The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1913-01-02
THE SENATE COMBINE
Proposes to Dethrone Burnquist I'm
der Name OF Progresslveism
1 and rlay Be Successful.
Would Take From Lieutenant Cover.
:. nor rluch OF His Power-Spe.
+ cial Correspondence.

a. cial Correspondence.
s.. st. Paul, Dec 31.-Less than three
weeks ago the possible landing of
Z the official scalp Of Henry Rines Of
Mora, who has been picked for speak
er of the house, had the boards. Now
the Reinforcement Of Lieutenant Gov
ernor J. A. A. Burnuuist, the presid-
ing officer Of the senate, is threat
ened and the question is can it be
done. His undoing is planned in q
proposition to take away from the
presiding officer the time honored
right Of n; ming the standing commit
tees and placing the same in the
hands Of q committee on committees.
Senator George Sullivan of Saltwater
is said to be behind the idea and he
bases the scheme on the latest in
things progressive He and those be-
hind the plan claim enough votes to
pull it off and, speaking from fair
knowledge OF the whole thing, Sulli-
van and his ieutenants are not max
ing any idle boast. 1t is about the
neatest game concocted in years and
the only thing that will kill it off is
publicity. That such is having it's ef
feet is shown now, as at least three
senators claimed to have been signed
UP by the combine have since denied
any connection. Lieutenant Governor
Burquist plainly shows that he is
aware Of the seriousness of the stu
alton, as his entire time is now being
given over to wrestling away from the
combine the advantage they have
gained under cover of the quiet of the
past week and the holidays.
!. !. <
The word progressive and it's mean
ing as applied to politics and men con-
nected with the political game is
much in dispute, but in the absence
Of a Webster one could hardly put
Senator Sullivan in the progressive
column, yet progressiveism is the key
note of his argument in backing the
J scheme to take away from the pre-
siding officer his time honored pre-
rogative of naming the standing COM
j mittees. Senator Sullivan, l am told,
has been SO convincing that he has
brought practically all the Democratic
members Of the senate around to his
way Of thinking and they, it is said,
have signed up for the new order of
things. Add to this Senator Sullivan's
Republican friends in the upper house
and you have the thirty-seven mem
be1s necessary to bring the change
i about. One man power Senator Sui
IVan argues, is not in line with the
new idea, and possibly he is right.
Yet it would sound better if it came
from some one else. Burnquist, I get
it, has not been taking into his con-
hdence those higher up in the makeup
OF the committees, hence the opposi-
ton. Then there is the failure to
gain control of the house-so all
around what is at the bottom Of it
all is not hard to guess.
One would hardly think in this day
Of publicity and in an era of progress
siveism that the complete sewing I'D
Of majority Of legislative body
T. with membership of sixty-two could
be accomplished, but such comes
pretty near the case. Last week thir-
tty-four Of the senator's were nrac-
a tically signed up on a proposition to
take away from the presiding officer
his time honored right. Three others
were about ready to come over and it.
was only sudden springing Of the
story a few days ago that held them
back. Now others, [ am told, are pre-
pairing to get from under. Only twice
in the history Of the state senate\has
the reinforcement of the presiding
officer been accomplished and the
present move in that direction might
get through. Friends of Mr.. Burn
quist have pointed out to him that if
the move does prevail he will be the
d beneficiary as far as future political
: preferment is concerned, but the St.
Paul man is more anxious to throttle
the scheme now than to wait for what
/ it might bring him later.
7 :. :. :. Id
NJ. n ~ Oo1oC1I1dl p1Sl6I01lC0 primary,
y reorganization of the state depart
ments, reapportionment, reform in
judicial procedure and state control
of securities will be features of the
Forthcoming message of Governor
Eberhart to the legislature. Those.
however, who have been hoping that
the executive will take stand on the
initiative and referendum, the recall
and other advanced progressive ideas
viii be disappointed. His excellency
will have nothing to do with any of
Z them. Governor Eberhart has spent
some time figuring out what he would
recommend to the Legislature for it's
consideration and his labors in addi-
lion to those features named resulted
I'm the following: Blue. Sky" law,
which is state control of securities,
public utilities commission, work
mems compensation law, revision Of
ts1ows pertaining to woman and child