The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1923-06-07
By Asa NJ. Wallace
Sank Genre Herald

Sank Genre Herald
In spite of the fact that nine
candidates have filed as Republicans
at the primary to be held June 18th,
the campaign has progressed suffic-
iently to indicate beyond question
that either Judge Oscar Hallarn or
Gov. ]. A. O. Preus, will be the man
chosen by the Republicans to be
voted on at the special election
booked for July 10Th.
It is generally recognized that
several candidates fled merely as
stool pigeons to middle the field and
make the nomination of Gov. Preus
certain. In the case of former Gov.
Burnquist, particularly, this mas
proven a Boomerang. Mr.. Burnquist
formerly resided in the First Ward,
St. Paul, and on Decoration Day
afternoon, we'll known and relia-
BILE political writer of the Twin Cities
interviewed 40 voters in this Ward,
taking them as he met them. This
poll showed that out of the forty, 81
were for Judge Hallam, six were for
Gov. Preus and the remining seven
stated that it was inmaterial to them
whether Judge HAlam or Gov. Preus
received the nomination. It is quite
likely that Burnquist will retire
from the race before the ballots go
to the printer.
Reports from st. Louis County
indicate that while Vic. Powers,
mayor of Hibbing, will get big
vote on the range his support there
is not as enthusiastic as the friends
of Gov. Preus' had hoped for. The
records of the St. Louis County vote
in the last election disclose some
very interesting. facts. Mr.. Preus
carried the City of Duluth by plur-
atty over Magnus Johnson Of 1850.
Ed. Inderhus, democratic candidate,
had 215S votes in Duluth, cutting
Preus' majority in the City to 1912.
The Governor carried but small
percentage of the precincts in the
county outside of the City of Duluth,
and the combined majority against
him in ST.. Louis County was 6,407
The apparent reason for the filing
of Vic Powers is to scatter the OPP
position vote against the Governor in
this County.
In Hennepin County, Gov. Preus
had a plurlity over Mr.. Johnson of
14,756. The Inderhus vote in Henne-
pin was 12,458, giving the Governor
majority of 1928. Gov. Preus ran
5,465 votes behind Secretary of State
Mike Holm in this County.
The plurality in Hennpin saved
Mr.. Preus' political scalp as his fl
nal plurality in the State was only
14,277. Ed Inderhus, the Democrat
ic candidte for Governor received a
total of 79,903 votes, so it can be
seen that Mr.. Preus lacked about
$4,000 votes of having majority in
Minnesota. ...-.
- - - ~ sslasf~"ss
In 1920 Mr.. Preus was elected by
the biggest plurality ever given a
candidate for Governor in Minnesota.
This plurality Of 134,403 was
not an index of the popularity of Mr..
Preus but he was carried along. on
the Harding tidal wave. A falling
off over 10000 plurality in two
short years indicates very clearly that
the people have lost faith in him.
In 1920 Gov. Preus' majority over
the Shipstead and Hodson vote was
53, ITO.
Even the most ardent supporters
of the Governor in the present con-
test must recognize the fact that he
is even less popular in the State than
he was last November. The chang
ing of but a few votes in each of the
$500 or so precincts in Minnesota
will turn a victorious candidate into
a dead one.
q
Criticism over the calling of a
Special Election to select aNsucces-
sor to Senator Nelson is increasing.
The cost of this election will not be
less than 100000 while a. special
session of the legislature could have
been assembled to clarity any doubt
in the present law at an expenditure
of not to exceed $4,000 of the tax
payers money.