The Princeton union., 1912-01-25
fered on other propositions in the mat.
ter of their application.

In the scramble for place this week
the activities of L. c. Spooner of Nor
ris have been lost sight Of, but have
it from close friends that he will soon
be heard from. In former setter I
spoke of the interest of Speaker Dunn
Of the house in Mr.. Spooner's behalf
and his work, it is said, has since
been supplemented by number of
letters that would make interesting
reading If ever reduced to print. If
Mr.. Spooner gets into the game it will
be on a broad platform of extrava-
gance in state expenditures. That has
been his hobby and all other isms will
be sidetracked in it's interest. Down
here Mr.. Spooner is looked upon as
No. in the list of eligibles and there
are those who say that if the fates
Should combine against "The Man of
Destiny 1t would be Mr.. Spooner who
would have the best wishes of those
now pledged to Governor Eberhart's
return, to Office.
i. !. X
r. c. Dunn's apparent friendliness
for Governor Eberhart and his activity
In the state political game has been
productive of a number of stories and
much gossip hardly fair to the old
campaigner and which he himself, in
his forcible way, has attempted to
deny on several occasions. The Cos
sip, in brief, is that the Princeton
man has 1914 in mind and in return
for support given now is to have ad-
mtnistration aid when Governor Eber-
hart has completed another term, and
for the purpose of keeping him before
the public he is to have the office of
lieutenant governor in the meantime.
1t sounds nice and it looks good in
print, but it hardly sizes up to the pol
itics that Bob has played in lifetime
at the game. Commenting upon the
talk one man close to the administra-
ton gives it as his opinion that if
such is the Princeton's man scheme
then he had lost his cunning. 81 am
not so sure that Bob will permit the
use of his name for lieutenant govern
or and as for the governorship in 1914
I think that is the least of his trou-
bles," says this particular party. Like
myself he knows that a statewide
primary is practically certain when
the next legislature meets and that if
nothing else would curb his ambitions,
it he has any. When that bill passes
the dreams of quite few will be at
an end, for it means nationality and
the predominating one at that. 1t will
be the finish of the Bob Dunns, the
Spooners, the Gordons and few 9TH
ers that 1 know. Mind you I do not
speak of this as a calamity; far from
it. It's human nature. Blood, you
know, etc., etc."
:. + !.
Speaking of a statewide primary, a
bill for the adoption Of which has been
before a half dozen sessions of the
Minnesota legislature, the opinion is
general that it will prevail ere another
three years. The king makers look
upon it's coming as something that
cannot be prevented and I firmly be-
ieve that they will give their aid in
helping make it part of the stat.
utes. I do not say it in knocking
spirit and I think I have outlined it
plainly enough in the paragraph re-
ferring to Bob Dunn, and that is
statewide primary means a ticket
strictly on nationality lines, and that
the predominating one. Perhaps it will
mean the wiping out of many abuses
and the elevation to Office of better
men, but what l have outlined cannot
be avoided. Governor Johnson wanted
statewide primary; John Lind would
be United States senator today if such
existed, and r. T. O'Connor, the boss
of st. Paul, would be fighting for ex-
istence if the local primary had never
happened. The primary is the best
friend "Boss'' O'Connor ever had.
!. !. !.
Last week saw decided furry in
state fair circles, the disturbing ele-
ment being a threatened overthrow
of those in charge of the annual meet
ing of the State Agricultural society,
but the trouble failed to materialize.
President Glotfelter was reelected
dAu Juc Idl1 management uLlSu0u III
tact. The whole thing worried the
administration considerably, but their
lieutenants were on hand and the
trouble makers We're quieted-what is
better they were subdued. w. R. Mac
kenzie of Bemidji, an accepted candi-
date for secretary of state, was to the
front in this respect and the trimming
given him was taken to mean his
forced retirement from the race for
the Office which he was seeking. Mr..
Mackenzie, however, says he is very
much in the fight and refuses to be
retired.
!. !. !.
The state legal department has in
terested itself in an action of much
Importance to Minnesota and which
directly involves nearly $3,000,OO0 of
state school money invested in ditch
obligations. In Roseau county the 1s-
suance of bonds for a ditch was at