The Minneapolis journal., 1905-11-27
NORTH DAKOTA IS
FACING A FIGHT
Insurgents Getting Ready for At.
tack on Conduct Of State
Affairs by Machine.
Opposition Republicans Expect to
Be Well Organized for the
Next State Contest.
From a STAFF Correspondent.

Fargo, N: D.. Nov. 27.-The present
state machine and the insurgents
will meet next year in a battle royal
| for the control Of the republican party
of North Dakota. While administra-
tion leaders belittle the opposition
movement, and declare that it will fizzle
out before the. convention, one thing is
gents are opening their fight earlier
than ever before, with more system, and
with more application of practical pol
itics than the "outs'' have ever be-
fore displayed.
The preliminary moves are being
made by an executive committee Of
five, consisting of B. =; spalding Of
county. George B. Winship Of Grand
4 Forks, J. j. .Nierling of Jamestown and
P. D.. Norton Of Devils Lake. These
men all avow that they are not candi-
dates for state positions, and that their
only object is to overturn the machine
and depose Alex Mckenzie, Jud La
Moure and Senator Hansbrough from
publican league, which made the effort
last year alone. will work with this
committee to organize the state by
counties and to get an anti major
ity in the next state convention. The
league will send committee to con-
fer with the Spalding committee when
it meets some time during December in
Fargo, and at this conference some plan
of merging the reform organizations
will be working out.
At the past state conventions. the
machine has found it comparatively
simple matter. The. majority Of the
delegates were often inclined to be hos
tile. but with compact minority
i pledged to their program it was easy
for Mckenzie and La M!oure to detach
enough counties by giving them places
and "sign up' majority Of the dele.
gates in an agreement to support the
slate before the convention met.
The insurgents program is next time
to oppose organization with organiza:
tion. The unit rule has been abolished
4 by law, which will make it harder, to
frame up a slate, and the generalship
of the contending leaders will be taxed
as it never was before. With forces
, anywhere near equal, the experience
! and acuteness Of the machine heads
would probably win, but the insurgents
are trying to organize revolt that viii
swamp the machine entirely.
J, The work is cut out for them. They
will have to present an issue to thu
, voters, something more than the gen
eral cry Of bossism. The machine leaders
!, and papers declare that the opposition
, consists of t'soreheads ',-----of men whit
have failed to get recognition from tn
: machine They Sc it is only a case q.
/ the "outs'' against the ms, = witt
J. no good reasons presented why the STATE
, should turn out one machine and tak'
in another. In spite Of the charges
) that are floating around, the machine
> claims that the state has been givel
+ clean administration, and that th'
|, opposition cannot put their fingers OF
!, thinSfo the discredit Of present stat,
offc1s. They say that in their pres
; ent state Of prosperity and preoccupa
!, tion with business the voters Of Nortl
Dakota cannot be aroused by any mer
q fight Of "outs' against ms, ant
: that, like the man from Missouri, the,
: will have to be shown. .ltsr
, Will Send Scout to Bismarck.
There is good deal Of political sens
in their claim, and the insurgents re
a alize it. They propose, however, to max
t good, and present some facts to prov
: their contention that the state needs
+ change. Within few days, I am in
formed, the insurgents committee viii
. have representative at Bismarck t.
make an exhaustive examination Of tn
. state records. All rumored Irregular
!: ties will be sifted to the bottom, an
!. the facts as found will be gotten up i
!. circular form for the newspapers, an
!. sent broadcast over the state.
s Much of the investigation will relat
s to the capitol building DEAL The stat
!: has been stirred to a surprising degre
since the supreme court knocked on
s the capitol commission law The ac
!. was put thru by the machine infuenc
. last winter, without much public inter
$ Continued on I'd Page, 5th Column.