The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1904-04-13
Once upon a time there was a county


delegation that went down to the state
convention and, in their midst, they hat
candidate for state office. The head
of the delegation went to the state boss
and asked for certain place on the
ticket for his man. When asked as to
his qualifications he was told that s'he
had money and could drink more booze
than any other man in the state"
1t is needless to say that he got the
nomination and also election and he is
almost illiterate.
10 illustrate how party ticket, or
slate is formed: The party boss and a
few of his political friends and advisers
meet and lay out a line of action. The
best hustlers for votes in the various To-
calities are called in and told what they
can have, provided they can deliver their
own delegation to the party boss. In
this way the boss becomes sort of a
clearing house for the ward heeler, and
the voter stands helpless unable to ex-
press his honest opinion by his vote.
Then, again, the boss resorts to the unit
rule which works something like this:
The boss has majority in the county
convention and wants to deliver the
whole county to the state boss. A reso-
luton is introduced in the convention
that the delegation to the state conven-
ton ''vote as unit in all Matters and
the minority is never heard. Now,
the voter has choice between two
evils. One the republican ticket in
which he has no say; the other the
democratic ticket whose principles he
cannot endorse
This has been remedied in the state
where the primary election law has been
adopted, the party boss and ward heller
are dead and gone. "Peace to their
ashes" So much for the small fry.
Now let us consider the more impor-
tant phase OF this subject, that of state
politics. For years the people of North
Dakota have been swayed by coterie
OF men who have convened in the Wind
sor hotel, st. Paul and under the dom
mating influence of corporations, have
determined who shall or who shall not
represent the republican state ticket,
or 60 to the senate Of the U. S.
1t has become we'll known fact that
any state official who has fearlessly per-
formed the duties Of his Office and in be-
half Of the best interests Of the people
of the state, is invariably black balled''
by this self constituted body of political
bosses, who ride on passes and have
Pullman car privileges to the SANITY
City.
How long must the goodly patience
| of this people be tried. We have abso-
lutte faith in the honesty and power of
the people. Abraham Lincoln Lincoln
wisely said "You can fool all the people
some OF the time, some of the people all
OF the time, but you cant fool all Of the
people all the time
We believe that with proper agitation
in the interest of passing primary
election law at the next session Of the
state legislature great advance will be
made in eliminating bossism from with
in the borders Of the state. Let the
people be fully aroused as to the necesi-
ty OF passing law Of this character.
Let counties throughout the state
instruct its representatives to work for
and vote for a primary election law, and
and the old "kindergaten" will have
been destroyed the, st. Paul confer
ence will become thing Of the past.
This is government "of, for and the
people, but unfortunately up to the
present time it has been . government
Of state conventions in which the 'tcom-
bine" has been King
Given . primary election law and the
peop,e themselves will determine who
shall be their representatives and not be
forced, as in the past, to vote tho ticket
coated by the bosses, months before the
conventions have been held.
It is we'll known fact, that At the
last state conventions; the ticket was
named, and the entire proceed
ure was mapped out one
day before the convention met. Hun
dreds OF delegates sat in the conven-
ton without any possibility Of voice in
it's deliberations. This state Of affairs
We Is people condemn. Too long have
- houel1 n thu Adicf ai the 81 Paul