Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1900-10-26
NOT Much HOPE.
Situation in the State Not such as
to Delight the Fusion
Forces
Indications Point to an Increased
Majority Over Four Years
Ago.
Fusion Cause is Practically Hopeless
Underline Existing Political
Conditions.

A political correspondent says of the
North Dakota situation: Republican
leaders of North Dakota are satisfied
that the majority for the republicans
in the state will equal if not exceed
that Of the election two years ago, and
that the majority for Mckinley will be
double that of 1896. Prominent re-
publicans of the state do not hesitate
to state their belief that if the election
day is fair and such a day as will poll
a full vote, Mckinley will get 15,OOU
majority in the state. This is said
after a careful canvass of the state, IA
poll Of the voters in the various coun-
ties and after averaging the opinions
of the republicans who have been do
ing the campaigning.
The majority or White, so the lead
ers state, will be larger than that given
for Fancher two years ago. Then
the republican candidate for governor
got a majority Of 1872. The largest
majority in the state at that time was
secured by Driscoll, the republican
candidate for treasurer, who got over
1000. Several others of the repub-
lican candidates got more than 10000.
Fancher's small majority was due to
the fact that while in Grand Forxs
county the other republican candidates
got a majority Of 800, he was defeated
in the county by Dave Holmes, the
fusion candidate by 100 votes. The
republicans were out with their cary
ing knives for the head of the ticket
two years ago in Grand Forks county,
and as a result of the detection Fan
cher came out Of Grand Forks county
with a handicap Of 1000 votes to over
come to run even with the other can
didates.
This year there will be a somewhat
similar experience in store for Frank
White, the republican candidate IN
Richland county, the home of Wiper
man. There Wipperman will get a
majority of 800 Or GOO, in a county that
two years ago gave Fancher a majority
Of about $50. This will be a handicap
Of LOCO votes or less for White. But
OH the other hand, Grand Forks ROM
Uses to be right this year and to return
a good majority for the entire ticket.
So If White loses some in Richland,
he will make a big gain in Grand
Forks owe the vote two years ago.
There is II other county in which
the republicans look for some slash
ing. and hat is Walsh. The fusion
candidate who will run best in that
county is Jake Birder, the candidate
for treasurer. who is a resident If
Walsh county. All of the fusion ticket
will carry Walsh county, but by no
such majorities as were expected sew
eral weeks ago. The republicans are
doing some hard work in Walsh county
now, and hope to cut down the fusion
majority materially. Two years ago
Walsh county was off color for the re-
p%ublicans to the tune of 300 or 400
votes. The failure of Driscoll to Sc
cure denomination this year from the
republicans does not tend to. brighten
republican prospects in Walsh, but the
republicans hope to overcome some If
the feeling, as Driscoll is himself in
charge of the republican campaign.
What the %fusionists are going up
against in this state may be realized
from the fact that in the campaign
two years ago the f%usionists carried
but one county in the state-Walsh.
Every other county went republican by
majorities ranging from 80 in the
smaller counties to 1900 in Cass.
Nothing has happened in the state 20
turn any votes to the fusion side, be-
yond what little effect local pride may
have in some instances. When the
fusionists are claiming a chance for
their state ticket, under the circum-
stances it seems purely a case of much
cry and little wool. The central and
western counties of the state will re-
turn as large, if not larger, majoritics
than two years ago for the republic
cans. The increase in the vote has
been large and the majority of it is
republican. With the bulwark of one
solitary county carried in 1898 to
build hopes on for this campaign, the
nature of the fusion hope this year
may be readily appreciated.