A
THE PRINCETON UNION
BY B. C. DUNN.
Pwblisl&ed Every Tl&tirscl&y.
TCRMSS1.oo PER YEAR IN ADVANCE.
SI.25 I NOT PAID IN ADVANCE.
OFFICES FIRST ST.. EAST OP COUNT HOUSE.
0. I. STAPLES,
Business Manager.
THOS. H. PROWSE,
Editor.
Theodore no doubt regrets at this
particular time that he invented the
political steam roller and taught
William how to run it.
A Montana woman named Jump
has applied for a divorce. Jumped,
it seems from the evidence, out of
the frying pan into the fire and now
wants to jump back again.
Minneapolis is making an effort to
organize a permanent pubMc morals
commission. There can be no doubt
that the public morals need regulat
ing, but the regulators will have an
undesirable job.
William R. Vance, new dean of the
state university law department' says
that the lawyer must develop a
higher conscience. I is pretty hard
for a man to develop something that
he does not possess.
Piesident Taft can, of course, veto
the bill abolishing the commerce
court, but in the face of the fact
that no appropriation for the main
tenance of the court has been made,
his action would avail nothing.
The newspaper stories of the flat
tening out of the Roosevelt forces by
the republican national committee
made particularly interesting read
ing. Fire-belching Theodore re
ceived only that which he deserved.
Washington dispatches tell us that
a game of ball was played last Satur
day between the republicans and
democrats of the national house oi
representatives. We were of the
opinion that this was an everyday
occurrence.
So surfeited with fire and brim
stone had the old earth become in
consequence of the Taft-Roosevelt
campaign that it was compelled to
open up one of its volcanoes, which
had been sleeping a couple of
thousand years, to rid itself of the
superfluity.
Moss Clapp hurried down to
caco on Saturday to see whether he
could not surreptitiously throw a
switch in favor of his master, but
found his efforts futile and came
near being run over himself. When
he emerged from the hall he
quivered like the proverbial reed
which was shaken by the wind.
Senator Dixon, Roosevelt's cam
paign manager, now charges that a
member of the republican national
committee was offered a United
States marshalship to vote for Taft
in the delegate contests. The re
publican presidential campaign has,
so far, been a disgracepregnant
with charges, countercharges and
vilmcation.
louring his discourse before the
state legislatois last week, which
was in everv way a splendid address,
William J. Bryan declared that he
now occupies a more favorable posi
tion than he ever did "because so
many republicans like me better
than they do some members of their
own party.'' This statement is im
possible of refutation.
It was all very well to present
Captain Rostron of the Carpathia
with a purse of $10,000 and a silver
loving cup tor going to the rescue of
the Titanic's passengers, but have
all the poor widows and orphans who
were saved been provided for? A
large sum dfmoney was contributed
by the public for this purpose, but
who knows how it was disbursed?
No statement has appeared in the
newspapers
Congress has very properly refused
to appropriate an additional sum for
the preparation and mounting of
specimens collected by Roosevelt on
his African hunting trip. The last
congress appropriated $250,000 for
this purpose, which amounted,
practically, to a squandering of that
much of the people's money to suit
the whims of a private individual.
But few, if any, rare specimens were
obtained by Roosevelt.
Hon. E. T. Young, ex-attorney gen
eral, will in all probbaility announce
his candidacy for the republican
nomination for governor within the
next few days. If Mr. Young enters
the free-for-all the other candidates
will discover that he is in the run
ning.
Lieutenant Governor Gordon an
nounces that from now on the re
doubtable James A. Martin will
manage his campaign for governor.
Sam must have substantial financial
backing. At any rate he seems to
be able to command the services of
several high grade managers.
Governor Donahey of Arkansas is
doubtless a kind-hearted man, but
he used very poor judgment when he
pardoned all the female convicts in
the state penitentiary, especially the
woman condemned to be hung and
another convicted of poisoning her
husband to marry a younger man.
I is not only dangerous to turn such
people loose, but an injustice to law
abiding citizens.
A. J. Rockne of Goodhue county
will contest with Charles R. Davis
for the republican congressional nom
ination in the Third district. Mr.
Rockne was speaker of the house in
the 1909 session, and he is considered
one of the ablest and best members
of the present state senate. Mr.
Davis is the present member from
the Third district and is serving his
fifth term in congress.
