The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-04-09
FIRST CALL UNDER
NEW PRIMARY LAW
NORTH DAKOTA ELECTION MA
CHINERY PUTIN MOTION,
Same Old Fight as in Other States Be-
tween Machine Men and .sInsur-
gents''-Control Of County Delega-
tions Will Furnish the Big Engage
ment of Campaigns First Stages.
Special to The Journal.

Grand Forks, N. D., April 9.-The republican
state central committee will meet in. Fargo APRIL
a to fix the basis Of representation in the state
convention, and to perform such other work as
may properly come before 1t. This being the
first year of the primary election law, great
attaches to every step which /. taken
with reference. to. it, and, this meeting OF the
is one OF the necessary sips. The
call for the democratic meeting has not vet been
issued, but that will doubtless bee out soon, as
each party must certify to the county auditor
OF each county on or before May / the number Of
to which that county is entitled in the
state convention Of the party.
The North Dakota primary law provides for
the nomination by direct vote of all party candi-
dates, for county offices and for state legislative
positions, and for. the election at the same pri-5
mary of delegates from eachi county to the state
of the party, which, convention is
made a. part Of the formal nominating machinery
of the, state. and. which must. be conducted under
state laws. f" Any party which cast S per cent Of
the total vote, in the state for governor at the
last election is a political party within the
meaning of the law, and none Others are entitled
to ats privileges. Under this regulation. there
are hut two parties in the state, the. republican
and democratic, and the provisions of the law are
SO vague that the method Of organizing new par.
ties hereafter is left largely to the imagination.
Delegates to the respective state conventions
are to be elected by counties at large. It is
generally believed that the republican committee
Will apportion the delegates, one for every 100
tOlcS cdSI. lOE representative SCanQ1QaCeS or the
party at the last election, as this will result in
a convention Of Approximately 300 members,
which is generally considered large enough.
Roughly speaking; on a basis Of one delegate per
100 votes, Grand Forks county will be entitled
to rs delegates. Cass to SO and Ward to 40.
2 Machine Men and Insurgents.
1t is certain that in the average county there
will be a struggle for control of the county dele
cation, If not in the interest OF rival candidates
from that county, then in the interest. Of the
state machine or against it. There will thus be
at least two groups Of candidates for the posi-
ton of delegate to the state convention, one
representing the interests Of the state machine,
working in the interest of that organization, and
supported by it, and the other representing
what is known as the insurgent element of the
republican party. That means that in each of
the larger counties there will be from twenty
to forty candidates from whom selection must
be made by the voter at the primary election.
These candidates will be distributed all over
the county. Most of them will be. men of whom
the average voter never heard, and of whom he
knows nothing more than what some of his
fl iends have told him just prior to the primary
election. t rs -
It is manifest that under these conditions the
average voter will be unable to make an intellt
gent selection from among these numerous can
didates on their merits as individuals. Shou1t
he attempt to do SO he would find himself hope
lessly at sea. It, is easy to foresee what vii
be done. The state machine, which PAS its lieu
tenants in every county, Will make up It's slate
and the workers in:everyespatt. ofethe county will
be instructed to urge on the voters to- vote TO
that particular list Of candidates, no q matte
whether the individuals are known to the Vote
or not. "a~a u 80
The insurgents will be obliged to follow tn
same course. The candidates will be chosel
by the committees of the rival factions, afte
1~asuitable conference, with local and representative
men, for their sympathy with the cause Of tina
faction, and the voters will vote, not for individ
uals,. but for issues as they understand, them, tn
candidates simply representing the issues.
Just what precise method of fixing the name
of desirable candidates in the minds of the vot
ers will be adopted is a matter that does no
seem to have been worked out. Whether eac
voter will be. supplied with a list Of candidate
who are acceptable to Els element 81. the party
or whether stickers will be used, as they ma
legally be, is a matter for future decision. !,