The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1911-03-23
STATE LEGISLATURE
Representative Klemer Makes Ground
less Charges Which Bring
Storm of DenunciatiOn.
Senate Passes the Putnam Bill Which
Provides for the Election of
NOnpartisan Judiciary.
Unions Special Correspondence.


nuendo, and an unbridled use of the
right to wallow in the slime of muck
raking by suggestion, brought on a
spirited scene in the house of repre-
sentatives Wednesday morning. In
auenced by the free use of the muck
faking pen, and possibly exercised by
failure to get the committee appoint
ments he may have wished, Represen-
tative Klemer made charges against
the speaker and house organization
OF a nature which brought upon him a
Storm of disapproval, resulting in his
promise to apologize later.
It is not intended here to charge
Representative Klemer with the Of
lenses mentioned above. His offense
was merely leaning towards uncalled
For statements made by men and writ
ers who fail to properly recognize the
dignity and responsibility OF their
calling.
Mr.. Klemer may Or may not have
been sincere when be charged that the
committees of the house are packed
in the interest of the interests - The
Important thing is that the house has
been submitting to charges of a SINH
lar character from amateur muck rak-
ors who have been defling the public
press and abusing the confidence OF
readers by wild charges, insinua-
tions and attacks, based upon no facts,
substantiated by no evidene and war;
Hanted only by an avid desire to seek
notoriety-a longing that has always
been the weakness and bane of dis
tempered and immature minds.
!. !. i.
It is probably good thing that
Idr. Klemer made his charge on the
floor of the house, for it induced the
house members to remember they had
their self-respect to sustain. Wild
and unsubstantiated reports made in
the public press could not we'll be OBJ
served by the house members, for to
do so would be merely exaggerating
bhe attention that might be paid to as
sassins of character who have been
abusing the privilege which the house
gives them, as alleged newspaper rep
resentatives, to observe it's proceed
ings. But a charge made on the floor
OF the house by house member is a
different thing. Representative
Klemer has not especially dis
tinguished himself in the house before.
lie has won reputation which will at
least give him some notoriety and
shat may possibly be gratifying. The
manner in which Speaker Dunn is re-
garded by the house members was
shown conclusively when the state
n1ent was made. Members arose in
every section Of the house and de-
manded an apology. It furnished
Representative Congdon of Duluth an
opportunity to indulge in scathing
speech on the ''mouth holiness'' of
certain people. 1t furnished R. G.
Dunn an opportunity to express his
Indignation over the dastardly charge
made against the speaker. It also
gave Mr.. Klemer an opportunity to
wake up after brief Rip Van Wrinkle
and further opportunity to promise
an apology before leaving the house
for the afternoon.
Inc speaker came out Of the affair
with great credit. Speaker Dunn is
known to be man of high spirit, un-
impeachable courage and DISPOSE
bion to defend himself if attacked.
Yet, under the trying circumstances,
he conducted himself with dignity and
pOise. He made it clear that, if he
we're not speaker, he would resent the
charge in a manner that would allow
no doubt as to the way he felt about
jhe insult to himself and to the digni-
ty and character of the house.. He
even intimated that unless an apology
were made he would show his resent
ment at a later time, eff he had the
mental and physical vigor to do it. I"
The house insisted upon the appoint
ment of committee of three to inves-
tigate the incident, and the speaker
appointed r. G.. Dunn, Louis c.
Spooner and Albert Pfaender. A
motion by Clinton Robinson of
Winona that the committee be made
seven instead of three did not even re-
ceive second.
:,
Ihe fact of the matter is that in his
appointment of the committees
Speaker Dunn has been so eminently
fair that ha has loanaa