Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-03-07
WHAT WOLBERT SAYS.
His Reasons For Not Supporting the
Primary Election Bill-Sorry to Have
Disappointed the Herald.

His Reasons For Not Supporting the
Primary Election Bill-Sorry to Have
Disappointed the Herald.
EDITOR TRIBUNE: I notice in the
Grand Forks Herald of Sunday morning,
March 3, Mr.. Winship has an editorial
"Vote on the Cashel Bill" To correct
some of the inaccuracies of this editorial
l wish to call attention to some parts of
it. It refers to the ninth district and
Senator Lewis being nominated at a
convention which adopted resolution
declaring in favor of the principle
adopted in this bill.
I believe that this bill would be good
thing for Fargo as the ninth district, and
containing one-third the population of
Cass county. The article says Senator
Talcott has been said to express himself
in favor of the principle, yet voted
against the bill. Senator Wolbert, of
whom better things were expected is
quoted as having voted against the bill.
Regarding the features in the bill which
caused me to vote against it I wish to
state for the benefit of the people of the
tenth district and also for the benefit of
the Grand Forks Herald, that the prin-
ciple Of the primary election law is not
very good when it refers to any county in
which one city contains one-third of the
population in such county. 1t is bill
which can be used to the absolute detri-
ment of the will of the people being car
RED out by the provisions of the law. To
illustrate | would state that it is very
easy to round up the voters in the city
of Fargo and have them attend the polls.
1t is very difficult in the country districts
to have the people to get out to attend
an election or caucus. This is particu-
larly the case in the Red river valley
where it the weather is bad, and it has
been raining the roads are almost i'm
passable by team. These caucuses
would necessarily have to be called in
the fall when the farmers would either
be busy threshing or plowing, and when
they dislike very much to leave their
work, when it often means that the en-
tire crew loses the time to attend these
elections. 1t is a we'll known fact that
the average person will always figure on
taking care of his property, and looking
out for his own pocket book in preference
to attending caucus or even going to
the polls to vote. This refers entirely to
the country districts. In the cities we
will always find that the men who do the
work and who seek the offices will see
that their friends get out and attend the
| elections.
If the politicians of Fargo should 90
to work in an organized effort and decide
on one candidate for each office, and
then send some of their number into tie
country with the idea of getting as many
men as possible in the country for each
of these offices, they could under this
primary election law concentrate their
votes in Fargo on the men booked for
each office, while the candidates whom
| they had gone into the country and
started after Offices would each have
local following, and if five candidates
| should run for county treasurer of Cass
county from the country districts, allow
| ing each to be good man, the percent
age would be one fifth of two thirds or
two -ffteenths of the entire vote of the
county which percentage would 90 to
each man While the one man whom the
organization backed up in Fargo would
receive the entire vote or one third of the
total vote in the county, the result being
that the country districts would never
have any representation unless the said
machine saw fit to give it to them.
Mr.. Winship we'll knows that it is very
easy matter to find candidates in the
country who are willing to run for office
provided some one will go out, explain
how easy it is to be nominated under this
primary election law, and tell the gentle
man of the many friends he has, how he
will receive their support, then go into
some townships ten miles away and tell
another man the same story regarding
the same Office. For the above rea-
sons and others l voted against this
bill. One of the other reasons
which it may please Mr.. Winship to
know is the fact that two of the senators
elected from Grand Forks county this
year believed that it was necessary in
order to carry on the university of this
state which is located at Grand Forks
that they should vote taxing the farmers
of their county two-fifths of mill to paw
for the wolves killed in this state. In
view of the fact that they had put this
burden of taxation upon the farmers of
their county thought it no more than
right that should save the farmers of
Grand Forks county the expense of a
primary election la& and allow it to ap-
r1y nm tb., wolf 1,onnty f,~l ,,,..lx