The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1918-02-14
State Politics Starting to Boil

st. Paul, Feb. 13.-The first official
filing of the campaign was listed last
week when George G. Magnuson of st.
Cloud parted with fifty perfectly
good dollars for the right to contest
with I. A. Caswell of Anoka for the
office of clerk of the supreme court.
Mr.. Magnuson registered his name
with Secretary of State Schmahl and
he will have a place on the June
primary ticket. Oddly enough, the
first inkling that the Anoka man was
to have opposition came out of Mime
apolis where Mr.. Caswell is in bad
with a certain cotrie of politicians
who do not take kindly to his ad-
mitted control of party affairs in the
state and the filing of Mr.. Magnu-
sons name is generally taken to have
more or less of a connection. Just
now Mr.. Caswell is out of the state
and his views in the matter cannot be
ascertained, but friends speaking for
him say he is not worried. I'm
doubtedly Mr.. Magnuson knows wat
he is doing, but in this neck of the
woods his expenditure of fifty dollars
for a place on the primary ticket is
generally regarded as that much
money thrown away. Caswell, they
argyle, cannot be beaten, and any fight
made on him will involve the entire
Republican primary ticket. Such,
they further point out, can only mean
trouble for the head of the ticket.
There is no concealing the fact that
there is no love lost between Mr..
Caswell and Gov. Burnquist. These
two broke months ago, but if the
Anoka man has had any idea of
revenge he has not shown it. Rather
he has kept in the background and
steadfastly refused to tie up with
other gods. "This is poor time to
get even," has been his answer.
"Boss" in politics is a word re-
pungnant to many and the many
close friends of Mr.. Caswell scattered
over the state have anything but
kindly feelings for any one who at
tempts to use the word in the Anoka
mans case, but it has to be admitted
that Mr.. Caswell is the Republican
heavyweight of Minnesota. And no
one knows it better than the remnants
of the Old Guard who have tried to
dispute the title. Twice they have
endeavored to send him to the dis
card and each time he has come out of
the scrap stronger than ever. Even
his excellency the governor is aware
of this fact and is not any too keen
to be mixed up in anything antagonis-
tic to "Cas." The clerk of the supreme
court is no novice in the political
game, as quite few in Anoka coun-
ty, where Mr.. Caswell once reigned,
have good cause to remember and
ever since his leap into the big game
he has been pretty much it. Mr..
Caswell's long suit in a political way
has been his strict attention to the
new order of things and naturally
those of the old school who have at
tempted to impede his progress have
been worsted. AS a result he now
numbers his followers in every pre-
cinct in the state and only call is
needed to bring them rushing to his
standard. Mr.. Caswell is now serving
his second term as clerk of the
supreme court and the opinion is
general that the November election
will record third term. He is a
natural born fighter and leader and
will not be satisfied unless he is in the
thiekest of the fray. Of the Anoka
man it is said that he works and
fights "a hours day and his success
full political and official record to date
would seem to bear out the claim.
That organized labor in the state
is going to have something to say in
the coming state campaign was indi-
Gated this week at Winona when sew
eral high in organized labor circles
gave every indication that labor would |
not be with the present governor this
year. In speeches made they showed
their unalterable opposition and
hazarded the opinion that the other
fellow, if there was such, would re-
,ceive the full support of organized
labor in the state. The recent street
car riots in St. Paul and the COVER
nor's prompt suppression of those re-
sponsible is in measure behind the
stand taken.
The State Safety Commission this
week, answering numerous dry pc
titions, issued an order forbidding !
further shipments of liquor to over
fifty Minnesota counties. The counties
included in the order were those COW
cred by the Indian treaties and made
dry under the county option law. No
saloons or breweries were put out of
business. The reason given was the
prevention Of blind plugging. For over
q week now the Safety Commission