The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1913-09-18
progreSSIVeS Made Poor Show
ing in Maine Election.
ATTRACTING MUCH attention
w. E. Lees Threatened Entrance
Into the Gubernatorial Arena
in 1914 Campaign.

st. Paul-(SpeciaD- the old saw
runs, Zone swallow does not make a
summer so also it might be said that
the recent defeat suffered by the Pro.
gressives in Maine does not mean the
complete passing Of the Bull Moose"
party, yet candor compels the state
ment that the latest in things political
is slipping. That before another cleo.
ton has been reached it will be among
those that have gone is the prediction
OF many. Last week the Bull Moose
state central committee met in St..
Paul to plan for next years campaign
and though the gathering was enthu.
siastic enough it had to be admitted
that the cause was anything but on
the up grade. There was pessimis-
tic note throughout and it was voiced
by several in an open confession to
the effect that the voters were not
breaking their necks to get aboard.
So frank was one member that he
told Of taking his local editor to the
proverbial mountain and showing him
the feast spread out below, but while
he was willing still he was skeptica.
The party had not delivered the
goods and that, said this unusually
frank member, 'confronts us every
where. We have got to deliver some
goods if we are to take our rightful
place in the galaxy of parties That
the party's only hope lay in further
individual sacrifices and contributions
from their own pockets was admitted.
Despite this pessimistic feeling though
it was decided to go ahead. How long
it will take to put the Bull MoOsers
into the discard remains to be seen,
still, as I said one swallow does not
make a summer nor does one defeat
always presage the early arrival Of
the usual six feet Of earth. In life
there is always hope.
mo chain is stronger than it's weak
est link" something the Bull Moos-
ers' perhaps might profit from if a
few of their self-constituted leaders
would only sit up and take notice. The
weak link in the case of the party
born of the ambitions of Theodore
Roosevelt it '*self," and, fellows, "self''
has laid more than one promising po-
litical movement on the SHELF All
you have to do is to run back over the
fifty years of statehood enjoyed by
Minnesota and count the wrecks The
ambitions of a few were tied up in
their future and that future was brief.
So the Progressive party will go if
hot ho~
tinued. But, after all is said and done,
these abortive movements are not
without their value. The Progressive
party, even if it has to go, can truth
fully say it has done some good. To
say the least it has purified the pO-
litical atmosphere, and that is some
thing.
w. E. Lees threatened entrance into
the gubernatorial arena next year is
receiving no little attention in state
capitol circles and the gossips are
busy with conjectures as to the posi-
BILE outcome. I am not at all certain
but what his threatened entrance into
the game is bothering Governor Eber-
hart quite Bit though naturally he
does not show it. "Bilps" suggestion
that the field be cleared in his behalf,
il nothing else, is what would make
the governors official family sit up
and take notice, but that they would
stand by and allow such a condition
is hardly possible. Past experience
is against any such proposition. Sit.
ting as jury on Mr.. Lees prospects
state capitol kingmakers are not in.
clined to put the Long Prairie man on
the same pedestal of strength that he
occupied a year ago. They hold that
he has grown weaker, while Governor
Eberhart has improved in his relations
with the people. However, it is long
cry to the next primary. Perhaps it
might be best to wait and let the vot-
ers do some Judging.
While on this subject of guberna-
torial possibilities and persons with
designs on Governor Eberhart's job
it might not be out of the way to say
that the organization may have to
reckon with Senator Elwell of Min
neapolis. He has the bug and it de-
veloped into a good sized hope last
week when a commercial club in the
Mill City endorsed him. Naturally
he explained that it was an unso-
licited honor, but if the people in
sisted, why, of course, he could not
refuse. That the administration will
be delighted to have Senator Elwell
enter the lists goes without saying.
AS to getting away with the job, that
is a horse of another color. Senator
Elwell's chief asset is his road law,
but for his benefit I would whisper
that perhaps it might prove more of
liability than an asset in some To-
calities as far as it's vote getting
qualities are concerned.
:. !. -
Every man regards himself as a
progressive these days, but perusal
of the house and senate journals at