The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-23
MINNESOTA POLITICS
Arguments For and Against Judge Col
llns' Retirement from the Rench--The
IneIiglbIe" Argument Taken Serious
In Some Quarters herburne coun.
ty Fighting Ground.

The Albert Lea Times, after eulogy
of Judge Collins as candidate, says
The outcome Of the contest may be.
determined largely by the policy pursued
by Mr.. Collins with reference to his po
sition ON the bench. It is felt by many
that he should not continue on the bench r
longer than the end Of the present term
which Is in February, for the reason that
he cannot do justice to the duties of judge
and to the cause which he champions as
a candidate for governor at the same time.
Whether Mr.. Collins will resign from the /
bench he has not yet announced, but 1T is
earnestly hoped that he will do so. In any
event. the Collins candidacy for the re-.
publican nomination is most formidable at
this time, and with wise and aggressive I
management 1t should receive the support
OF majority of the delegates at the re-
publican state convention next summer. "
The only argument on the other side Of I
the proposition that has appeared Is in |
the Sleepy Eye Dispatch which says that /
IF Collins does resign he will make the |
biggest mistake of his political life. He
will then be the deadest duck in the
puddle-too dead to even pull a chestnut
out of the political fire.
Without stopping to discuss the posi-
bility of a duck pulling chestnuts from the
fret can only say that, with this one
exception, both friends and foes of the
judge agree that he should resign.
IL lS IlOL essential THAT lie
resign this year. He is needed on the
bench this term. as Chief Justice Start
is i'll and the work is thrown more heav-
lily on the other four, Judge Collins being
the ranking judge.
There is just one political argument
against the resignation. Governor Van
SAINT would have to appoint successor,
and there would be good many aspirants
for the place All the disappointed ones
would charge their failure to Judge Col
Inns dictation, and the appointment might
hurt his candidacy more than It would
help. All the other arguments lead to
the conclusion that the judge will have
to resign before he can show his full
strength as a. candidate.
A few newspapers have taken seriously
the attempt to show that Judge Collins is
not. eligible for the governorship. The
Duluth Herald, strange to say, swallowed
the silly story, and the Bemidji Pioneer
comments on it gravely, and says:
The Pioneer is convinced that the
people of the state desire to make Robert
G. Dunn Of Princeton the next governor
OF the state and that they do we'll to so
desire. But we would not for one moment
| take a mean advantage Of Judge Col
Inns or any other candidate. He may be-
eligible despite the facts stated above,
altho the case appears to be very plain
one. we await with interest the explana-
ton which Judge Collins must now make
| Doesn't Editor Hitchcock see that the
| supreme court never ruled on the "con-
t1nuance In office" clause? The Sutton
decision was on the section prohibiting
members of the legislature from holding
other office during the term for which
| tney We're elected" One clause permits
of a resignation and acceptance Of another
1 office; the other does not.
| . /. LTD - 81 . ?
The Madelia Times Messenger has been
heard from on the governorship. It SAYS:
The announcement OF the candidacy of
Judge Collins for the governorship has
caused considerable stir In political circles.
1T is generally conceded that Mr.. Collins
orally popular than any one so far men.
toned
The Evansville Enterprise. from UP in
douglas county, says; ssri
:. 1T is quite generally conceded, that
Judge L. w. Collins viii he the successful
candidate for Minnesota's next governor
In his announcement Judge Collins steps
boldly out onto Governor Van SAINTS plat
form, which means victory if he maintains
his position. "
The Fergus Falls Free Press, edited by
: 81. SaWbridge, who isl deputy oil in
spector or something under the state ad
m1nistration, takes a Dunn view of the
situation. saying:
while there are now three candidates
before the people, we can safely say thai
Mr.. Eddy will only receive some Of the
applause of the occupants of the CRANE
! stand, but very few of their votes. Leav.
ing out Of consideration our own prefer
ence,s II we have any, between Bob Dunr
and Judge Collins, we do not hesitate tt
!. say that the conditions at pres
ent are largely in favor of tn,
nomination nc Of Mr.. Dunn. Time
5 tons; but unless it is proven that MI
Dunn has been and still Is in favor Of tn
merging Of the Great Northern and North
ern Pacific roads, he will in all .probabilit,
remain the leading candidate to the en-,
and will land the nomination."
The Park Rapids Clipper expresses it
self as follows on the situation:
Judge Collins Of st. Cloud Is again
3 candidate for the republican nomination
for governor. No one will say that tn
:, judge would not make Minnesota a goo
governor, but he has not and never ca
9 ! have what Bob Dunn has-the perfec
, confidence and esteem of the people, wo
: thru personal touch and association wit
2 them. Judge Collins will cut no tigur
{, whatever so long as he retains his positio
+ on the bench, as until he has some conf
Fl AS41SS III las OWIl CdHuludCy inc people WI
a have none whatever
q The Browns Valley Tribune which ha
been shouting for Eddy, observes:
:. ut is the field against Dunn, who, thr
g his persistent silence, has come to be rec
a ognized as the merger candidate. It wi
. be possible for the Eddy and Collins SUP
= porters to unite, as those two candidate
y have taken common ground on irnportar
:, public questions, but a Dunn and Eddy {
, a Dunn and Collins combination Is nc
: probable. Whether Judge Collins or Fran
e Eddy will make the more Roadway frol
s this time on is a question only to /
guessed. Certain it is that Judge Collr
will be more or less handicapped so Ion
as he remains on the supreme court bencl
but should he resign in February, as "
understand is his intention and pushe
a vigorous personal campaign, his chance
Z Of success will not be meager by an
means
The Sherburne County Times, puhlishe
= at Clear Lake, disagrees with Editor Dal
of Elk River, and comments on Be
Dunn's signed statement as follows:
THAT part of the statement regardi,
delegates is rather strong Judge Collin
has hosts of friends all over the state ar
we predict that he will capture fe
delegates besides those from s'tearns. o,
own county has always stood by the juds
Dunn, the western portion is equal
strong for Collins. Altho the election
nearly a year ahead and the conventit
will not be called for nearly six month
the fight seems to be on, whether II
Il peor)Ie wish IL or not n would fherefor