The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-16
BY James Gray.
THE empire of rolling prairie west
of Minnesota known geOgraph-

ID
Of Minnesota, known geograIph.
ically as North Dakota, has
for seventeen =, years been known
Merchants hotel gang Year
after year the people Of North
Dakota have seen their state officers
and their legislators nominated in a
tamelv accepted the results of those
labors at their nominating conventions
and elections. With few exceptions
this has been the case. Mckenzie al
ways attended to this business except
when he was in Alaska or detained at
Alameda, Cal.
One might argue from this that the
people of North Dakota were tame lot
who did not get self government be-
contrary is the case. The state is
built up of the vigorous young man
hood and womanhood Of the union. 1t
gathers to itself the youthful. the am
bilious, the capable anembers of the
communities of two hemispheres. The
conditions which produced bossism
were such that while they excited the
able to submerge that distrust. The
factors producing those conditions
were railroads. Railroads always have
been frankly and brutality in politics
in North Dakota. Moreover, they had
the mastery of the people, as the lay
out of the railroad lines easily shows.
Take a map of North Dakota and you
will see that the railroads are great
trunk lines gridironing the state from
east to west at intervals. Until re-
cent years cross lines north and south
have been few. This meant that the
people could communicate with one an
other with insufficient freedom. The
railroads had but to control opinion
along their trunk lines and bring poll
ticians of the south trunk lines to-
gether with the politicians on the north
trunk lines, tell each in advance what
the other section had agreed to do and
OF hoodman blind. The people of the
north never found the people, their
brethren Of the south, until recently.
But when they came together, it was a
case Of love at first sight. Last
November there was an engagement;
on the first Tuesday in January there
will be wedding.
A Battle for Home Rule.
The battle of the ballots in North
Dakota, Invested of all its minor
effects, was one of home rule. The
victory of the democratic ticket was
victory Of the people. 1t was a joint
movement of the democrats and in
surgent republicans to regain title to-
their own property. That this is the
proper construction to place upon it, is
Vouched for such men as Governor
elect Burke, Senator Cashel, the mana
ger of his campaign, and others COM
petent to give an opinion. as.,
The republican state convention was
held on the 18th of July. It was pre-
eeded by the customary meeting at the
meeting made the customary slate of
nominees and those nominees were en-
dorsed by the delegates as usual. The
customary passes were issued to the
delegates who were to 90 to James
town-but not to ALL The insurgent
republicans. were not honored. They
were practically invited to pay their
"they paid their fare and went:''
When they arrived, they found the
usual state of affairs as to the state
ticket, but with an additional wrinkle.
Mckenzie was there as full-panoplied
delegate working upon the floor. This
was such an unheard-of attitude of the
boss that it caused inquiry. Inquiry
developed that the boss was perturbed.
The perturbation was occasioned by
zig olCudelon do Io Cue supreme court.
10 learn about that, it is necessary
to 60 back little. Judge Young, Of
the supreme court, had decided to re-
sign in time for the republican con-
ventlon to nominate a successor for the
four years of his term. Judge Young
had been a splendid members of the
bench and his retirement to return to
practice caused universal regret. But
the lawyers, knowing his intention to
be irrevocable, turned to the future.
Who was to have the nomination ?
They looked up the "leaders'' of the
organization and made practically this
statement to Mckenzie and others:
"The politicians have never inter-
fered with the bench. While the
judges have generally been republicans,
they have been always selected for
their fitness. We want assurance that
you will name good lawyer and clean
cut citizen for this vacancy
The promise was given them. The
convention came on and this situation
developed: The leaders were short Of
votes for their slate. Some trading
was necessary and the proposal was to
trade the supreme court nomination to
John Knauff, Of Jamestown, in ex-
change for the delegation from his
judicial district (the fifth). It was a
most audacious scheme and threw to
the winds all the promises made to the
bar. There was an instant protest by
wire. The lawyers got back the cold
message that it was "too late' The
deal was fixed and had to 90 thru. This
was the starting point Of the war
which resulted in the first overthrow of
the republican party in North Dakota