The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-22
ISSUE IN NORTH DAKOTA
PRIMARY ELECTION REFORM L:
WHAT THE FLICKERTAILS
WANT NOW
WILL COME UP THIS WINTER
Session of the Legislature VIII Have
Chance to WrestIe With,
Also the Prohibition
Clause.

GRAND FORKS, N. D., Nov. N-Prim-
AIRY election reform is to be injected into
the coming session of the Legislature as
possible issue. A portion of tha state
press favors it, mostly those papers which
are pronounced anti-gang. The friends
of this principle are increasing rapidly.
The newspapers are beginning to calcu-
late that a good primary election law
would make their powers and influence
within party lines greater than that of
the convention organizer and manipulation
less. So one by one they come out OF
the tall timber and support the PROPOSE
ton. Primary election reform will be
aten in all probability at this session
resubmission measure carries, then
mary election reform and prohibition
VIII be the big bones of contention in the
next 'pre-conventiOn campaign waged in
Republican ranks.
The people of the state appear to be
we'll convinced that the next legislature
is to see a fierce struggle against pro-
hihitiOn. They have been given the tip
from various sources that this has been
the programme since the date of the
Republican state convention.
Prohibition is the chief local issue in
this state. The Republican party mas
fathered and protected 1t since statehood.
At the last Republican convention the
combine pushed its work through 50
fast, and the delegates began leaving the
convention hall so early that the Pro-
hibItion cause was almost forgotten
There was but a small portion Of the
delegates of the convention left when ex-
Congressman Johnson moved the time
honored Prohibition plank, and II passed
The Republican state ticket was no
favOrite with the ultra-Prohtbs in the
campaign. A few of the members of the
old Prohibition party got together and
tried to do something. There was little
they could do. They nominated state
ticket and indorsed John Carmody, Dem
Ocratic nominee for attorney general. The
enforcement league officers, principally
by Republicans was "agin the gang"
They worked hard for Carmody with the
intention of reducing ComstockS major
ity to a point where no Republican con-
Vention would want to nominate him
again. AS far as governor was concern
ed they could do nothing. They tried
to pledge White against signing any bill
faVoring resubmiSsiOn as modifying the
penalty clause of the Prohibition law.
Wip erman was no use to them, as he
was talking resubmIssion in the German
districts while his friends were talking
prohibition among the ScandinaVians
The enforcement league failed to accom-
plish much in the attorney general con-
test, and they do not know where Gov.
White will stand on Prohibition legis-
lation, beyond the fact that the platform
on which he made the race contained
a Prohibition plank
p In an address issued by the enforcement
legaue previous to election that Organi-
cation gave out the information that the
election of Comstock as attorney general
was the first fierce assault of a sys-
tematic campaign planned by the liquor
element Of the country against the Pro
hibitiOn law of North Dakota. This but
voices the idea prevalent among Proh!bs
that this is the time and the coming
session of the legislature the one in
which a desperate assault on their pet
law is to be made.
If the anH-Prohib wing of the Repub-
lican party Is able to score a victory
at this session, they may feel strong
enough, backed by the majority given
their ticket this election, to eliminate
Prohibition from the platform at the next
convention.