One of Mr. Bryan's best speeches
of the season was interrupted at
New Richmond, Wis., last week
when the automobile in which he in
tended returning to St. Paul blew
up with a thunderous report. I
was standing near the opera house,
and Mr. Bryan and his audience
rushed out to find it in flames, and
did not return. As neither Woodrow
Wilson, Champ Clark or Harmon
were in town at the time the cause
of the explosion is a mystery.
July 6 is the day which the United
States senate has fixed for taking a
vote on the Lorimer case, and at this
time there is every indication that
the senator will be expelled. With
dogged insistence, however, and con
trary to the advice of his friends, he
to a forlorn hope and refuses
to relax his hold. By his pertinacity
Lorimer has forced too long sessions
at heavy expense to the country and
it is high time that his case were
disposed of. That he is guilty of the
charges preferred against him there
is little doubt.
Chi-clings
The London board of trade,
which is investigating the cause of
the Titanic disaster, may fasten the
blame tor the wreck upon Bruce
Ismay instead of poor old Captain
Smith. Sir Rufus Isaacs, British
attorney general, says that the wire
less dispatch announcing the prox
imity of icebergs was handed to
Ismay in his capacity of managing
director of the White Star line be
cause of its seriousness, and declares
that he should have ordered a slack
ening of speed upon the receipt of
the message. If it can be proven"
that Ismay was actually responsible
he should be given a stiff term in a
penal institution.
Speaking of the work accomplished
at the extra session Governor Eber
hart pertinently remarks:
'Failure to pass a reapportionment
bill is the only offset to the excellent
record of this session. .This failure
must now rest with the legislature.
The senate organization in co-opera
tion with the house reapportionment
committee, which failed to report
the bill to the house until the day
upon which it was confidently ex
pected that the legislature would
adjourn, must bear the responsibility
for its defeat, and the people of the
state will surely place that responsi
bility where it rightfully belongs."
Had the bill been reported out
promptly we have not the least
doubt but that it would have passed
the house, but it was held back and
juggled with until what was sup
posed to be the last working day of
the session, in the interest of a cer
tain candidate for governor, and' theshort
true friends of reapportionment re
fused to stand for such tactics. We
do not believe a fair reapportion
ment bill could have passed the
senate in any event.
$ISi THJC EXTRA sjEssio^rc^mm,
The extra session of the things
seventh legislature enacted more im
portant and far-reaching legislation
in a short space of time than any
previous legislature in the history of
the state. The extra session lasted
just two weeksfrom June 4 to
June 18.
Among the important measures
enacted was a state-wide primary
law with second-choice elimination
feature, a stringent corrupt practices
act, a five per cent railroad gross
earnings tax, ratification of the
federal constitutional income tax
amendment, also the ratification of
the amendment which provides for
the election of United States sena
tors by a direct vote. These were
the most important measures, but
several other good laws were placed
upon the statute books.
I was a harmonious session. The
efforts of a few schemers to stir up
strife over the organization of the
house signally failed.
It is to be regretted that reappor
tionment failed, but no one who was
at all familiar with the situation
imagined for a moment that any
fair reapportionment measure could
be enacted at the special session,
especially when the alleged friends of
reapportionment connived to prevent
action being taken.
Speaker Dunn covered himself
with glory at the extra session. He
was fair to all and he was untiring
in his efforts to expedite business.
Had it not been for his firmness and
diplomacy several of the important
measures would have fallen by the
wayside. For the good work ac
complished at the extra session
Speaker Dunn is entitled to much
credit.
In his annual message to the city
council of Minneapolis Mayor Haynes
defends the police department as
efficient, hints that the vice crusades
were fomented by public service cor
porations as a cover to obtain new
franchises or favorable legislation,
suggests, among other things, that
the electric light and gas plant be
owned and operated by the munici
pality, and declares that, under no
cicrcumstances, will he be a candi
date for mayor or any other office at
the next election. As to the effici
ency of the police department many
people differ with Mr. Haynes, but
he has likely done his best. His poup
sition is an unenviable one, sur
rounded by numerous difficulties,
and it is no surprise that he is anxi
ous to pull from under the load on
his shoulders.
What has become of the so-called
conservation movement and of the
men appointed by the president to
carry the work forward? At one
time everyone was talking "conser
vation" and congresses were held all
over the country which brought
forth no good fruits. The Union
predicted that the movement would
prove a fiasco, and it has.
Legislators Deserve Credit.
