The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1913-01-02
THE SENATE COMBINE,
Proposes to Dethrone Burnquist Un-
der Name Of Progresslveism
! and rlay Be Successful.
Would Take From Lieutenant Cover
. nor Tluch OF His Power-Spe.
cial Correspondence.

st. Paul, Dec. 31.-I.ess than three
weeks ago the possible landing of
the official scalp OF Henry Rines Of
Mora, who has been picked for speak
err 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
2ne0 and tho question is can it be
done His uEdoing is planned in a
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 a fair
knowledge OF the whole thing, Sulli-
van and his lieutenants 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
scheme to take away from the pre-
siding officer his time honored pre-
fogatlVe OF naming the standing COM
mlttees. Senator Sullivan, l am told,
mas 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
De1s necessary to bring the change
about. One man power, Senator Sui
Ivan argues, is not in line with the
new Idea, and possibly he is right.
Yet 1t would sound better if it came
from some one else. Burnquist. I Get
1t, has not been taking into his con-
hdence those higher up in the makeup
or 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 rot hard to guess.
one would hardly think in this day
OF publicity and in an era of progress
slVe!sm that the complete sewing m
OF majority OF a legislative BODY
with membership Of sixty-two could
De accomplished, but such comes
pretty near the case Last week thir-
ty-tour OF the senator's vera nrac.
t1cally signed up on a proposition IN
take away from the presiding osTicor
his time hOnOred right Three others
were about ready to come over and it
was only a sudden springing Of the
story a few days ago that held them
back. Now others, an told, are nre-
pairing to get from under. Only twice
in the history Of the state senateNhas
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
. beneficiary as far as future political
preterment is concerned, but the ST.
raul man is more anxious to throttle
the scheme now than to wait for what
it might bring him later.
:. :. :.
v A presidential preference primary
reorganization of the state denart.
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 a stand on tho
initiative and referendum, the recall
and other advanced progressive ideas
will be disappointed. His excellency
will have nothing to do with anv Of
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-
tion to those features named resulted
sin the following: Blue Sky" law,
which is state control of securities,
public utilities commission, work
mems compensation law, revision Of
laws pertaining to woman and child chile
labor, rural bettermeEt, prevention Of