Morris tribune., 1910-03-25

| WlGn more Q0ClQGQ views. NO QOuDt
DR.. Cole has considered that phase OF
the subject before committing himself
even thus far.
DR.. Gates of Kenyon, who is also a
candidate for this office, is in a way
conducting an aggressive enough cam
paign. The doctor has been in politics
good while. All that time he has
been more or less prominent. The
last two campaigns especially so. He
knoWns the active politicians of the
State pretty we'll and has some skill
in making combinations. Upon his
facility in this respect have no doubt
he relies to considerable extent. At
all events he is careful to avoid Great
ing unnecessary antagonisms. There
is good deal when it comes to getting
a nomination from a convention in
the kind of organization one is able to
effect. On this account, if for no
! other, I would regard DR.. Gates as
quite an important factor in an inter-
esting contest for lieutenant govern
or's office. He is altogether likely to
develop more strength than he will be
given credit for.
am inclined to the opinion that
falling to secure the control of the Re-
publican convention, as may well
happen the situation being what it is,
the county option people will make
decided effort to secure nomination
to this Office which will be satisfactory
to them. They may properly regard
it as only second in importance to
that of governor. They are quite 9r-
tain to have formidable minority of
delegates to the convention. With
these, if they are under any kind of
I control, or direction, much may be
accomplished. 1t has already been
reported, however, that Mr.. Jacob
son, who is regarded as one of the
county option leaders, has signified
an intention to support DIR. Cole. OF
course if the temperance leaders agree
with him in this, and the doctor has
also the support of Governor Eber-
hart's managers, and the indications
are that he has, his nomination is al
ready as good as made. There is,
however, strong probably that 9th
er temperance leaders will decline to
follow Mr.. Jacobson in this. In case
they have no concerted program they
might as well give up the campaign
now. The only way for them to win
anything for their cause is to work to-
gether.
In connection with the llage cleo
tions, note that the twin city papers
have altogether failed to grasp the
real merit of the decision of the at
torney generals Office in regard to
what constitutes vote in favor of or
against license. 1t has been announc-
ed that the attorney general decided
that where the vote is a tie it is
against license. This is by no means
all there is to the decision which was
written by Mr.. Peterson, the assistant
attorney general, whose opinions al
ways carry weight. The real meat of
his decision is that to make a town
wet clear majority of all the voters
who voted at an election must have
voted for license. In other words, Ii
cense must have majority of all the
votes cast.
Thus, in the case of the village of
Osakis, it went dry in spite of the |
fact that there were 130 votes for Ii
cense and only 12O votes against it.
In this case Mr.. Peterson ruled that
Osakis went dry for two reasons: first,
that license did not have a majority |
of the total vote as cast on village of.
fcers; second that ten blank votes
cast for license made it tie an / |
therefore license failed.
I am told that according to this de-
cision about fifteen villages have gone
dry which it was assumed at first
would have the right to issue licenses.
Complaints continue to come in to
the attorney generals Office of the
nom enforcement of liquor laws in
Minnesota towns and villages, espe-
cially in Northern Minnesota. There