ex ecutive message. Summaries reach the people of the state or nation with much more impressive effect if printed separately from time to time than bundled together in an overloaded ex ecutive document St. Paul Dispatch. Slater is Frank Day's Best Appointee. Edward K. Slater in Martin County It lies with us whether we less beggars in the state beaten whether we shall fiTsuch a nicne in the standstill^ asking and world that when our activities shall The most despicable human being is able dispositions. legislation a snob. Be natural and do not try to wanted anywhere, and there is really give the impression that you are so only one appropriate place for him much better than all creation. You the place where there are no taxes and are never given credit for more than no good buttermakers of La your exact worth and if you are prig gish your better qualities are entirely a fool of himself if he so chooses, overshadowed.Swift County Review. entirely a matter of sentiment either. The business and professional world is calling for men of abiilty and agree The grouch isn't rr "V The law al lows a man to make a certain kind of It can't prevent him from "souring" on himself and the rest oi the world. It gives him the inalienable right to divorce himself from friends and