The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1912-01-26
POLITICAL GOSSIP
The County Chairman" Gives Miner Readers
Entertaining State Capitol Gossip Touching
The Great and Near-Great

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In the scramble for place this week
the activities of L. C. Spooner of Nor
ris have been lost sight of, but l have
1t from close friends that he will soon
be heard from. In a former letter /
spoke of the interest of Speaker Dunn
OF the house In Mr.. Spooner's behalf
and his work, it is said, has since
been supplemented by a number of
letters that would make interesting
reading if ever reduced to print If
Mr.. Spooner gets into the game 1t will
be on a broad platform of extrava-
gance in state expenditures. That has
been his hobby and all other isms will
be sidetracked in its interest. Down
here Mr.. Spooner is looked upon as
No. 2 In the list of eligibles and there
are those who say that II the fates
should combine against "The Man of
Destiny" 1t would be Mr.. Spooner who
would have the best wishes of those
now pledged to Governor Eberhart's
return to Office.
!. !. X
Il. c. Dunn's apparent friendliness
for Governor Eberhart and his activity
In the state political game has been
productive of number of stories and
much gossip hardly fair to the old
campaigner and which he himself, in
his forcible way, has attempted to
deny on several occasions. The COS
sip, in brief, is that the Princeton
man has 1914 in mind and in return
for support given now is to have adj
ministration aid when Governor Eber-
hart has completed another term, and
for the purpose of keeping him before
the public he is, to have the Office of
lieutenant governor in the meantime.
It sounds nice and 1t looks good in
print, but It hardly sizes up to the pol
itics that Bob has played in lifetime
at the game. Commenting upon the
talk one man close to the administra-
ton gives it as his opinion that if
such is the Princeton's man scheme
then he had lost his cunning. Il am
not SO sure that Bob will permit the
use of his name for lieutenant govern
or and as for the governorship in 1914
! think that is the least of his trou-
bles," says this particular party. Like
myself he knows that a statewide
primary Is practically certain when
the next legislature meets and that if
nothing else would curb his ambitions,
II he has any. When that bill passes
the dreams of quite a few will be at
an end, for 1t means nationality and
the predominating one at that. It will
be the finish of the Bob Dunns, the
Spooners, the Gordons and few 9TH
ers that l know. Mind you / do not
speak of this as a calamity; far from
1t. It's human nature. Blood, you
know, ETC., ETC."
!. + !.
Speaking of statewide primary.
bill for the adoption of which has been
before half dozen sessions of the
Minnesota legislature, the opinion Is
general that it will prevail ere another
three years. The king makers look
upon its coming as something that
cannot be prevented and firmly be-
heve that they will give their aid in
helping make 1t part of the stat
utes. ! do not say it In knocking
spirit and / think l have outlined it
plainly enough in the paragraph re-
ferring to Bob Dunn, and that is a
statewide primary means a ticket
strictly on nationality lines, and that
the predominating one. Perhaps it will
mean the wiping out Of many abuses
and the elevation to ONCE of better
men, but what / have outlined cannot
be avoided. Governor johnson wanted
q statewide primary; John Lind would
be United States senator today If such
existed, and X. T. O'Connor, the boss
of st. Paul, would be fighting for ex-
istence IL the local primary had never
The primary is the best
friend Boss" O'Connor ever had
4. + /.
Last week saw a decided furry in
state fair circles, the disturbing ele-
ment being threatened overthrow
of those in charge of the annual meet
ing of the State Agricultural society,
but the trouble failed to materialize.
President Glotfelter was reelected
and the fair management finished in
tact The whole thing worried the
administration considerably, but their
were on hand and the
makers were quieted-what is
better they were subdued. W. r. Mac
kenzie Of Bemidji, an accepted candi-
date for secretary Of state, was to the
front in this respect and the trimming
given him was taken to mean his
forced retirement from the race for
the Office which he was seeking. Mr..
however, says he is very
much in the fight and refuses to be
retired.
The state legal department has in
terested itself in an action Of much
Importance to Minnesota and which
directly involves nearly 100000 of
state school money invested In ditch
obligations. In Roseau county the Is
suance of bonds for a ditch was at
tackled on the ground that they were
an obligation against those directly
benefited rather than against the
county as a whole. The action tended
to depreciate the states investment.
Happily the lower court held against
the contestant and the suit is now up
to the supreme court for final determi-
nation. The belief is that the lower
court will be sustained.
+ 1. !.
Lieutenant Governor 8. Y. Gordon