The Sauk Centre herald., 1911-01-12
WtffLS GO ROUND
Legislative Min Begins to Grind
Biennial Grist
TWO HOUSES ORGANIZE
Frank N. Eddy Tells About it in his
Characteristic and Original
Style

Style
(St. Paul Special to the Herald Jan. 81
They're off! The thirty-seventh ses-
sion of the Minnesota legislature has
started the biennial llaw-making grind.
The curtain raiser was the republican
caucus or rather the republican ''rati-
fcation meeting"
They don't hold caucuses any more.
The old time method of waiting un-
til the members assembled and then
calling them into caucus and passing
on the merits of the various candi-
dates has passed into innocuous dis
Quietude and these matters are all
settled weeks in advance of the meet
ing of the legislature by steering
committees" and district meetings, /"
SO that the formal caucus is nothing
more than an official ratification of
the pre-arranged division of the spoils.
Every officer had been practically
agreed upon down to the chaplain.
One would think there would never
be scramble for this office. For
reyered gentlemen to electioneer for
this position seems like hawking the
gospel in the market-places, still there
are always as many candidates for
this position as any other ifSnot more.
| The solons, in both houses, are
rather particular who prays for them
and are mighty finnicky about their
qualifications. They are always seek
ing man who will pray short, and if
it is possible to find one they want a
preacher who has never had much to
do with either religion or politics.
This would be all right if the chap
lainS only duty was to pray for the
Legislature, any old kind of a chaplain
could do that, but he should also take
it upon himself to pray for .~ss''o'l'
while legislature is in ses--
T.ais fs1is men most devout, fer.
vent inkspirit, serving the Lord, one
who will wrestle in prayer and yield
not until he has received a blessing.
Julius Schmahl opened the house
session with great dignity and res
onant voice. Julius just loves to
throw that voice of his around through
space and no one blames him if it is
a good one. AS an "opener" julius is
in a class by himself. He can open
anything from Jackpot to q legis-
lature with debonnaire grace equal
led by few and surpassed by none.
w. H. Dunn was placed in nomina.
tion for speaker by Representative
Mckenzie in ''piece and prosperity
speech. Albert Pfaender was named
by the democrats and Representative
Sulurud was designated as the choice
of the prohibitionists. The election
was not exciting, Mr.. Dunn proving
a hot favorite aud distancing the field.
Looming above the escort committee
like lighthouse he took possession
of the speakers desk.
Mr.. Dunn is little shy on legisla-
tive experience but he started in
''speakering" as if he had never done
anything else all his life. He won
the hearts of all and gave an earnest
of future performance by refraining
from making speech and beginning
at once on the business before the
house, and the remaining officials
were speedily elected.
They say the speaker resembles
Lincoln, and he does; that is, his legs
look like Lincoln's did, and there the
comparison ends. AS "Riney" says in
isis Hopkins, ""Nature never created
but one Abraham Lincoln" This is
true; the moulds were broken and
there never will be another. Lincoln
was the great, unapproachable cham
pion of the worlds commonalty, a
landmark to Americas yet unborn
generations, an ideal that many will
strive to attain but none will ever
reach.
|
Mr.. Dunn, however, can stand on
his own merits, without looking like
anybody. He is practical hard
headed lawyer. He won the largest
damage verdict from railroad com
pany ever secured in this state in a
llegaAcontest with the best lawyers in
the nation. He has shown marked
fairness in the selection of his com
mittees and clearly demonstrated his
fitness for the position his colleagues
have honored him with, but it does
not enhance his reputation to have
his sycophantic admirers slap him or
the back and tell him he looks like