The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1919-05-29
SENATOR NAILS LIES
Richard Hamer Shows Where BOlshe-
visit Editor Perverted Truth
in Senate Report.
Statements, Said to Have Been Taken
From Senate Journal, Dis
torted by Times Man.
Editor of Union:

Editor of Union:
In a recent communication to you I
stated that nonpartisan league jour-
nalism, including the Milaca Times,
aims to create prejudice and strife
more than to give the unvarnished
truth. I did not think at that time,,
& however, that the paper named would
so soon furnish additional material in
such large quantity to sustain the
charge as it has in it's issue of May
%.
On the first page, column 1 is
headed, GLOW Legislative Members
Voted" J. w. Witham, special rep
resentative of the Times in the legis-
lature, discusses "Votes of Our Dele
CATION" This old "cornstalk philoso-
pher" was not one of the recognized
reporters, but he haunted the legisla-
tive chambers to catch anything that
could be distorted sufficiently to suit
his purpose. He writes: "Senator.
Hamer, elected in opposition to the
nonpartisan league, apparently felt it
his duty to vote with the crowd that
supported him. Lacking legislative
knowledge and experience, he was an
easy prey to designing politicians and
lobbyists"
On this matter it would be interest
ling if some Of the lobbyists would re-
late their experience and success with
this "easy prey" The edieor of the
Times might ask A. H., K. T., or C. S.
"He first voted to unseat Wilcox"
says the philosopher" "He followed
this up by voting to destroy the direct
primary law" We will look at the
Wilcox hobbyhorse later. Concerning
the primary law we will say that the
senate never voted on such a measure
in the last session. The bill which
passed the senate, and which Hamer
voted for, was "A bill for an act per-
. hitting political conventions to en-
dorse candidates before primary cleo
tions." Strangely, every nonpartisan
voted against it, thereby refusing to
give legal sanction as far as they were
concerned, to their own practice. "On
the bill to repeal the safety commits
sion he did not vote at ALL" This
is true. 1t is also true that Magnus
johnson did not vote on this. The
reason why did not vote on this was
because was sick and in bed at the
time, though I would have voted
against repeal.
Under the act of 1917, which pro-
vided for the creation of the public
safety commission, its existence was
4, sdue to terminate very soon. This bill
sought to stigmatize that body with
the disgrace of being kicked out. The
majority report of the committee
recommended indefinite postponment.
The minority of two recommended it
to pass. The record of the vote on
this gives Stepan voting mo" and
Naplin, on request, was Excused" In
the next and final vote on this bill
Naplin, Schmechel and Stepan voted
to indefinitely postpone. These men
are nonpartisan league members but
could not go the league program.
So the leagues philosopher" would
make out case against Hamer on
this issue, for Milaca readers, when
one of their own men also did not
vote, and the others voted for and
against! Some job-some 'philoso-
pher"-a fit specimen of the kind Of
ten grown in cornfelds among the
stalks. So much for the "philoso-
piers misrepresentation.
:. Now for the editor of the Times.
=, IN the same issue of the paper he
lays, speaking on his favorite topic.
viz, the Sullivan Wilcox affair:
"After the minority report failed it
was supposed that the next move
of the Sullivan supporters would be
to move the adoption of the majority
report, and to head this off Senator
Guilford offered the resolution to de-
clare the office vacant and call spe-
cial election. This move was made
only after failure to seat Senator Will
cox by passing the minority report.
These statements are taken direct
from the senate journal which we
have before u.s."
~ 1t may be true that he had the
s1senate journal, but it is not true that,
his statements were taken direct from
it. The. journal does not contain a
word as to anything Supposed" or as
to the purpose Of the Guilford resolu-
ton. It is certain, however, that the
idea of the resolution did not originate
just at that time. In accordance with
senate rules the resolution was pre-
sented in triplicate written form, and