The Princeton union., 1912-11-14

does Marcus Johnson, collector. and
Fred Won Baumbach, the head Of the
Internal revenue department in Min
nesota. L. M. Willcuts Of Duluth is
another who is likely to 60. All
have been enjoying fat salaries for
some years. The minor offices in the
federal building are protected by civil
service. Marcus Johnson, formerly
of Atwater, is perhaps the hardest hit.
He was an active partisan and head
ed the Taft forces in the late fight.
Marcus, however, was always a good
loser and his retirement will not
bother him much.
!. +
1t will probably be weeks before the
tate of the constitutional amendments
voted upon at the recent election are
known. To date they have been over
looked by the correspondents and the
Impression is growing that practically
all OF them have gone down to de-
feat. The one exception is probably
the one-mill tax amendment. There
Is some hope for it. R. G. Dunn OF
Princeton, the author of this particu-
lar amendment, spent his own good
money to bring about it's pas
sage and this, with a large amount
of publicity given it by the papers, is
thought to have saved it. The seven
senators amendment is known to be
dead; also the amendment providing
q n 10
earnings law.
i. !. +
How to interest the voters In the
constitutional amendments offered ev-
cry two years is due to be the sub
ject of much serious thought and the
whole is likely to be considered at
the coming session of the legislature.
One thing sure, the unusually long
state and county ballot, which was
feature of the election last week, did
not help any and it may be that the
work Of those interested will be d.
rected at shortening it. In st. Paul
and Minneapolis voters had to con-
tend with several strips of paper, the
whole of which aggregated nearly eight
feet in length, and many threw away
the ballot containing the constitutional
amendments in disgust. This, added
to poorly lighted booths and a space
scarcely big enough to stand in, was
responsible for the city charter
amendments failing. Many voters
turned the ballots in without even
marking them.
+ !. !.
Minneapolis is the only city in the
state to adopt the voting machine
and its experience with them is not
likely to add to their popularity else
where. Last Tuesday thousands of
voters were disfranchised because of
the inability of the voters ahead to
manipulate them. To this was added
d1latory tactics on the part of those
interested. In many cases voters were
full fifteen minutes in registering
their preferences. Two years ago an
effort was made to slip a bill through
the legislature compelling the use of
voting machines all over the state,
but fortunately the joker was located
and the bill failed.
j. !. !.
F. B. Lynch of st. Paul, national
Democratic committeeman, is now
the King Bee in Minnesota and no
one would be surprised if the Wilson
administration did not do something
handsome for him when it assumes
control. A cabinet job is among the
possibilities. Not that Mr.. Lynch
needs the money, as he is reported to
be in the millionaire class, but simply
the honor. Frank A. Day is another
who is mentioned as in line for Off
cial preferment. Both were original
Wilson men. Frank might pull down
one of the jobs in the federal build
ing in st. Paul. They carry salaries
ranging from $4,000 to $4,000.
:. !. X
In mentioning gubernatorial possi-
bilities for 1914 it might be in order to
say that w. E. Lee of Long Prairie
may again be in the game That is
the talk in this neck of the woods.
In the late primaries Lee pressed Gov
ernor Eberhart hard and had it not
been for the large field of candidates
might have defeated him. After the
fight was over friends of both Mr.. Lee
and Governor Eberhart made efforts
to have Mr.. Lee come out and give
Governor Eberhart his best Wishes
but the Long Prairie man refused. In
a measure he was the most consistent
of all the Republican candidates. He
said that he had made the state
ment that Governor Eberhart was not
worthy to be returned and he could
not very we'll change his opinion
even though the people had voted 9th
erwise. The talk is that the cam
paign cost Mr.. Lee and his friends a
considerable amount of money, but
if it did his expense account does not