Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1898-10-27
Political Porridge.

Political P0rridge.
EDITOR COURIER:
Believing in your sense ol justice
that will accord to all, the right to
express their honest convictions in
matters which concern the welfare of
the commonwealth, humbly ask for
this privilege at your hands.
Having been born and brought up
in the republican fold am repu;:-
lican, and believe most sincerely in
true republican principles and take a
just pride in the many grand achieve
ments of the party, but this pride
does not ignore the fact that this rec
ord is not stainless, that it has made
grievous errors and that it tolerates
men within its ranks, who are unfit
for its favors and unworthy Of its
patronage.
1t is we'll known fact that the
party in North Dakota consists OF
two wings, temperance and anti
temperance. The anti.temperance
"machine" has held the crank and
manipulated the state affairs about
as they chose whenever the repub-
lican party was in control. They
have again placed a machine made
ticket before the people. Now the
question arises, must a good repub-
lican vote this ticket straight to be
true to his party and to the best
interests of the state? A thousand
times no! This ticket does not
represent the choice Of the best ele-
ment of the party nor the sober senti-
ment of the state.
This blind adherence to party is a
most fallacious one when there are
evils to remedy in that party. A
man may be most true to his party
by carefully discriminating between
the candidates presented for his legal
choice. If this were habitualIy done
by voters how long would it take the
party to find out that men of good
character must be nominated If they
hoped to elect their ticket. This
state ticket has men on its roster who
are known to be unfit to fill the
places ofhonor and responsibility, to
which they aspire. The republican
candidate fer attorney general has
proved himself unfit for the high
duties OF that Office. Allow me to
quote from the printed report of the
state enforcement league for the past
year: "Reselved that we express
most emphatically our condemnation
of Mr.. John F. Cowan, who occupies
the office of attorney general for this
state, for his persistent neglect and
tacit refusal to perform the duties of
his Office" This league represents
the best and truest element of our
state and is oficered by men Of
prominence and high character.
Their utterance carries weight. Can
true republican whose party plat
form declares for the enforcement of
the prohibitory law, vote to put him
again into that office? Then again
can the party afford to re-elect the
superintendent of public instruction?
Again we quote from reliable sources.
The Fargo Argus says: "Until Mr..
Halland takes legal steps to vindicate
himself, it cannot reasonably be ex-
pected that republican newspapers
will support his candidacy" The
Fessenden Free-Press says: ave
can't get sufficient grip on the queens
elegant English to demephitize the
porcine wallowings OF State
Superintendent Halland. We stand
appalled,, and leave it to the ladies'"
If there is no other worthv candidate,
vote were better thrown away than
to be used in reinstating officers who
have SO betrayed their trust.
"A Disfranchised Patriot.