The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-11-01

to the outside public. The result of
his efforts Is that Minnesota is gen
orally regarded as state from which
a lesson is to be learned, and the
most insistent demands are made up
on him from every section OF the
country to deliver his talk on the
North Star State.
1t has been an unfortunate fact that
since the governor has been In office
less patriotic men have failed to sec.
ond his efforts at times as they
should. Instead of holding up his
hands, they have frequently held up
their own in depreciation and have
balkingly stood in the way of prog.
ress. It is a credit to the good sense
of the people of Minnesota that the
efforts that have been made In the
past Ito put the governor in the hole
have uniformly failed. and that Wih
every effort he has come out with In
creased prestige and with increased
advantage. This was dramatically
shown at the time an effort was made
to put him in the hole by a declare.
ton for direct primary. 1853
The governor had frequently urged
the direct primary among his friends.
He believed In it and wanted 1t. H
enemies protested to believe that he
was not sincere. They passed 9 reso-
luton designed to embarrass him, but
the governor promptly accepted the
opportunity he had long wanted,
called special session ofssthe legis-
lature, demanded direct primary for
the nomination of all state officers,
secured its passage, and became the
beneficiary thereof. The men who
had urged the direct primary most
loudly when they thought 1t could not
be obtained, were most reluctantito
pass it; but being forced to do s5 by
the logic of the situation, they at
tached thereto a second choice feat
ure which made a majority nomira-
ton difficult, If not impossible. and
which was designed specifically for.
the purpose of defeating Governor
Eberhart for denomination. The gov
ernor optimistically believed he could
take his chance and signed the bill
| with that provision included, and was
justified by the result.
At the opening of the last session
of the legislature, the governor un-
! dertook one of the biggest tasks in
cluded in his constructive program.
It had become generally recognized
that the only scientific and progress
i've method of controlling public
utility corporations was through a
statewide commission appointed by
and directly responsible to the gov:
! ernor. It had become so generally
recognized, that the principle wag
enunciated in the Republican fplats
form, in the Democratic platform, and
in that of the Progressive party. No
one criticised 1t, no one objected to
it, the propaganda was generally and
popularly accepted. For personal rea.
sons. the house organization apparent
ly fearing the governor would obi In
some credit by the passage of this
bill, defeated it. Other measures de-.
signed for the purpose of justifying
the defeat and for preventing it's fur
Their consideration, inconsistent Z in
character and open to the objection
of being bad policy, were passed
through the efforts of the house or
ganization. These measures We're
promptly vetoed by the governor, who
had his fighting clothes on. and whose
veto was sustained.
The governor had every reason to
assume that the people who had ap.
proved the propositions included in
the different party platforms were
still in favor of public utilities COM
mission. He also assumed that the
members of the legislature who claim.
ed for themselves the descriptive title
Of Progressive" would adhere to the
first tenet of the Progressive faith,
namely, responsiveness to the people.
He accordingly decided to call an ex-
ira session of the legislature for tae
purpose of securing to the people the
enactment Of this sa,utary law. The
governor went out on the platform
with this program and found the peo-
pie as whole were heartily in favor
of this measure. and he found also
that the house organic ticn which had
become firmly entrenched through tie
appointment of committees and t e
use of such powerful committee or.
ganizations as the committee on ap.
preparations was firmly decided to
block the passage of the law at the
special session 81 vii! go to the peo
pie with the measure" was the
prompt and frank reply Of the gov.
ernor. He called off the special SEES
sion, stating his reasons and urg ne
) that the measure be submitted to the
people as the direct source of all pow.
err at the next general primary and
state election.
AS another part of his constructive