The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1912-08-15
NtIe Interest Shown in State
Primary Campaign.
SPEAKING TOURS ABANDONED
eend'dates Find Farmers Too Busy
Harvesting Crops to Attend
Political Meetings.
Especial Correspondence


st. Paul, Aug. 12.-If Minnesota, as
some seem to think, is in the throes
OF a political campaign, with the
voters eager for every scrap of news
relating to the candidacy of this and
mat aspirant: farmers everywhere
debating economic advantages to be
gained by having this or that man at
3e head of the ship of state, and
AGeet corner debaters hoarse from
enerexertion for certain favorites.
then score or more of wise ones
now travelling over the state are not
aware of the fact. If their observa-
ions are correct, and their views
seem to be borne out by the few
farmers who do struggle into the
cities these days, the primary cam
pa1sn OF 1912 is going down into his
tory as the quietest ever. There is
absolutely no enthusiasm in a polit-
1cal way in Minnesota, travelling men
say. The farming community gener-
ally, they declare, cannot be cajoled
into talking politics and this disinter-
ested condition even extends to the
lew candidates who are now out on
a speaking campaign. The expected
crowds will not come They are too
busy during the day harvesting the
biggest crop Minnesota has ever
known and they are too tired at night
to wander beyond their own door
steps. w. E. Lee, the first of the
u, Republican gnbernatorial candidates
to take to the stump, stopped the
hiring Of halls in which to speak some
weeks ago and L. G. Spooner came to
that conclusion last Saturday. Both
he and Mr.. Lee are now interviewing
the farmer voter direct E. T. Young,
the last to get into the game, left for
tour of the First district and he
said that his trip would be hand
shaking one exclusively. "No empty
halls for me-" he declared. With the
daily prints perpetrating columns of
drivel about this and that candidate
for office and the candidates them
selves working overtime in an effort
to impress upon the voting public
their qualifications and fitness for
Office the disinterested condition
spoken of seems impossible of belief.
James A. Larson, assistant secretary
of state, best describes the situation
as the result of trip taken by him
upstate some days ago. "I could not
get farmer to talk politics." said
Jim. "They all declared that they
were too busy with their crops and
besides they we're not interested.
Later I met friend who I knew was
generally in touch with current events
and especially the political situation
He was a subscriber to several daily
papers and I was confident that
would learn from him the political
feeling in his particular section. He
had not been paying much attention
to the national game, he said, for the
reason that he was busy with his crop.
Then I asked him who he thought his
district favored for governor jim
he answered, I am ashamed to admit
1t, but do not know who is running
for governor. I know Eberhart is
governor and have heard that he is
going to run again. My wheat means
more to me than who is going to be
elected and l simply have been too
busy to read up on the situation"
The situation outlined above is the
result of painstaking effort on the
part of your truly to find out political
conditions in the state. No one knows
and what is more few care Of course
there are people who do talk and
their views run from Roosevelt to
Wilson for president The guberna-
tor1al situation gives A. o. Eberhart
the best of it. President Taft just
now is looked upon as poor betting
proposition, but his followers say his
strength will increase with the days.
Sc forclbly has the present apathy i'm
pressed some that they are betting
that the vote at the coming state pri-
maries will not be in excess of 1O0,-
0oO. I saw several boxes of cigars
Wagered on this figure Lieutenant
Governor Gordon is using every effort
to get big vote out, but it is an up
hill Job. Another who is laying down
on the voters is E. T. Young. In the
meantime Governor Eberhart says
nothing and saws wood. His friends
say that he will announce his candi-
dacy in few weeks. Just now he is
touring the state as governor, attend.
Ing county fairs, speaking at school
gatherings and meeting the taxpayers
as their governor, please note.
= :. !.
The new statewide primary law won
f1rst blood in a decision handed down
by the supreme court Friday and it
now looks as if the legality and con.
stltutlonality of the entire act was
assured. The only possible other >at-
tack is on the first and second choice
=. provisions and it is hardly likely that
any one will go after that section of
the law for the present at least. The
class provision was the feature of the
new law upheld by the court and the
language covering it's findings were