I is too bad the legislators could
not get together on an equitable re
apportionment and thus round out
two weeks of more important legis
lative effort than was ever accom
plished in the same length of time in
this state. The members have been
in session less than two weeks, yet
they have accomplished more that is
of prime importance than has been
to the credit of many legislatures in
regular sessions of ninety working
days. Both the senators and repre
sentatives got right down to busi
ness and have wasted little time
since June 4. They have considered
in a broad-minded, business-like
manner problems of national apd
state-wide importance The results
show what might have been done
last winter and set a new mark for
law-makers of the future in the way
of close attention to business.
The
state-wide primary bill
adopted by both branches and sent
to the governor for his signature
should prove satisfactory in practice.
I embodies the important features
that have been adopted in other
states and are designed to insure to
the people the right to dictate the
nominaiton for public offices. The
non-partisan judiciary provision-is a
progressive feature that is certain to
be taken up in other states within a
time. The legislators ratified
the amendments to the Federal
Constitution to provide for election
of United States senators by direct
vote of the people and for a federal
income tax law. They responded to
the need of St. Paul for permission
to issue $600,000 in borkls to carry on
the publie library undertaking, al
though it was not oir the legislative
program. 7\?
The members agreed on a 5 per
cent railway gross earnings tax with
out bickerings or waste of time in
talking to the galleries. They re
pealed the former 4 per cent law and
passed an act directing the tax com
mission to check up on the property
of the railways in the state that
should be listed for taxation on an
ad valorem basis. The senate has
authorized a committee investigation
of the brewery-owned saloons and to
ascertain the extent to which the
breweries are responsible for the
"blind pig" evil.
Altogether the two weeks have
been characterized by diligence and
a serious purpose to do what the
members believe to be desired by
their constituents, and if the two
houses should adjourn without
getting together on a satisfactory
corrupt practices act and should go
home without doing their duty
toward the north part of the state
which wants and is entitled to re
apportionment, the session has been
notably free from the features which
marred the record of the regular ses
sion.Pioneer Press.
OPINIONS OF EDITORS i
Charley May Not Want the Job.
The extia session is making
Charley Warner stronger than ever
with the people up this way. Mr.
Warner represents this district in the
legislature and he does it so well
that the voters will be glad to take a
hand in his re-election next fall.
Walker Pilot.
$-
Reads Like It But Isn't.
The Commoner is beginning to
read like a paper that tavors the
nomination of Woodrow Wilson.
Bryan will hardly speak outright tor
the New Jersey man but he'll not be
at all sorry if the nomination goes to
the state where the skeeters are
thickest.Luverne Journal.
i*
Knox is an A No. 1 Han.
Jackson county, irrespective of
politics,"would be glad of an oppor
tunity to vote tor Hon. T. J. Knox
for governor, or any other high office.
The character assassins would per
haps send out another midnight
letter, but they can't fool the people
the second time.Heron Lake News.
5
Killed by Gordon.
I still remains a tact that re
apportionment was killed in the
last legislature by Lieutenant
Governor Gordon's declaring the
senate adjourned at the final mo
ment when the bill was to be taken
by the senate. Gordon charges
the blame to a clerk having given
him the wrong figures on. the vote
taken on adjournment. The vote
was largely against adjournment,
and Gordon says the clerk reported
it the other way to him. The
clerk is deadso, there you are.
Red Wing Daily Eagle.
Fourth o! July Celebration.
A big celebration will be held at
LaVelle's hall, Blue Hill, on July 4.
A ball game, horse races and foot
races will be among the spoits on
the adjacent grounds. Dancing in
the hall day and night. Best of
music. Fine picnic grounds. Every
body invited to come and enjoy the
day. 26-2tc
A Change.
"Why did you change physicians?'
"I had read all the boobs the otherJ
doctor bad in his waiting room."
Louisville Courier-Journal.
A Midnight Scare.
Knicker Did your wife hear a bur*
flar in the cellar? BockerNo sift
heard a burglarette in the cellarette^
New York Times
Be a philosopher, but amid all yaw
philosophy be still a man Hume.
First Pnb June 20 3t
NOTICE.
Notice is hereby given that the
board of county commissioners of
Mille Lacs county, state of Minne
sota, will receive bids for road work
to be done on State Eoad "So. 3 in
the town of Kathio, said county,
this summer. Said road work con
sists of ditching, grading, turnpik
ing and installing of culverts and
must be done according to the speci
fications and requirements of the
state highway commission. The
plans, profiles and specifications for
said work are now on file in the
office of E. E. Dinwiddie, town clerk
of said town of Kathio, at Vineland,
Minn., and can be examined there
by any prospective bidder. All bids
shall be sealed and filed with the
auditor of said county on or before
the 8th day of July, 1912, on which
day said board of county commis
sioners will meet in regular session
and consider said bids. The success
ful bidder will be required to fur
nish a bond for the faithful perform
ance of the contract, with sureties
to be approved by said board, and
the amount of said bond to be fixed
by said boaTd at the said meeting.
