St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-10
FATHER POTTER IS OUT.
The Register of the Fargo Land
Office Writes a Sensational
Letter.
He Deserts His Party and Climbs
Into the Cleveland Band
Wagon.
Special to the Globe.

Special to the Globe.
FARGO, n. D., Feb. 9.-Waldo M.
Potter, register of the land office, and
the man who has earned the sobriquet
of the father of the Republican party in
North Dakota. gave the following letter
to the press tonight:
''AS the legislative farce, which has
been enacting at Bismarck for a month
past, is still exhibiting its ridiculous
and shameful features before the peo-
pie of the state and nation, it is proba-,
bly, safe to assume that nothing will be
done by the Republican majority
to vindicate the good name of
the party, or that will rebound
to the credit and substantial welfare
OF our young commonwealth. At any
rate, for one Republican | have had
enough. During twelve years have
been a. close observer of Republican
management in the Dakotas. always
hoping for improvement, and trusting
that statehood would bring emancipa-
ton from the currupt bosses who sub
stituted personal politics for the party
for discipline. and who. to accomplish
mercenary, personal and factious ends,
Systematically turned conventions and
legislatures, as the Jew did the temple
in the time of Christ, into
dens of thieves, but it seems that no
amount of punishment, not even dis
astrOus defeat in the place of former
two-thirds Republican vote. will teach
these bourbons anything. They must
have their pound of flesh of any can
didate for senator if the ducats are not
forthcoming, and during the present
conflict the old members Of the gang
have been divided. 1t has been i'm
possible for any candidate to WIN with.
out some of these buccaneers losing
their accustomed share of Doodle,
hence the prolonged failure. daily
horse play, shameless exhibit of
Republican folly, and surely dis
obedience of the only law on which
party organization can exist, the right
of the majority to control. Of this sort
of thing have had my fill. and. there
fore, my political action will be guided
by my judgment of what is best until
RepubIicanism in North Dakota means
the right of the majority, honestly OBJ
tanned. to select candidates which are to
be legally supported according to party
usages by the minority.
80 the Populists | at least can ac-
cord sincerity at least to the masses of
that new organization, but shrink from
their financial postulates as pregnant
with general bankruptcy ana ruin. Ma
tiQnal Democracy of the Cleveland type
is the least Objectionable L have seen
bearing the Democratic name in fifty
years. What l dislike most in it [ do
not expect to see take the form of law,
and the balance is not very bad politics
for these times, so | borrow no trouble
as to results. 1t IS not agreea-
BILE to make this avOWal. l have
been a Republican since there was
Republican party, and was a
delegate thirty-nine years ago to the
great Nebraska convention in New
York, when the keel of the Republican
craft was laid. Since then | have
helped to uphold its banner in three
states, East and West. and the value of
the services then rendered has been
acknowledged. But l have no longer
any sympathy with or liberation for
such spectacle as is now presented by
the Republican majority at Bismarck,
and | hereby wash my hands of auy
further completely, or responsibility
therefor