The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-28
IT'S A PRETTY FIGHT.
That for Judge I'm the Seventh
North Dakota.

North Dakota.
Special to the Globe
PEMBINA, N. D., Sept. 27.-The con-
test for the judgeship for the Seventh
district is attracting attention through
out the whole state, and in this dis
trict is engaging more attention than
the state or county fights. The origin
of the contest is quite old. for North
Dakota, lying in the last session of
the legislature. The Seventh judicial
district was created by the last legis-
lature out Of the First district, which
consisted Of Grand Forks, Nelson, Penn
bina, Cavalier and Walsh counties, of
which C. F. Templeton was elected
judge several times. though he was
and is a Democrat, and ali the counties
of the district are Republican, except
Cavalier. His work was entirely sat-
isfactory and he would have been re-
elected this year easily If the district
had been left the same as before. AS
It Is, the counties Of the old district
will give him a handsome vote, as he
Is this year candidate for Judge of
the supreme court on the fusion ticket.
But bill was introduced into the leg
islature, setting apart the counties Of
Pembina. Cavalier and Walsh for a
new district and providing for the ap-
pointment by. the governor of a new
judge until the election of this year.
The chief lobbyist for the passage of
that bill was Otto E. Sauter, of Graf
ton, a lawyer of some little practice
there, but chiefly renowned as a pol
itician. Sauter remained in the 1egis-
lature through almost the entire ses-
sion working for this bill. 1t passed
the house and was in the senate re-
ferred to a committee, consisting Of the
senators from the three counties. All
this time petitions were being sent up
from Cavalier county, protesting
against the passage of the bill, nearly
all the prominent people, of Cavalier
county signing the petitions. OF the
five senators to which the bill was re-
ferred, two were In favor Of it, and
two were against 1t, while Jud La
Moure, of this county. had not taken
any stand. He knew that the gov
ernor was indebted to Sauter for many
favors, as Sauter had. to a. great ex-
tent, created Gov. Allin as g politician
and oficeholder. Pembina county had
two candidates, w. j. Kneeshaw, and
County Attorney N. C. Young. The
latter had recommendations from
Judge Templeton, the Sitting judge,
Burke Corbett, of Grand Forks, chair
man of the state Democrats committee
last year, and John Burke, candidate
for congress on the fusion ticket this
year and Of other leading Democrats,
as well as some of the ahlest lawyers
Of the state. La Moure bad the power
to do what he wished to do with the
bill, ard he went to the governor and
secured a promise. he says, from the.
governor, that he would appoint either.
Young or Kneeshaw. With that prom
ise, on the last day of the session La
Moure reported the bill and 1t was
passed by one vote, John Burke, then
state senator, voting for It. because he
lad the assurance. Of LaMoure that
Young would almost certainly get the
place, otherwise he would have voted
against It, The governor hesitated
about signing the hill, and, after sign
ing it. waited as long as the law would
permit him, and then appointed Sauter.
It Is said that this appointment of
Sauter was one of the chief things
which turned La MoUre against Allin
and made the latter's defeat for renom-
ination certain. for if La Moure ever
puts any name on his black list, the
history of politics in this state makes
that name a marked one at some future
time The judicial convention was
held at LaDgdnn, Sept 1b. and the re-
suit was a srlit convention. Penhina
county had Young delegates, Walsh
county had Sauter delegates and the
result depended on Cavalier county,
hut that county had two centesting
trouble, the Walsh county delegates re-
fused to abide by the decision Of the
chairman of the convention. and bolted
the convention, and with one of the
delega tions from Cavalier county NOM
irated Judge Sauter. while the Penn
hina county, delegation ard the other
delegation from Cavalier enunty united
and nominated Young Which will get
on the official ballot is now being de-
rf
As there Is fusion .mafsritv In the
district, 1t will be seen that If a good
Democrat had been nominated, there
would have been no do,tht Of his cleo
tion, as the Republican vote would
have heen split in two. Put there was
no Democratic LAWYER of Importance
who would he candidate for the nom
nation, and the Democratic and Pom
ulist nomination was captured by c..
A. Nj. Snencer. of Ora fton states at
torpey of Walsh county. who has been
a Republican all his life and had been
verv vindictive toward all Democrats
in the mast. Put after the Republican
convention had declared for sonnd
money, Spencer made spectacular
flop to the free silver men. Not
content with the Chicago pla tform
be became, in the twfnl<ling of an eye,
Pcpu1ist. and has irdorsed all the
Popubst nat3cca1> platform. He was
fer two terms attorney gene e-al of the
state and was candidate for lieuten-
ant governor in 1897 when the state
ticket wes defeated by fusion.
It leoks at this time as II N c.
YouBg, OF this county,. ..s sure to get
the place. It is a three-cornered fight
and hard to solve. But Mr.. Young
was two years ago reelected In this
county states attorney without ioppo-
sition~ actually receiving more votes
than the total number of votes cast
for the three candidates for governor
In this county. He is as popular with
the Populists and Defnocra Is of this
county as ever, while the Republicans
will vote for him to the man. The
Republicans will not vote for Sauter
for they are still sore over his ap-
pointment. and Young Is. very popular
with them, and is regarded over the
entire district with the gFea test favor
The impartial figures obtainable at
this time give Young in. this county
about 2,200 of the 5000 votes cast,
Sauter 500 and Spencer 500 In Cava-
her county Young1is also very strong
with all parties, and of the 1900 votes
there he ought to- receive at least
$50, while Sauter will get about 400
and Spencer 65A Walsh county is the
home of both Spencer and Sauter, and
they will receive the bulk of the vote
That county casts about 5000 votes,
of which 1T is fair to suppose that
Spencer will get 1000, Sauter 1900 and
Young 3O0 This estimate is said by