The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1906-04-25


Republican central committee in Fargo
Saturday and made the following COM
inent ;s * 33
There s; plenty Of food for thought
tfor the student Of politics in the meet
Ling of the state central committee of
this State at Fargo last Saturday There
Twas much more to- be gathered than
Itlle mere meeting of tile committee, for
Ithe work befors IT, while important,
Twas somewhat formal. 1t was what the
tmep gathered from every county of the
state, and meeting for the first time be-
fore the coming state campaign, thought
lof the condition and prospects that made
1.-THE gathering of more than ordinary in
iterest. 8
T The first thing that strikes the seeker
tafter political truth on the condition of
the republican party in the state is that
tthere is an infinitesinai small amount of
party disruption sentiment to be found
throughout the state; this statement
docs not imply that there is no such
thing as members of the party who are
lafiliated with what is designated as
the insurgents, for there are members
| of the republican party members of
| the state central committee-who advo-
cate a change in men. But the crowd
who believes the state has been looted"
| by those who have served the public in
| high places Of trust and who believe
both it and the people will go to
| the damnition bow-Wows if there is
mot a change of leadership, are con-
| lined to decidedly narrow limits.
Let me cite an illustration of this
condition, Fargo is the home of. Mr..
Spalding, at present the acknowledged
leader of the rule or ruin element. He
| is lawyer of prominence and in private
life man of unblemished character,
and has lived in the city for more than
twenty years 1t is fair to infer from
these conditions that if his connection
with the present ir1surrection in the re-
publican party would arouse any en-
thusiasm anywhere. Fargo would be the
Iplace.
1t has been stated that the recent
municipal campaign in the city showed.
the overwhelming sentiment of the city
against the insurgents. This may or,
matter is the sentiment and judgment
Of the business men of the city-tnen
who are not professional politicians and
who look at party politics as they do at
their business. Careful inquiry among
these by a stranger whose politics and
factional Affiliations were to them alb
solutely unknown, failed to disclose a
single. man who would support Mr..
Spaiding and the instrgent faction in
its fight te8secure Control of the party
Ask these people reason for their
position and they I1ire cases in ten, will
tell yoli that what this state needs in
its administration are business men and
business methods. mot politics and a
hungry scramble foTas the loayes and
fishes. One of these men III falking
on this matter said he could not be
convinced that there was anything in
tie present reforms except the desire
to Secure offices. He cited the present
superintendent of public instruction as.
an example IF the present leaders Of
the republican party IN this state are
Responsible for the evils as they say,
they fnust also be responsible for the.
good and so long as they give the State
such executives asgthe present one and
such educators as the one we have, the
people who have the interest of the
state at heart and who have no axes to
grind, need not be ashamed of giving
them their hearty support"
Another gentleman standing by. added
that it seemed very peculiar that the
insurgents would Jump at the chance
to get Mr.. Stockwell to become their
candidate for governor, and that he
failed to see what reform there was in
the insurgents giving the state a man
for governor that the gang" had re-
|peatedly given it for superintendent of
public instruction.
Here is another story told by busi4
ness man, as a joke. but which he de-
eclared was true, and it is reported for
what it lis worth. AT the time the in
Esnrgents met behind closed doors ID
Fargo, they decided they needed an OF
gan with apologies TO The Herald
and found one could be procured for the
sum of $3.50. An effort was made To-
raise the money to make the purchase
but it could not be done.
The method of conducting the delibz
erations of the committee was so mark
ed in Its contrast with the methods Of
the insurgents ais to incite much un-
favorable comment upon the latter The
meeting Saturday was open to all who
came, and while the determination of
the business was left entirely to the
members Of the committee, no repnbli-
can was stopped from offering advice
or making suggestions. In fact, a MAJ
jority of the talking was done BY those.
who were NOT members of the commit
tee No GUARD stood at the door to see