The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1914-02-12
Part Of State Press Against
Present Primary Law.
SAY IT AIDS men IN OFFICE
"Gang" Control in St. Paul Declared a
Certainty Under the New Non
partisan Idea.

81. ENTHUSIASTICALLY yours
truly misjudges prevailing sentiment,
or at least efforts toward creating a
sentiment, the next session of the leg
islature is going to see a modifca-
ton of the present state and local pri-
mary law. No one would be surprised
il the session of the legislature to fol-
low did not return to the party label
and nomination of candidates by con-
vention. Sentiment for such has been
growing and in the past two weeks
fully a dozen influential papers pub
lished throughout the state have TAX
en- up the cudgel in behalf of the de-
sired change. Prominent among them
are the Minneapolis Journal, the
Mortified News and the Rock County
Herald. Two and four years ago
these same publications, with the pos
sible exception of the Rock County
Herald, advocated and to an extent
were responsible for the present pri-
mary infections, but now they admit
their mistake and ask for change.
Their cry has been taken up by pub
LEGATIONS of lesser Importance and
from the whole comes the cue that
some change in the law is sure. Those
who put the present statewide pri-
mary law and the nonpartisan act, as
applied to members of the legislature
and county officials, on the statute
books we're the "outs" and it is the
outs who are trying to force change.
ic hot oil Of
against any law that helps the other
mans candidate and-so there you
are. The law as it now stands is due
to return A. o. Eberhart to the guber-
Material chair for another two years,
together with others of less impor-
lance, and that is what rifles. At the
state capitol bets are even that a
change is due and unless it be mem
hers of the administration who have
and will profit from present conditions
sentiment favors a partial return at
least to the old order of things.
!. !. !.
One form of the new order of things
will be tried next May, when St. Paul,
the capital city of the state, will elect
a set of officers under the commission
form of government. Fully $50 candi-
dates have offered themselves as sac
riices for the dozen or more offices
to be filled. In the old days, even
with the much abused machine in
charge, the outcome was not by any
means cinch, but what will happen
next May in the Capital City is al
most a f0regOne conclusion. The
gang" SO called, is going to win. 1t
is as certain as the return of the pres
ent state administration to power next
November. The new charter, adopted
after much advertising and pulling by
the local daily papers. makes the out
come lead pipe cinch. Three of the
candidates for mayor, in published
statements, have admitted their will
ingness to accept brewery backing,
one of them being SO blunt as to ex-
cite indignation on the part of those
who believe that the new order of
things is a panacea for all municipal
and political ills. Looking at it cold
bloodedly the three candidates refer
red to are playing good game for it
is this same brewery backing that
will turn the trick. Centralize this
backing, with it's large following, and
there is absolutely no chance for the
others. The opposition will simply
be split a dozen ways.
!. y X
That threatened Republican get to-
gether meeting, in emulation of the
big Democratic love feast to be held
the latter part of the month, is among
the possibilities. Republican leaders,
among them j. F. Jacobson of Lac
qui Parle county, Representative G. B.
Bjornson of Minneota and others are
in the Twin Cities discussing the
proposition, while the Bull Moosers"
Of the state are actually holding a
convention. And they mean business,
too. Looks like the campaign is 60
ing to be some warmer than a few
expected.
insurance Commissioner Preus has
finally announced his candidacy for
the Republican nomination for state
auditor He is said to have the en-
thusiastic backing of the administra.
ton, which is anxious to get the scalp
of Henry Rines of Mora. l do not
take much stock in the talk, but a
story is abroad to the effect that the
Preus candidacy did not have the full
sympathy of the administration back
ers. 1t is said that two at least
and high up ones at that, regarded
Mr.. Preus' entrance into the game as
mistake They regarded it as liable
to make trouble, though conceding
that the insurance commissioner
would be nominated.
:. i. !.
Mr.. Rines, you probably heard, is
to have his eligibility to the auditor.
ship passed upon by the supreme
court. A friendly injunction suit was
brought and the hearing was set for