The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1907-01-24

two years hence, and if he runs in the
state like he did in Otter Tail County
the republicans will have to steal
his late campaign manager in order
to win.
There may be something doing in
the House in the way of developing
statesmen also. What said in re-
gard to old members in the senate
applies with still greater force in the
House. w. A. Nolan, Rockne, Hugo,
Wells, Tighe and the old leaders have
shot their bolt and are not in it any
longer as state leaders, but there is
wealth of new members that are
promising material.
The efforts put forth to keep Jonn
r. Howard off the railroad committee
has made him prominent. The only
bar is his age, but Howard seems to
grow younger with advancing years.
He is an experienced legislator al
though serving his first term. He is
probably better posted on matters
pertaining to transportation than any
other man in the legislature and if he
gets busy, as he is liable to do before
the session closes, he will soon &C.
quire state wide reputation.
L. c. Spooner of Morris, chairman
of the railroad committee, looms into
prominence. He is a noted lawyer
and vigorous speaker. He has been
in times past considered corporation
man, but he took advanced ground
in his campaign speeches last fall.
One trouble with him is that he has
wobbled a good deal in his political
faith in times past, but we will see
what we will see, and l predict he will
either make a great SUCCESS or a
dismal failure this winter with chances
very largely in favor of his being a
success.
1t would be we'll not to overlook
Lawrence Johnson, the speaker. So
far he has been Medium" but it is
heap better to start moderately and
increase than it is to make a great
splurge in the beginning and peter
out. Johnson's friends predict he
will grow. Maybe so, maybe not.
Time alone can tell.
There is big bunch of promising
colts in both branches whom space
forbids my mentioning in this COM
munication but / will keep my eyes
on the kids and if any of them show
any extraordinary bursts of speed 1
will inform the Herald.
In the way of legislation so far
there has not been much doing. The
resolution appropriating money to
pay legislative expenses passed with
out serious opposition. There has
been a remarkable absence of freak
bills so far. No one as yet has in
troduced any legislation specifically
outlining what men shall smoke,
chew, eat, drink, wear or how they
shall get married, but these will pro-
badly develope later on.
There has been a perfect avalanche
of demands for an increase of salaries.
The Faculty of the state university,
normal schools, all state institutions,
state officers want their pay raised.
Increased cost of living" is giving
as reason for the demand. One old
farmer member from the northern
part of the state was heard to remark.
"That the cost of living has increased
nightly, but by jings, it increases
just as dumb fast for the tax payers
who pay the salaries as it does for
the fellers who draws the salaries"
There is a lot of wisdom in that re-
mark. Increased pay does not always
mean increased efficiency. The best
soldiers in the world we're the "Boers."
Twenty thousand of them held the
greatest power on earth at bay for two
years, yet they served for nothing and
boarded themselves. Whether salaries
should be increased or not is a
matter 1 do not care to discuss. I
presume that it might be wise move,
but it seems to me that candidate
for office who expects to vote to raise
his own salary should state on the
stump 81 am a candidate for the
office of congressman, judge, state
senator or county auditor as the case
may be. 1 think the salary for this
Office is inadequate. Immediately
after my election I will start a
campaign to have it raised" l have
heard some wild, weird and woody
campaign pledges made by candi-
dates in my time, but never heard
candidate declare he would work for
an increase of salary before election.
Funny isn't it that man never dis
covers the meagerness of the salary OF
a position until after he receives his
certificate of election thereto.
And there is more or less state and
national politics floating around in the
atmosphere. The reports say that Mr..
McCleary and Gilbert Guttersen who
waged such a hot fight in the second
district for the republican nomination
will butt up against each other again
in the next campaign. II they do no