The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1912-05-16
C0LONE Will
HAVE CONTROL
Leads in Selection Of Delegates
to State Convention.
SAVAGE ATTACK ON SMITH
Lieutenant Governor Gordon Flags
State Chairman and the. Eber-
hart Administration.
Especial CORRESPONDENCE


throughout the state the colonel fairly
swept the North Star state and now
all that remains is the selection of the
delegation to the national convention
which will be held in Chicago. There
was nothing to it in Hennepin county.
There the vote was nearly two to one.
Taft was second in the count in the
Mill City, with La Toilette hardly in
the running. Of twelve counties
which held their caucuses Friday
night only one was reported for the
president and that was in doubt. Wa
basha was the lone Taft county. The
Wisconsin candidate ran poor in all of
them and in many precincts he did not
even get vote. In Anoka county
desperate effort was made to get I. A.
Caswell, who is at the head of the
Roosevelt movement, but it failed.
The whole thing was one of the most
sweeping victories in the history of
the state.
The fight for control of the next
Republican state convention, with the
governorship the chief bone of con-
tention, is now on. Overshadowed by
the national contest the state game
had little place in the public prints,
but it will be to the front after this.
1t started last week when Lieutenant
Governor S. Y. Gordon invaded Kan
diyohi county, the first to hold eau
cuses for the selection of delegates
A notice to the voters, with a scoring
for the bosses and interests, preceded
his coming, but what he had to say
then was not marker to his talk at
Willmar on the Friday following He
ripped the cover off the ball and Gov
ernor Eberhart, together with Chair
man Smith, were made to feel the
sting Of his lash. w. E. Lee of Long
Prairie, who is also trying to wrest
the job from Governor Eberhart, was
also on the ground, but his fling at the
administration was tame compared
with the tongue flashing INDUCED in
by the Browns Valley man. Neither
Governor Eberhart or the fourth
gubernatorial candidate, L. c.. Spooner
OF Morris, were present to combat the
efforts of Governor Gordon or Mr.. Lee.
Both said they had friends on the Job
and that their interests would be
looked after. Governor Eberhart,
understand, though, made vigorous use
of the long distance telephone and
pleaded with his friends to protect
him. l think I can safely say, how
ever, that Governor Eberhart had little
hopes of getting the delegation, as it
has been badly torn up as far as the
administration is concerned. Some
appointments were involved and the
losers were not of the forgiving kind
Ordinarily rather reserved and to date
known as the silent candidate, Cor
don's savage attack on Chairman
Smith, his rib cracking raps at the ad-
minlstration and his merciless over
hauling of the brewery crowd came as
surprise, but am told this attack
IS mild to what the lieutenant gov.
ernor has in preparation for further
use. Swing the STICK" it is said, is
the advice of his managers, with in.
structions to spare nobody.
= !. J.
Mention of the formal opening of
the state campaign in Kandiyohi coun-
ty as far as the opposition to the ad-
mlnlstration is concerned would not
be complete without calling attention
to the activities of some of the gov
ernor's friends in the interest of w. e.
Lee. With the knowledge that his ex-
cellency was in bad in the county this
transfer of sympath1es was undoubted-
~ for the purpose of discounting Mr..
Gordon, in his own district. Still this
view and the sudden administration
activity in Mr.. Lees behalf was cloud
ed by the presence of P. J.. Young
dahl and others prominently connect
ed with the Anti-Saloon league, who
worked industriously for the Long
Prairie man. There was no lack of
support in this respect. This bundling
OF supposed warning interests into
the same bed only further leads to the
prediction that the campaign is going
to be warm one and that nothing
Will be overlooked by those involved
in securing an advantage.
= !. =
1t outward appearances indicate
anything Governor Eberhart is little
disturbed over the attacks being made
upon him by his rivals, but just the
same he has his hand on the public
pulse and he is we'll aware of the dis
content in many quarters. It comes
in the shape of newspaper clippings.
not to speak of reports from close
friends. However he has said that
he will not make any pre-convention
fight to speak of and his determina-
ton not to do so seems to be borne
out in a general unwilingness to dis
cuss or meet any of the attacks from
the other side. He believes that his
stewardship is sufficient answer. This
does not mean, though. tha$4 as ex.