Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-06-06
CubernatorIal and Senatorial.

GubernatorIal and Senatorial.
Oshkosh Northwestern: The Mil.
waukee correspondent of The Chica-
go Record Herald discusses briefly
present political situation in this
state with particular reference to the
fractional problems in the Republican
party. 1t touches IL point which
sooner or later was sure to confront
councils in this state, and that is the
bearing Of the next senatorial cam
palgn upon the gubernatorial cam
paign which directly proceeds it.
This question, however, does not
begin here and now. 1t began the
moment Il primary election bill was
introduced IN the legislature. Nor
was it begun then by the supporters
of that measure and the friends of
Governor LaFollette, The principle
involved in the primary election
proposition was injected into state
politics on its own merits and long
before the senatorial succession was
thought Of. 1t had no reference to
any future senatorial prospects. 1t
could not have. Because Of the rea-
son that when the people are given
the opportunity to nominate candi-
dates for the legislature by direct vote
every candidate for senatorial honors
would stand an equal chance before
the people. If there was any advan-
tage to accrue to any aspirant for
be to him who stood foremostly
prominent as the best fitted and
most acceptable candidate for United
States senator. If, as the ardent sup
porters of Senator Spooner contend,
he is the popular choice for re-elec-
ton, and head and shoulders above all
other aspirants in ability, experience
and ripened Judgment, then, Of
course, n primary election law would
have stood TO his advantage over any
man or men who could have entered
the arena. The friends of Senator
Spooner have stultifed theirown est
innate of his popularity and standing
in the state by insisting that t, allow
the people to directly nominate
their own candidates for the legisla-
ture, without permitting machine
politicians TO dominate caucuses and
conventions, would be to defeat Mr..
Spooner for reelection.
But, the primary election bin was
introduced because the state had
given large Republican plurality
ON that as one the issues, and not
with any view to its effect upon par
ticular candidates for the United
states senate. There was no dispCsi-
ton ON the part of the friends and
supporters OF that measure TO drag
into II senatorial questions. In fact
there was uo such question 70 drag
into it, The first 10 openly and pub |
licly inject the senatorial question |
into the primary election contest was
The Milwaukee sentinel, which IL
nally raised the howl that this bin |
was intended to defeat the return Of
Senator Spooner To the senate. Pre-
viously it was privately suspected, if |
not positively known, that the two
senators Of the state had arrayed |
their influence against the primary |
election proposition. As the article
of The kecord-lierald says, had SEN
ator Spoouer been out OF the way
there would have been primary
election bill passed, and probably
much as it first came from the hands
OF the assembly committee. And
the correspondent well states the
situation when he says it was a
senseless panic. 1t was unnecessary
fright on ~pooner's account, mixed
with factional determination to