The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1914-03-19
VERSIONS Endorsement Brings
Subject to the Front.
EXTENSION OF DRY TERRITORY
Strong Anti-Liquor Sentiment Shown
at Recent Town and Village
Elections.


State Auditor S. G. Iverson, candidate
for the Republican nomination for
governor. He has come out fatfoot-
ed for the issue, together with a radi-
cal extension of local option which at
the present time only applies to towns
and villages and cities of the fourth
class. Since the inception of the I'M
tried idea of regulating the liquor
traffic county option has been before
the legislatures of that period in some
form or another, but each time has
gone down to defeat The issue was
at it's best in the years between 1905
and 1909, but while many members of
the legislature were elected with it
as their chief pledge when the. issue
came to vote the necessary majority
was lacking. One Democratic candi-
date for governor, James Gray, adopt
ed county option as a part of his plat
form, but he, together with the issue,
finished a poor second. To be frank
about it, yours truly is not a county
option enthusiast. Ten years of po-
litical observation and fair knoWl-
edge of the workings of the crowd
known as the Anti-Saloon league,
of the county option movement. will
not permit of any other stand, but
such does not minimize the fact that
there are thousands of people through
out Minnesota who believe that it is
the only panacea for all liquor ills.
They are honest in their views and
they contribute literally of their votes
and their money in it's behalf.
!. !. :.
What the rural districts think Of
the liquor question is best told in the
dispatches of last week giving returns
in the village and town elections held
throughout the state In scores of
them license or no license figured and
the result was a heavy addition to
the dry territory. In several cases,
however, dry towns went wet, show
ing a shifting Of sentiment; still this
does not detract from the fact that
anti-boOze is still burning question,
and perhaps Mr. Iverson builded right
when he adopted it as a campaign
though is that what happened at the
town and village elections last Tues
day was not due to county option. It
was the use of anti-liquOr laws now
on the books, and right here, fellows,
if these same laws were taken advan-
tage Of Minnesota would be as dry
as the desert of Sahara. County op-
t1o Of
ed down here, would only hamper the
dry movement, as it's presence on the
statute books would anger those hon
estly opposed to the saloon as far as
their own localities are concerned
and yet content to permit other COM
munities to handle the liquor ques.
ton as they deem best. Good work
now being done in a dry way. they
contend, would be shackled as the
question would be kept in the air and
made the basis Of continual turmoil
with an energetic few reaping the
benefit in the shape Of campaign con-
tributions wrung from the unsuspect.
ing many.
y.
has decided to again ask the voters to
return him to his present official po-
sition. He has filed for denomination
and it looks very much as if he would
go to the polls on primary day unop-
posed The chances of his elimina-
ton, even if opposition develops, are
decidedly remote. Appointed by Gov
ort tn he
caused by the resignation Of former
Attorney General George T. Simpson,
and elected to the position at the gen
eral election which followed, Govern
orr Smith, as he is generally address
ed by those at the state capitol, has
come as near making good as any Off
cial in the state capitol. The success
full finish of the famous Minnesota
rate cases must be credited in part
to him. Others laid the ground work.
but he was in at the finish. By rea-
son of his activity and legal mind
there are dozens Of good laws now
on the statute books that otherwise
would be in the discard When
the writer first knew the state legal
department its office force consisted
of a chief, an assistant and a stenog.
rapher Today there are half a doz.
en- assistants, numerous clerks and
stenographers and its contributions to
the state revenues run into the mil.
lions of dollars.
!. :. !.
Another executive official of the state
to ask for a renewal Of his official
tenure is Julius A. Schmahl, secretary
of state. He has filed for renomina-
ton. Like Attorney General Smith,
Mr.. Schmahl seems destined to get by
without opposition: The general YER
dict is that he is unbeatable as far as
this election is concerned, and I fig.