The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1906-03-23
OPEN LETTER TO
LEADER SPALDING,

Cleveland, N. D., Feb. 80, 1906.
To Hon. B. F. Spalding, leader of
"The Republican Good Govern
ment League" Fargo, N. D.: Dear
Sir, L have just received the en-
closed circular No. 5l3O from your
league and in reply beg to say,
that l am heartily in accord with
any movement that will better the
conditions of our state and coun-
try. 1 am a Roosevelt republican
and l hope, a Roosevelt American.
do not take much of an inter-
est in politics and am not a seeker
after office, but I do want things
right. [ believe in Roosevelt re-
form but 1 believe in making that
reform within the Grand Old Re-
publican party, when reform is
needed, not out of it, and when I
received the enclosed circular [
began to look back over the his
tory of the G.. O. P. and when [
find back of our government such
men as Murphy of Minot, Lauder
of Wahpeton, White of Valley
City, Winship of Grand Forks,
johnson of Petersburg, Glaspell of
Jameston and pretending leaders
of the Scandinavian league over
the state, I am forcibly reminded
that the leaders of our movement
are not without fault. For did not
several of our leaders run on the
democratic ticket as soon as the
republicans refused to feed them
with more nominations, and were
they not first whipped in the re-
publican and then the democratic
ranks? Are they not Of the ''any-
thing for an office" class? And
have they not time and again tried
to break into the state or national
capitol building? Take your own
case. Were you not turned down
by the party at Grand Forks and
your place filled by another?
Then too, [ am reminded that
all Of your leaders have been men,
bers of the regular republican par
ty Of the state when its manage
ment has not been different or one
whit worse than it is now and
seemed glad to seek and sometimes
hold office Hereunder.
If there is to be reform move
ment let us make it in the party
not outside.
There seems to be nothing wrong
with our state government and as
for the primary election system, it
to be the politicians hope,
and not the hope of the people.
The new system forces the man
to seek Office, not Office to seek the
man and wholly does away with
our fathers idea that the Office
should seek the man. The new
system will soon do away with the
poor mans chance. It renders it
too costly. Two campaigns in
stead of one at a greater cost in
our expansive counties.
Our new system would render it
impossible for any of us living in
The outer precincts to make a cam
paign owing to the great expense,
under the old way we could
get but few neighboring precincts
and win a nomination with hardly
no cost at all. Even under our
system" I don't see how your
friends in Stutsman county could
win anyhow as they have been the !
old gang" for a quarter of "a cent
Try and of late years have been
;urned down by the popular vote
rom q to 4 to l in the choice of
OF course I'm no politician but
ike to keep posted on the current
political events and if I am not
light in any surmises and conclu-
'ions let me know. / want to dol
hat which is right but am unable
o believe in these quick reformers
Who are disgruntled office seekers
II politicians. It seem to me that
he government of the state is first
class, and our representatives in