The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1905-12-06

The present state machine and the
"insurgents" will meet next year in a
battle royal for the control of the re-
publican party of North Dakota. While
administration leaders belittle the OPP
position movement, and declare that it
will fizzle out before the convention, one
thing is apparent to the observer. The
insurgents are opening their fight earlier
than ever before, with more system, and
with more application of principal pol
itics than the "outs" have ever before
displayed.
The preliminary moves are being
made by an executive committee of five,
consisting Of B. r. Spalding, of Fargo
Senator Krabel, of Clifford, Trail coun-
ty, George B. Winship, of Grand Forks,
J.J. Nierling, of jamestown. and P. D.
Norton, of Devils Lake. These men all
avow that they are not candidates for
state positions, and that their only OBJ
ject is to overturn the machine and de-
pose Alex Mckenzie, Jud LaMoure and
Senator Hansbrough from the leader
ship. The Scandinavian Republican
league, which made the effort last year
alone, will work with this committee to
organize the state by counties and to
get an "anti" majority in the next state
convention. The league will send a
committee to confer with the Spalding
committee when itsmeets some time dur
ing 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 we're often inclined to be hos
tile, but with compact minority pledged
to their program it was easy for Nc
Kenzie and LaMoure to detach, enough
counties by giving them places on the
state ticket, SO as to get control, and
s:sign up" majority Of the delegates in
an agreement to support the slate be-
fore the convention met.
The insurgents program is next time
to oppose organization with organiza-
ton. The unit rule has been abolished
by law, which will make it harder to
frame up slate, and the generalship of
the contending leaders will be taxed as
it never was BEFORE With forces any
where near equal, the experience and
acuteness of the machine heads would
probably win, but the insurgents are
trying to organize revolt that will
swamp the machine entirely.
The work is cut out for them. They
will have to present an issue to the vot-
ers, something more than the general
cry Of bossism. The machine leaders
and papers declare that the opposition
consists of "soreheads" -of men who
have failed to get reorganization from
the machine. They say it is only case
Of the 'outs" against the tins with no
good reasons presented why the state
should turn out one machine and take
in another. In spite of the charges that
are floating around, the machine claims
that the state has been given clean
administration, and that the opposition
cannot put their fingers on thing to
the discredit of present state officers
They say that in their present state OF
prosperity and preoccupation with bust
ness the voters of North Dakota cannot
be aroused by any mere tight Of "outs'
against "ins," and that, like the man
from Missouri, they will have to be
shown.
WILL SEND SCOUT TO BISMARCK.
There is good deal of political sense
in their claim, and the insurgents re-
->alize it. They propose. however, to make
good, and present some facts to prove
their contention that the state needs a
change. Within few days, I am in
formed, the insurgents committee will
have u representative at Bismarck to
make an exhaustive examination of the
state records, All rumored Irregular
ties will be sifted to the bottom, and the
facts as found will be gotten up IN cir
cular form for the newspapers, and sent
= broadcast over the state.
Much of the investigation will relate
to the capitol building deal. The state
has been stirred to q surprising degree
since the supreme court knocked out
the capitol commission law. The act
was put thru by the machine influence
slast winter, without much public inter
est being manifested one way or the
other. 1t provided for tearing dewn all
of the present capitol except the newly
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