Morris tribune., 1912-12-20
STILL HOPE TO
DEFEAT RINES
Opponents Insist SpeakeTshIp
Contest Is Not Settled.
R. C. DUNN IS SPOKEN OF
Princeton Editor Denies EmphaticalIy
That He Is a Candidate for
the Position.
(speciai Correspondence

this late date to jar Henry Rines of
Mora from his hold on the house
speakership would seem like the
height of folly, but just the same
the game is in the making and anoth-
er week may see it fully launched. The
much talked of floor of the house idea
is the scheme and r. c. Dunn of
Princeton-if he will permit it, and
doubt it very much-will be the
beneficiary. For week the new order
of things has been brewing, but under
cover Wednesday the plot came to
the surface when the pan only showed
slight trace of color, but since that
the whole thing has grown and now
the political atmosphere is full of
what may happen. To add to the
threatened raid on Rines' preserves
P. H. McGarry and G. w. Brown, both
rivals of Rines, and w. H Wescott of
Dakota county showed up at the Mer-
chants hotel the early part of the
week and ever since all kinds of gos-
sip have been rife. r. c. Dunn rlafe
his appearance at the Merchants hotel
about the same time, but good roads
legislation and visits to the Offices of
the state highway commission occu-
pied most of his visit. so 1t could not
be said that if anything was brewing
that he was helping stir the pot.
Asked if he was q candidate for
speaker Mr., Dunn Indignantly denied
| any connection whatever and vehe-
| mently declared that he would not
touch it with a ten-foot pole. I've
got enough troubles without taking
on that job said the warrior from
Princeton However. he did not say
that if the crowd opposed to MT. Rines
| used his name without his consent
that he would offer any objection. but
he did say that if anything In that
! line was being done it was without
his knowledge.
| AS pointed out the lifting of Mr.
Rines' official scalp at this late date
seems among the impossibilities, still
stranger things have happened.
Those opposing him are resourceful
and though they fell down ON the orig
inal job they evidently have a shot
or two left in their lockers. The
throwing of the job on the floor of
the house was among the first things
proposed in the speakership fight, but
friends of the Mora man quickly head
ed the scheme off by sewing up thirty
two of the 100 Republican members,
The others were brought into camp in
order. Should house floor election
be forced Rines' enemies would prob
ably have about eighteen of the Dem
ocratic members. That they would
secure more than twenty from the
Republican side of the house hardly
seems possible and this would not be
anywhere near enough to elect, AS
explained by one interested onlOoker
probably the whole thing is for the
purpose of soaring Rines and bluffing
him into division of the spells. but
I hardly think the Mora publisher will
be bluffed. At any rate his lieuten
ants say not.
| 4 4 +
Speaking Of r. c. Dunn, he is prob
ably the one man Of the 100 members
composing the house who could &c
into the speakership game at the pres
ent time and give Rines a run for his
money OF the entire house member
ship he alone has a statewide &C
quaintance and following and had he
cared to go after the place at the
start it is safe to say there would
have been nothing to it but Bob
When the speakership fight opened
every candidate for the place made
haste to get the Princeton man on his
side, but he>refused to be dragged in
He said he had other fish to fry and
it spelled good roads. That Mr.
Dunn's name is being mentioned now
in an attack on the Rines forces an
positive is none Of his doing, but sim
| ply that Of those who see in his name
and statewide following something tx
cQninre with. Long ago Bob found
OFT that success was not all talk anC
his silence now may be because o
that knowledge. think he will b.
hc2rd from IL dIe time,
j. = :.
IN the meantime MIR Rines is goin,
On with his plans fer the organization
of the next house and they INCLUDE
the distribution of the com mitteeships
He is silent on what this distribution
will be, but it is probably safe to sa,
that Andrew Davis of Elk River will
be at the head of the appropriation
committee and w l. Nolan of Mime
; apolis the chairman of the eommitte
on rules. Representative Knapp o
Chisholm is another who viii be wei
cared for Another matter that tn
speaker II working on Ii q resolutiul
reducing tn number Of employees. Tn
Tart house had sevSnty-twO employees