The Princeton union., 1912-01-25
Expected to Enter Race for the
GoVernorship.
EBERHART TO MAKE. NO FIGHT
Declares He Will Stand on His Record
and Make the Run if the Peo.
pie Decide They Want Him.
Especial COrrespondence.)

Especial Correspondence.)
St. Paul, Jan. 23.-The complaint of
week ago that the campaign of 1912
promised to be the slowest in the his
tory of the state was not a day in the
telling when two candidates for Re-
publican gubernatorial honors broke
the silence with an appeal to the vot-
ers OF the state and hard on the heels
OF their statement came the tentative
announcement of another. Still an
other is expected to shy his caster
into the ring and those who have been
watching the game would not be sur
prised if fifth added his troubles to
those who will carry their grievances
before the next Republican state cam
paign. refer to the announcement of
Lieutenant Governor S. Y. Gordon of
Browns Valley, whom one St. Paul
paper, the Dispatch-Pioneer, has or.
dered it's political writer's to never
use his name without the appellation
king for a Day. in the hope of ridi-
culing him into oblivion, and w. E.
Lee, the Long Prairie banker. The
two reached the Cities with their ap-
peal within an hour of each other and
the ink was hardly dry on their state
ments when Nathaniel j. Holmberg of
RenVille county sent long distance
message to the effect that he was con-
sidering a demand to get into the
game. While all this was going on
Governor A. O. Eberhart was in Ne
braska visiting his mother and State
Chairman c. E. Smith sat in his office
in Minneapolis and refused to be dis
turbed.
:. !. !.
With two candidates in the field
fully equipped with an appeal to the
voters, also a platform and keynote
speech, third wrestling with the prob
lem of whether or not the game is
worth the candle and fourth-I refer
to L. S. Spooner, who has been flirting
with the goddess these several weeks
one naturally asks what about
Adolph Olson Eberhart, who former
Attorney General George T. Simpson
dubbed "The Man of Destiny" He is
not worrying, at least his movements
would not indicate such. His excel
lency returned home Wednesday and
the occasion was one of immediate as
sault by the scribes. His answer was
brief and to the point: No announce
ment, no headquarters, no platform
and no comment as to his rivals. The
emphasis given each staggered the re-
pOrters, for be it known his excellency
is not an easy man to interview, for
with that caution characteristic of his
nationality each word uttered for pub
lfcation is hedged with more words
and the wits of the pencil pusher are
necessary to make his answer meet
the demands of their publications
And these demands are not always ex-
acting, for the most of the Twin City
dailies are friendly to Governor Eber-
hart. He seldom gets the worst of any
indiscretion of speech or action.
That Governor Eberhart will not
announce his candidacy for renomina-
tion, that he will not open headquar-
ters like the others nor issue a state
ment of principles is not the result of
any sudden determination on the part
of his excellency, but is reported to
have followed a conference of his ad-
visers Immediately following the an
nouncement of the candidacy of
Messrs. Gordon and Lee. That night
a telegram went speeding over the
wires to Overt, Neb., where the gov
ernor was visiting, and it cautioned
silence. The conference was to the
effect that silence was golden and
would only complicate matters. Talk,
it was agreed, would not help and
opening headquarters would simply
mean accepting the other fellow as a
rival. The administration had the or
ganization and what more was neces-
sary. AS for an announcement of
candidacy such was generally accept
ed.
:. ]. !.
The announcement of Lieutenant
Governor Gordon's candidacy comes
as voice from the dead, though the
Browns Valley man and his manager,
James Arneson of Chisholm, have
right along refused to be classed
among those relegated to the Eber-
hart private burying ground. It costs
something to run for governor, though
this handicap, I understand, has been
partially overcome by an advance on
the part of certain Minneapolis par
ties, five of them, it is reported, pledg-
ing themselves to $1,000 each as a
start. There will be more coming on a
showing Of pay dirt. But what puz-
zles the king makers is the entrance
Of W. E. Lee of Long Prairie and the
PRONUNCIATION of his platform. Both
followed so hard on the coming of the
Browns Valley man that it looked as
II the two had joined in timing their
act. And one man could have writ.
ten the pledges of the two, they were
90 similar. Brewery humiliation was