The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-03
MINNESOTA POLITICS


Primary Election Law May Cause Trouble
four Judge Baxter OF Fergus Falls
Younger Parole Biii. Charged to Gov
ernor Van sant-clty Election With
PostoffIce as stakes-v asaIy May Run
for the Senate. i.
The primary election lazy still applies to
district judges, as the legislature refused
to change It in that particular last Win
ter. This may cause quite disturbance
In the seventh Judicial district, which has
heretofore held firmly for a nonpartisan
Judiciary. Judge T.. L. Baxter of Fergus
Falls, who Is a democrat comes up for
| reelection next year, and already there
is talk Of a republican. candidate against
him. F.. A. Lindberg Of Little Falls and
| John w. Mason of Fergus Falls have been
spoken of In that connection, The st.
Cloud Journal Press reports that round
robin has been circulated among the att
torneys of the district favorable to a
| change. The Sank Center Herald rides
roughshod over those who are plotting
Judge BaXter's retirement, saying IN part:
| Judges sSearle and Baxter We're Sc.
lected originally for their recognized fit
ness. and certainly their years of honor
| able service have not made them less
competent. Both are in the, full vigor of
splendid mental and physical manhood.
They are exceptionally well equipped by
| legal learning, ripe experience and public
confidence to fulfil the duties which so
nearly and vitality touch the very founda-
tions of society. Judge Bakers term
| will expire with thea next calendar year,
l and the Herald does not hesitate to say
| that it would more than criminal, it would
be inexcusably stupid, to- name. any other
I, than himself as his successor. The judi,
ciary is above and beyond partisan consid-
| eration--and to drag the ermine thru the
S1o,s
| disresnect for law which too often finds
expression in red handed anarchy. This
/ may be strong language, but none too
vigorous for the occasion which prompts
i it. 1t is not to be wondered at that the
i cowardly; resort Of the round robin be
Iemployed-ff such an effort be made 1t
fis a clear indicatio that no man in the
district has the tenlerity to head the list.
One thing, however, must be borne In
mind-every signatory attorney will be
marked by the people iof the district who
] will with one consent declare the ermine
I is not for him. rs 9s ,~tt h 81
4 That ought to hold them for a while.
Just the same, there is nothing: to pre-
vent nyiman In the district from fling
as the republican candidate for the
4 judgeship, and if only one man files, his
name will go on the general election bal
4 lot. Judge Baxter will either have to go
on as the democratic candidate, or else
renounce his politics and declare himself
Il a republican. The, chances, are that he
would win even as a democrat, but it
will be a presidential Near, and the dis
!; trict is strongly republican, so stranger
. things might happen than his defeat
4 The primary law ought not to apply to
judgeship nominations. D.
. With Characteristic. unfairness, the
;. Mortified News weaYes into an article
on Cole Younger's career a n1issta tement
I about Governor Van. SAINT saying that
: the governor succeeded in securing leg
4 islation that made it. possible to liberate
tthe Youngers.'' The most ardent advo-
Gates Of the parole bill never claimed that
the governor had taken any stand upon
it, and as a member Of the board of
E pardons he could not have done so with
q propriety. The legislature passed the pa
, role bill with. special reference to the
I Youngers, and it came, as an order to the
/ board of. pardons, III authorizing the
IL parole, they were onB carrying outsSthe
expressed will of the legislature
It is saswonder theNews has not charged
s Governor Van SAINT with the wet sum
v mer. There would be just as much sense
q in it, and it would serve as well to illus
4 ernor with fairness at Any time. IS
s@s! 4e75 ks2sssssf aS
Thief River Falls is having an exciting
IA rnayoralty contest to day; with the post
: 4
Il the present mayor, wants the IOstoffice
d and Ira C. Richardson, whose term as
vi postmaster soon expires, does not wan
y. him to have 1t. Hei is endeavoring tt
show his greater strength with the 4peopls
. of the town by beating Kratka for mayer
| Sam Fullerton has been made an issue ir
the contest, but he denies giving eithe
one of them a permit to snare voters.
--H.s,s IL,
S Democrats in; the forty eighth senator,
ial district talk of running Charles Il
Vasaly, the able editor of the Little Fall
J. Herald, for the senatorial vacancy mex
is year. The republicans will nominate
h Brainerd man. probably John c. Frater
J. 4 They will nominate two Morrison count,
= men for the house, probably T. w. Boucl
a and H. A. Rider, who were in I've las
if legislature, and the democrats will nom
;, mate two from Crow Wing county Col
O'Brien and Charles johnson are proba
q bilities, according to the Brainerd Tribune
"a James A. Larson is3not going to leay
= Redwood county after all. He has bough
- a farm near Walnut Grove, and will sti
1T make his home there. According to tn
j, Lamberton Star, it iss still possible tina
~ he Will be candidate for railroad an
:. warehouse commissioner. Any more GU
II in the seventh district? .@sa
r. Senator Clapp is home from a can1Da ie,
20 tour in Ohio, where he did woman ser
vice for Mark Hanna, Myron r. Herric
q and the rest Of the republican ticket. II
IL declares that there is no doubt about tn
4 result to-day. The republicans will wi
q Hfanus down. Charles B. Cheney
: : = III =, ---