By order of the board of county
commissioners, Mille Lacs County,
Minn. W. C. DOANE,
County Auditor.'"
EXTRA SESSION
MAKES A RECORD
Several Important Laws Enacted
in Brief Space of Time.
CANDIDATES ARE NUMEROUS
Passing of Primary Bill Followed
by Great Rush to Secure
Places on State Ticket.
(Special Correspondence
St. Paul, June 18.One statewide
primary law, a corrupt practices act,
an increase in the railroad gross"
earnings rate, two -federal constitu
tional amendments and nine candi
dates for governor is the record of
the special session of the legislature.
A pretty good line of work for a
trifle over two weeks of steady atten
tion to work, but do not delude your
self into believing that is all. There
is more to come. Candidates will
from now on be the infliction and the
prospects are for the greatest crop in
the history of the state. For the bene
fit of those not in touch with the new
order of things I will say there are
now no fewer than six announced
candidates for the Republican guber
natorial nomination, three more whose
names may figure at any time, two
candidates for secretary of state, at
least that number for each of the two
places in the railroad and warehouse
department and several who are un
decided whether to cast their hats
into the ring for either lieutenant
governor, state treasurer or attorney
general. As things stand, however,
those holding the minor positions who
aspire to renomination have the best
of the argument. They have been
lost sight of in the scramble for the
big job, but such need not be taken
as meaning that they are entirely out
of danger. The new primary law, the
latest addition to Minnesota's list of
things official, puts within the reach
of all every elective job within the
gift of the state and the only thing
necessary is the filing fee. That is
the price and there is not going to be
any lack of bidders. The law, as
passed by the two houses, provides
for a first and second choice and is
novel in other respects As to the
accompanying corrupt practices act,
if it lacks anything "in the way of
"thou shalt not" then its framers have
overlooked a bet.
v*
With six candidates for the Repub
lican gubernatorial nomination now in
the fieldthe last to throw his hat in
the ring was R. Dunn of Princeton
necks are craned to witness the
next comer and if rumors count for
anything the curious will not be dis
appointed. I would not be surprised
if an even ten did not constitute the
list before the next two weeks Here
is the list to date count 'em look
'em over: Adolph O. Eberhart, Man
kato S Y. Gordon, Browns Valley
L. C. Spooner, Morris W. E Lee,
Long Prairie, and last of all R. C.
Dunn of Princeton. In the making is
S. Iverson, present state auditor,
W. B. Douglas and E T. Young
Julius Block, former state treasurer
and now of Duluth, and J. F. Jacob
son of Lac qui Parle, it is said, have
the bee. Could any one ask for more?
R. Dunn's announced fling at the
tid bit, which came last Friday, while
a surprise to some was not unknown
to a number who have been in the
confidence of the old warrior In
clined to lay back and give Governor
Eberhart another nomination, some
thing he figured was fairly sure under
the convention system, the adoption
of the statewide primary changed the
entire order of things. As the old
war horse explained it, "If he lost
there would be no regrets and if he
won, well he would show them some
thing." Mr Dunn declares, however,
that there will be no unholy scramble
on his part for the job. He will file
and that is all. As to his record he
thinks the people are pretty well ac
quainted with him and his past official
services.
Where, you probably ask, is Gov
ernor Eberhart all this time, and Sam
Gordon, he, who it is said, has the
iron country solid, and Bill Lee and
L. C. Spooner, whose candidacy for
Republican standard bearer preceded
that of Mr. Dunn many weeks ago?
For your benefit I will say they aje
very much on the job. Governor
Eberhart has been dividing his time
between the capitol and numerous
commencement exercises throughout
the state, while the other two, when
they were not busy in the legislative
halls, have been trying to chase the
elusive voter through the medium of
headquarters maintained at the Mer
chants hotel. That Governor Eberhart
was -aware that some one would ask
the question, "How about it, old man'"
Was evidenced when he turned his
batteries upon the senate and raked
it fore and aft for what he called frit
tering away valuable time when the
people were demanding results. The
occasion permitted some hot shot for
those senators who have been block
ing legislation and his excellency was
not sparing in its use.
That former Attorney General E T.
