The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1909-02-25
WORK OF THE S0L0NS
Primary Law Will Remain Virtually
as it is for at Least a Period
of Two Years Longer.
d. A. Stuart of Window Introduces
Bill to Tax All Incomes Which
Exceed $1,000 Year.

Exceed $1,000 Year.
Unions Special Correspondence
St. Paul, February 81. Minnesota
will have to endure it's primary law
for two more years. One thing, how
ever, those opposed to the law can
rest assured of, it will not be extended
so as to include state officers. There
may be some slight amendments, but
in the main the law will be allowed to
remain as it is. This has been de-
cided upon by subcommittee of the
house committee on elections which,
after considering the relief bills in
its possession, decided to report the
majority of them adversely. Ole
Peterson's bill to repeal the entire law
was sent to the discard first, and after
that came half dozen measures de-
signed to extend the law to state
officers. The only primary election
bills to receive favorable considera-
ton we're those compelling parties to
have certain percentage of the vote
cast at the previous election before
being allowed representation at the
regular election. These bills are for
the purpose of preventing one party
from participating in the primaries of
another.
One has to be resident of the Twin
Cities to appreciate the position of
the legislators in the matter of the
repeal or improvement of the state
primary law. Unless it be the Pioneer
Press, which looks upon the law as the
very embodiment of cheap farce, there
is not a paper in the two cities but
what is ready to pour the Walls of it's
wrath on the head of the legislator
who dares to even mention repeal, and
what that means to the average house
member or senator it is not necessary
&c, point out here. He is subjected to
every sort of ridicule and is lam
pooned in picture and print to an ex-
sent that is hurtful. he simply can
not help himself. In this world self
preservation is one of the first laws
OF nature and those conversant with
politics know what that means. In the
case of the Twin City politicians the
repeal of the primary law would come
pretty near being suicide for them
They have learned it's ms and outs,
and to return to the convention system
would mean temporary retirement from
official life until they had learned the
new. In st. Paul r. T. O'Connor
would be lost without the primary law,
while in the case of Minneapolis it
would be case of Jim Haynes and
his cohorts taking TO the woods. The
law looks nice on paper, but it has
been dismal failure as far as reform
is concerned.
[ have it from John Dalzell Of
Morton that practically all the revenue
measures in charge Of the house tax
committee, Of which he is chairman,
will be reported out by the last of the
week. This includes the Bjorge ton
mage tax and those bills providing for
an increase in the gross earnings tax
rate Of the steam railways Of the state
In the matter of the tonnage tax
measures there is little to say. Public
hearings we're given last Friday and
Tuesday and at each indisputable ar
guments we're offered in opposition.
The chief arguments against a ton
mage tax were made by r. G. Dunn of
Princeton and c. A. Congdon of
Duluth. Mr.. Congdon's argument
was one of the gems of the session and
has been preserved in book form.
Points we're made that had never been
raised before and they we're convinc-
ing. Down here the opinion is general
that the tonnage tax bills will not pre-
vail. It is said that there is a ma
jority of three on the tax committee
against the proposition.
The latest in railroad Hobbies fell
down miserably the early part of the
week, when it failed to convince the
house that the Campbell bill, calling
for twice-a-month payment of
salaries, and the senate headlight bill
should not pass. In each case the bill
prevailed, and that by substantial
majorities. The old time railroad
lobby has been conspicuous by it's alb
sence this session, it's place being
taken by what is known as the Mime
sofa Railway Employees association.
The association is composed of rail
road men and the work Of it's members,
so far as the legislator is concerned.
has been to importune the members of
the two legislative bodies to vote for
and against this and that railway
measure. That its work might be all