Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-11-06
In Other Words, A Terrible
Political Snowstorm,
In which Numerous Citizens
are Overwhelmed.
The Entire Republican Ticket
Elected,
Except Emmett Creel and Lieu
tenant Orr.
Maher Defeated by a Very
Large Plurality.
D. W. Ensign Carries both
Ramsey and Walsh.

The half-mile posts in political history
are those which mark the meridian be-
tween presidential years. Last Tuesday
these half-mile posts were planted all
over the country-in some states for
governor and full ticket for state off,
GERS, in others for cong ressmen, but in
all the states and territories the people of
the various counties went to the polls
and voted for local officers. The result,
80 far as it interests the readers Of this
journal, will be found below.
In Ramsey the contest centered upon
the choice Of men who are to conduct
county affairs for the succeeding two
years, and upon the material we should
send to the territorial capital this winter.
The result is all the Republicans could
ask-all they worked to secure. All the
the nominees of the Republican county
convention are elected, and the mistake
Of the convention in the matter OF leg
islative nominee is rectitied. Tho ma.
jorities leave no doubt ~ to the party's
strength Or the peoples will.
There are many features of the contest
which fluent pen could engage to do
scribe; there are some which cannot be
described without heaping Goals Of fire
upon the heads Of defeated candidates,
and this the INTER-OcEAN will not do.
In the legislative contest, there were
two candidates from Ramsey county
one the nominee of the Grafton cOnven-
ton. the other supported by representa-
tive citizens who emphatically object to
makinga a aw-breaker Il law-maker. II.
NJ. Creel is defeated, and D. w. Ensign,
the candidate of decency. is elected.
Mr.. Ensign's majority in the district
(Ramsey ana Walsh counties) is nearly,
ifnot quite, 1000. Owing to certain COM
binations, which everybody can read in
the tabulated returns on this page, his
majority is small here. Had Mr.. Maher
placed Mr.. Ensign on his tickets instead
of Creel, the result would have been diff
ferent land Mr.. Maher's vote would
have been larger. AS it is Creel runs
about 400 behind tho head of his ticket
(Gifford), and nearly 1000 behind the
head of the county ticket (PercivaU. 1t
Is enough to know that Ramsey and
Walsh counties will be represented In
the legislature by an honorable and up
right man. The friends of Mr.. Ensign
are fully compensated in having the sat-
isfaction Of knowing that he is elected,
and that he carried both counties.
Creel's campaign for the position covers
period Of over two years; Ensign's
campaign was begun less than two weeks
before the election. 1t IS an overwhelm-
ing defeat for the one and greater vic
tory for the other. Creel is forever done
for in Ramsey county. With the lessons
Of the campaign, just closed, fresh in
their minds, the Republicans will be
more cautious next time. They will
leave such political timber as Creel for
their opponents. His nomination was
obtained by false pretenses; he can never
again deceive the Republican party in
Ramsey county. Here are two rules
which every Republican should paste in
his hat. They are reproduced from last
weeks STER-OcEAN, and furnished the
basis upon which this journal stood dur
ing the contest which resulted in tre-
mendous victory last Tuesday:
First, put up none but good clean men
for Office. If bad character happens
to get onto the ticket by mistake, or by
chicanery on his own part, cut him off.
Second, an acceptable and representa-
tive ticket being completed and put into
the field. every voter in the party should
stand by it.
LARGE VOTE.
According to the vote cast, Ramsey
county has almost doubled it's popula-
ton in the past two years. In 1884 the
total vote polled was 735; this year it is
between 1900 and ! 400. The average Re-
publican majority in the county is 400.
The largest majority is 6s6 for Wagness
oyer Stanley for sheriff, and the smallest
majority is 294 for Morgan over o. Brien
for district attorney. Two years ago
Wagness' plurality over Ferguson was
107, and Morgan's majority over o. Brien
was Al. The most surprising feature of
the election, however, is the vote for
treasurer. In 1884 Maher had plurality
over Walker of lO7; this year Serumgard
has plurality over Maher of 293. The
comparative vote for register of deeds is
also quite interesting. In 1884 Percival's
majority over Kelly was 81; this year
ho do L,, rNl
a very large majority for Mr.. Percival
when we consider the fight that was
made upon him by the combined Demo-
cratic and Maher forces.
The Territory.
GIFFORD's MAJORITY.
CANTON, Dak., Nov. l.-Gifforu's ma
jority in Lincoln 7lO; decrease of 200
from vote Of 1884.
Tho A1voooto olofv,,. mn