Young and State Auditor S. Iver
con have the gubernatorial fever wee
W^^^^'f^lWM^i
evident the first of the week when
friends of both saw I. A. Caswell, the
Roosevelt boomer, with a view of hay
ing him take either of the two on In.
a managerial way. Mr. Young talked
with the clerk of the supreme court
personally. Mr. Caswell, however, re
fused. He declared that he was for
any man other than Governor Eber
hart, but that he would not discrimi
nate in the matter of those after the
governor's scalp. He said he wished
them all luck. Mr. Caswell has gen
erally been credited to the Gordon
candidacy, but he has denied any con
nection beyond that of friendliness
for any man who aspires to oust Gov
ernor Eberhart. Mr. Young's connec
tion with the railroad rate cases is
looked upon as in his favor. A.s to
Mr. Iverson no one discounts his abil
ity to make trouble if he gets into the
game, for if those on the inside have
it right xhe has an organization that
is about as good as any in the state.
Both Mr. Young and Mr. Iverson are
now in the state's employ, the latter
as auditor and the former as one at
the state's attorneys in the rate cases
It has so far netted him about $20,000
in salaries.
Swatting the railroads is always
popular, even if the people do have tc
pay the bill in the end, something that
was shown during the special session
of the legislature when both bodies
almost unanimously passed the bill
increasing the gross earnings rate
from 4 to 5 per cent. Only two mem
bers of the house voted against it.
strange to say, however, there was nc
railroad lobby as of old on hand tc
combat the increase and the com
mittee hearings little in opposition
was heard. This absence of opposi
tion has cauged quite a few to sit up
and take notice, and there are some
who hint that the increase is wanted
by the roads who desire it for future
litigation. It might be possible, they
say, that it would come in handy in
the present rate suits as evidence of
an added burden suffered by the
roads. It was only by hard work on
the part of the legal department and
others interested in a victory for the
state in the rate suits that a similar
obstruction, the proposed distance
tariff, was headed off at the last regu
lar session of the legislature.
While it is hardly likely that the
present legislature will interfere in
any way with the insurance affairs of
the Modern Woodmen, which have re
sulted in a factional difference that
threatens the disruption of the order
in the state, it is pretty certain that
the next regular session will see some
strong laws covering the matter of
fraternal insurance. The fight now
on in the Woodmen is because of an
increase in the rates by the national
organization, which is resented by
hundreds of the local policy holders.
Both factions were represented at the
session of the legislature last week
and the fight was quite bitter. For
years the state has been tightening
its grip on matters in an insurance
way compelling rates that were fair
to both company and policy holder,
but sentiment and a reluctance to in
terfere because of its home nature
has been responsible for the state
keeping its hands off the fraternals.
The present controversy has shown
that this is wrong and it is sure to be
corrected at the next session. The
rates in many of the fraternals are
considered entirely too low for safety.
Superintendent Whittier of the Red
Wing training school, who was finally
compelled to resign because of the
activities of a number of clubwomen
who alleged cruelties to those in his
charge, can now sympathize with
Judge McPherson of the district fed
eral court. The judge, whose regular
residence is Omaha, is now under fire
because of a sentence imposed by
him on a "white slaver" which the
women say was so lenient as to be a
disgrace. The prisoner received
three months and a fine of $1,000. The
whole thing so angered the women
that they appealed to the St. Paul
officials and now the prisoner faces
rearrest after he finishes his present
sentence. It is great stuff for the St.
Paul papers and they have been de
voting columns to airing the griev
ances of the women, but no one so far
has thought it worth his while to say
something for the wife and six chil
dren at Chicago anxiously awaiting
the return of a husband and father.
Whether they have "eats" in plenty
or are starving does not seem to have
a place in the controversy.
Unlike those on the Republican
Side of the house the state Democracy
does not seem to be concerning itself
regarding the coming fight for place.
P. M. Ringdahl of the state board of
control is most talked of in connec
tion with the gubernatorial nomination
and there is some talk of running Pro
fessor Andrist of the state univer
sity. Andrist, it is said, has the 1e
had, but Mr. Ringdahl is not so keen.
Both have decided views regarding
things progressive. With the expect
ed fight on in the Republican ranks
for practically every office on the list
and the disturbed political atmos
phere generally this would look like a
good year for the unwashed, but they
refuse to be disturbed. I have a
hunch, though, that several of the
leaders, among them F. B. Lynch of
St. Paul, are watching things more
closely than some think.
The new gross earnings bill bears
the names of Representatives Warner
of Aitkin and Rines of Mora. It is
the same bill introduced by Repre
sentative Spooner at the last session.
THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN.-f^
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