Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1912-08-16
Little Interest Shown In State
Primary Campaign,
SPEAKING TOURS ABANDONED
Candidates Find Farmers Tee Busy
Harvesting Crops to Attend
Political Meetings.
Especial Correspondence


voters eager for every scrap of news
relating to the candidacy of this and
that aSpiTant; farmers everywhere
debating economic advantages to be
gained by having this or that man at
the head of the ship of state, and
street corner debaters hoarse from
everexertien for certain favorites,
then a score or mere of wise ones
now travelling over the state are not
aware Of the fact. If their observa-
NeNs are correct, and their views
Seem to be borne out by the few
farmers who do struggle into the
cities these days, the primary cam
paign Of 1912 is going down into his
tory as the quietest ever. There is
absolutely no enthusiasm In a poIit-
ical way in Minnesota, travelling men
say. The farming community gener-
ally, they declare, cannot be cajoled
into talking politics and this disinter-
ested condition even extends to the
few. candidates who are now out ON
speaking Campaign. The expected
GROVES will not come. They are too
busy during the day harvesting the
biggest crop Minnesota has ever
known and they are too tired at night
to wander beyond their own door
steps. w. e: Lee, the first of the
Republican gubernatorial candidates
to take to the stump, stepped the
hiring Of halls In which to speak some
weeks age and L. G.. SpoonOr came to
that conclusion last Saturday Both
he and Mr.: Lee are now interviewing
the farmer vstef direct. r. IT Young,
the last to get into the game, left for
q tour Of the First district and he
said that his trip would be 5a4hand-
shaking enc exclusively; No empty
halls for NET he declared. With the
daily prints perpetraAtng columns Of,
driveEi.abeut this ana tAat candidate
for once and the candidates them
selves working overtime in an effort
to impress upon the voting public,
their qualifications and fitness; for
O&ce the disinteFasted - 5cSndition
spoken Of seems impossible Of belief.
James A. Larson, assistant secretary
of state, best describes the situation
as the result Of a trip taken by him
upstate some days ago. Il could not
set a farmer to. talk politics." said
Jim. "They all declared that they
were too busy with their crops and
besides. they were not interested
Later met friend who / knew was
generally in touch with current events
and especially the political situation.
He was subscriber to several daily
papers and / was confident that I
would learn from him the political
feeling in his particular section. He
had not been paying much attention
to the national game, he said, for the
reason that he was busy with his crop.
Then asked. him who he thought his
district favored for governor. r. Jim, ,
he, ensweredS.T am ashamed; TO-. admit
lit, Ibut~I do not know who is running
for governor. I know Ebsrhart- is
governor and i have. heard that he is
going to run again. Ny wheat means
more to me than who, ID goinetito be
elected and I simply have been too
busy to read UP: ON the situation F..
i. + + g..:-
The situation outlined above 10 the
result OF q painstaking effort on the
part or your truly to- and out political
conditions i'm the state. No one kROws
and what is more few care. OF course
A0re; are people who dc talk and
their views rAn fRea Roosevelt to
Wilson for president. The guberAa-
torial situation gives A. o. Eberhart
the best Of it. President Taft just
now is looked upon as a poor betting
proposition, but his followers say his
strength will increase with the days.
So fOrcibly has the present apathy i'm
pressed some that they are betting
| that the vote at the coming state pri-
maries will not be in excess of 10e,-
900. l saw several boxes of cigars
wagered on this figure. Lieutenant
Governor Gordon is using every effort
to get big vote out, but it is an up
hill job. Another who is laying down
| On the voters is e. T. Young. In the
meantime Governor Eberhart says
nothing and saws wood. His friends
say that he will announce his candi-
| dacy in a few weeks. Just now he is
touring the state as governor attend
ing county fairs, speaking at school
gatherings and meeting the taxpayers
as their governor, please note.
1if' > + !. - : .-,:}
The new statewide primary law won
| first blood in a decision handed down
by the supreme court Friday and it
now looks as If the legality and con
stitutionaHty of the entire act was
assured. The only possible other at
tack is on the first and second choice
| provisions and it is hardly likely that
any one will go after that section Of
the law for the present at least. The
class provision was the feature of the
new law upheld by the court and the
language covering it's findings were
50 clear and emphatic as to remove