The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1913-04-10
latest THING IN
ELECTION LAWS
SoIons Greatly Extend Aonpar-
tiSan Features.
BILL NOW IN CONFERENCE
Candidates for County Offices and Men,
bers of Legislature Will Be With
out Party Designation.
Especial Correspondence

St. Paul, April 1.-The bill provid
ing for it is not law as yet, but the
chances are good that the next legis-
lature, and this includes the senate,
will be without party designation.
There is even a possibility of the en-
tire state ticket being nameless as
far as party is concerned. Get ready,
for most anything may happen this
year. l refer to the latest thing in
election legislation which passed the
senate last week, received a ready re-
spouse from the house and is now in
the hands Of a conference committee.
The house added number of amend
ments and the senate does not seem
inclined to accept them. The bill
started with the senate, where it was
introduced as committee measure.
Nonpartisan was the feature through
out and the wonder is that it's passage
did not finish with the elimination of
party designation all down the line.
The senate majority really felt that
way, but it rebelled when the office
of governor and the other state Off
GERS were reached. The house had
similar bunch, but like the senate it
got cold feet The finish was a bill
extending the nonpartisan idea to all
county officials and the legislature and
making the primary date the first
Tuesday in October. The senate Sc
lected June as the month for the
picking of fayorites. This is the only
difference between the two bodies and
it is why a conference committee has
been selected.
:. !. !.
AS stated, the election bill is not
yet law, but it will be if the Demo-
cratic members of the two legislative
bodies can bring it about The meas
ure simply means that the present
Democratic membership will be dou-
bled when the'next legislature meets,
with a possibility Of majority control.
The day following the passage of the
bill by the house Representative No
Ian Of Minneapolis and others, amazed
at the almost unanimous reception Of
the bill and the various amendments
offered, got the bunch that they had
been tricked and attempted recon
s1deraton Of the vote, but they fell
down on the Job. The claim made was
that the liquor interests were behind
the whole thing. With party elimina-
ton assured naturally the adoption Of
a platform of principles with temper
ance as feature was out of the Ques-
ton and Mr. Nolan and his followers
were peeved. Mr.. Nolan's one hope
now is that the conference committee
will not agree and that the bill will
be emasculated. Here is a tip, how
ever; the bill will prevail. There may
be some changes, but they will not
be material. The primary date is the
only matter in dispute.
). :. :.
The present session of the Minneso-
ia lawmakers is not different from
the thirty-seven legislatures which
have preceded it. The house creates
and the senate, sitting in judgment,
gives the final decision. Sometimes
there is a clash, but in the end the
senate prevails. Naturally this condi-
ton starts the cry Of reactionary-
every upper body has had this charge
flung in it's teeth-but to be square,
dear reader, the present senate is not
as bad as some would paint it. 1t is
a deliberate body, something that has
brought out yelled charges to the eff
feet that the interests are in charge.
However, do not be too hasty in your
conclusions. It takes six years to
make a real laWmaker out of the
average man. The first two years he
wants to burn up the state. The next
two years he has bunch and the
last two years, if he is fortunate
enough to get back, his one idea is to
kill everything. Quite few think the
senate is a menace to good govern
ment, but believe me, the builders of
the state constitution builded we'll
when they created this particular
body. The senate in it's deliberate
way has killed many a bad bill that
would now be decorating the statute
books.
.s7.-
Governor Eberhart has new secre-
tary His name is George F. Author
and he is former Minneapolis news
paper man. He succeeds Ralph w.
Wheelock, who last week took his
place on tn state board of control as
successor tt Peter M. Ringdal, the
Democratic sacrifice at last falls
gubernatorial contest. Mr.. Wheelock
has been private secretary to the gov
ernor ever since the latter took Office.
He is also an old newspaper man and
has been a most efficient official His
genial manner and habit of making
friends readily has helped him out
considerably and he has been a very
valuable asset tO the governor in