The Sauk Centre herald., 1911-01-19

tions. On one side there are the
friends of the national administra-
tion and on the other those who are
or who will be opposed to it.
| For want of a better term we may
distinguish them as '.Taftites" and
'sLaFolletteers." The "LaFollet-
teers" are for the initiative and refer
endum, the recall, direct primaries
for all state officers, election of Uni
ted States Senators by the Oregon
method, county option, investigation
of every thing under the stars ana
anything that is new ana different
that will create talk, make sensa-
tion and raise the devil
Quite large percentage OF the
Taftites favor one or more OF these
measures, but they favor them "soft
and easy" not hard, enthusiastically
and vociferously as the LaFolletteers
do. The former seem inclined to
legislate for the state, the latter for
practical purposes.
The supreme aim of the LaFollet-
teers is to turn the state delegation
over to the Wisconsin senator and
already state organization has been
formed for this purpose and an at
tempt will be made to extend it into
every voting precinct in the state;
but the movement will by no means
be confined to national affairs. The
LaFolletteers are after Senator Mel
sons scalp hard and fast. They in
tend to nominate full state ticket,
and none of the present state officials
will have 'slook in'' if their plans
carry, and six at least of the nine
sitting members of congress will have
to fight for denomination against La
Folfetteers.
All these candidates have been Sc
lected, but it would hardly be fair
to publish their names as the men
selected, or at least many of them, do
not know they have been chosen and
only the charmed inner circle of the
La Folletteers know who they will be,
but the popular" choice has been
been made just the same.
A leader for either faction has not
yet developed in the senate and in
the house the Taftites are as yet unset
tied on achampion. w. /. Nolan has
shown decided symptoms of becoming
the leader of the LaFolletteer in the
house. "Billy" possesses that SUBJ
blime self-confldence, parliamentary
knowledge, readiness of repartee, inn
perturbable good nature and careless
disregard of facts that are essential
to a legislative political leader.
sBilly" has already started looking
for trouble and he will probably find
it before the session closes.
Wednesday night, Jan. IL, the citi-
zens of St. Paul, through the Com
mercial Club, gave a sumptuous feed
to the state officers and members of
the legislature, which for brilliancy
of execution, splendor of arrangement
and general all-around success has
never been equalled in the history of
the capital city.
1t was held in the magnificent palm
room of the new St. Paul Hotel that
had been transformed into scene of
oriental gorgeousness that beWildered
the beholder. All the details passed
off with military precision and with
the regularity of legislator drawing
his pay. The guests arrived on time.
Statesmen may be little dilatory in
getting up to the Georgia marble
pile," but when it comes to a "feed"
they are as prompt as small boy
with pass to a grand stand for a
ball game.
1t was an informal affair with en-
phasis on the Sin"
The nuhad best not be published
in the country papers for fear all the
editors will become candidates for the
legislature two years from now.
1t took the consumers two hours to
wade through it, and considering its
extent and variety it is strange they
are not there yet. The viands were
of such character as to make the
partakers long to carry the fragments
home in their pockets. There was
"a flood of wine that loveth running
redder than blood'' and fantastic
smoke wreaths from fine Habanas
circled about the ceiling in pictur-
esque forms and they were no sstwc-
fors" either.
The oratorical program was ham
died by that prince of toast-masters,
y. W. Stone, whose eloquence would