The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-26
What Other PEOPLE Think
Geography and the speakership.
TO the Editor Of The Journal.

Z ~
The Pioneer Press and. I believe.
your columns, contained a newsitem on
Friday last TO the following purport:
One of the candidates for thesssppaker-
ship left the Merchants hoE e1en thurs
day afternoon with hefexuressed inten-
ton Of returning to his home. Instead
of doing this, he went somewhere else,
secured the written pledge of mem
ber-elect,. whose adherence had been
matter of doubt, returned to the Mer-
chants hotel long enough to exhibit the
writing in triumph to his crestfallen
rivals, and then again started on his
way. conquering and to conquer
know the man who is credited with
this enterprise as a man of character
and good standing, and for this reason
| do not believe the story. But if it is
method of campaigning for The speak
ership amounts to and leads0to. For
all that appears, the 81 member-elect,
whose vote thus corraled is regarded
as great prize. has not made his choice
after investigations as to the gSslnpara-
tive fitness of the candidates. this de-
clslon,. therefore, has no significance
merit. But it was felt of vital impor-
lance that he should be in the crowd
where he has landed-not because he is
man of such influence and good iudg-
ment that others will attach weight to
his opinion, but because he lives in the
same congressional district as the can
aldate who has got his vote. 'Ehe fair
was the main reason why his vote was
SO eagerly sought and the main plea on
which it was secured.
Could anythingS sbe. sillier? Why
should 1T be recited in the newspapers
that Mr.. Hugo is strong as a candidate
because ne has the unanimous vote of
the eighth congressional district be-
Gacy- has an element of weakness in
that some members Of the Hennepin
county. delegation do not support hims
what has that got to do with the prob
!emY There is nesnossible reason why,
II there were a candidate from Stew.
ems county. member from Yellow Med
1clne county. who had never seen him
into voting Tor him simply because they
have the same congressman. 5 And, BY
the same token, if the members from
Duluth are for Mr.. Hugo, simply be-
cause he lives in Duluth, every other
locality should be against him and in
favor of it's own candidate for the
same reason, and no speaker could ever
be elected.
I don It know who invented this stvle
OF political partnership, but it is prob
ably the asinine product Of the stupid
brain of some stupid politician of the
tertiary period. No such system OBJ
tains anywhere else than in Minnesota
as far as | know.
1t appears to me that the way to
| conduct a speakership campaign, where
all the candidates are honest men, as
they are In the present instance, is
for each Of the candidates to spread
among the members. all the Informal
ton he can about himself, not to prom
Use them patronage in exchange for
support and not to undertake to pledge
them, either in writing or by word of
mouth. At the end, think a ballot
should be taken with the same sacred
secrecy as the present election laws
throw around the general elections.
Every member will thus be at liberty
| to vote as he pleases, and as a free
man, the speaker chosen will not know
who are his friends and who his enc
| mics, committees and clerkships will
| be awarded for fitness and not as re-
| wards to the victorious faction. and
| the legislature will be equipped to dis
| patch public business to the full meas
| ure of the ability of it's members
[ ask The. urnaI. which
stands for the better things in public
| life, to cooperate in DESTROYING the old
| Fashioned system of selecting a speaker
| and in establishing one which can be
defended on the score of intelligence
and reason. Ambrose Tighe,
! st. Paul, Nov. "a, 1906.