Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1912-05-24
Many Believe Extra Session
Summons a Mistake.
ARE BREEDERS OF TROUBLE
Former Special Meetings Of Legisla-
ture In This State Net a
hoWIing Success.
Especial Correspondence.)

st. Paul, May 31.-By order Of Gov
ernor A. o. Eberhart the legislature
will convene June 4. For the fourth
time in it's history the lawmaking
body of Minnesota will meet in extraor-
binary session and the cause 10 the
demanded passage Of law extending
the primary election act to state
Offices and the selection of national
delegates and presidential electors.
The late convention in Minneapolis
to name delegates to the Republican
national convention indicated that 1t
wanted such an extension and Gov
ernor Eberhart answered the call. All
that remains now is whether he acted
wisely in view of his past answers to
a similar demand, whether the leg1s-
lature will pass primary law or not
and whether it will be any better than
what is already on the statute books.
refrain from even indulging in
guess. The whole thing is fraught
with much that spells trouble for all
concerned. In the past special ses-
sions of the legislature have not been
n bowling success. They have invari-
ably been breeders of trouble. With
negative record on this question Of a
special session of the legislature, run
ming back for fully year, the natural
question now is what prompts Cover
nor Eberhart to reverse himself at
this late hour Is it fear for his Off
cial head or the general demand which
newspaper report has it was echoed
at the late delegate nominating con-
vention in the shape of preferential
primary for the selection of delegates
to the state nominating convention?
With all due respect for his excellency,
who, l believe, wants to be right on
all public questions, his call for spe-
cial session of the legislature is in
his own particular interest. That is
the general opinion and it is borne
out by the statements of his close
friends, who say that the passage of a
direct primary law for state officers
will rebound to his credit AS one
put it "he can not be any worse off
than he is now" How the whole thing
will work out, however, remains to
be seen.
Colonel Roosevelt's overworked
catch phrase of "Let the people rule
was answered in the case of the dele
gate nominating convention at Mime
apolis in way that must have brought
JOY to the heart of the former presi
dent. New faces predominated and
the absence of the old guard in q
working capacity was pitifuI in the
extreme. They were on hand, but
they did not dare take part in the
deliberations. 1 saw men who said
they had voted the Republican ticket
for twenty-five years and yet this was
the first time they had taken part in
a political gathering. They were
against everything savoring of the ole
order of things and their opposition
evidenced itself in speech and resolu
ton. That Governor Eberhart and his
son of the alertness of the few admin
istration men present, who kept tai
on all overzealous administration sup
porters, and because OF the shrewd
ness and charity of the few old timer!
on the other side who did not wish t
see a controversy involving the state
administration injected into the pro
ceedings. Though the anti Grove
was in the majority Governor Eber
hart had a number of friends among