Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-09-18
BLAISDEL|L
Secretary Of State Talks In.
terestingly Of North
Dakota Politics

st. Paul Dispatch, Although the
primary election in North Dakota is
still nine months off, the political
pot there is already boiling away. at
a tremendous rate, according to AL
fred Blaisdell, secretary Of state for
North Dakota, who was in st. Paul
today on his way back to Bismarck,
after visiting his old home at Fair
mont, Mimi. 4 y, .2
Chief interest attaches to the con.
test for the republican senatorial
nomination. Under it's new primary
election law, North Dakota has to all
practical intents and purposes Sc
cured the popular election of sena-
tors without 1,esorting to any endeav-
or to alter the federal constitution
as it now stands. According to the
statute, every member of the repub-
lican and democratic parties is given
an opportunity to. go to the polls at
the primaries and name his choice
for senator. AS all the legislators
will be pledged to abide by the
choice Of a majority of their party,
and as the republicans are over
whelmingly predominant, the vote at
the. republican primaries settles the
matter. Il #$& ~
There is an active campaign on
for the senatorial nomination, and
things are going to be. warm in poll
tical circles from now until the prim-
aries next June said Mr.. Blais-
dell. -, 5sj s...a2 q...1 \
Practically speaking five candi-
dates are in the field. Hansbrough
is seeking denomination and State
Senator G. B. Little and ex-Congress-
man NJ. N. Johnson are avowed can
didates for the office. Congressman
Gronna and Marshall are to be re-
garded as dark horses. They decline
either to state that they are candi-
dates for the nomination or to deny
it, but they are going about the state
dedicating public buildings and TAX
ing advantage of every opportunity
that offers to make speech, so it is
evident they. are to be counaed."
Mr.. Blaisdell declined to- name
either his choice among the .eandi-
dates or to say which he thought
would be the nominee. Senator. Lit
tie, he said. has the Missouri slope
solidly back of him, Marshall, VIII
draw a great many votes from the in
surgent republicans, which 1Gronasa
could not get, while Gronna, on the
other hand, will have stronger sup
port from the Scandinavians' tfiwn
Marshall could secure. HansbrougR,
of course, has the prestige of having
served before, and is pretty strong
Zone of the new elements in tine
political situation in the FlicksrtaEl
state is the young men s movement
in the republican party, which is RAJ
pidly becoming very strong, and lis
to be reckoned with in the coming
election" said Mr.. Blaisdell "Mosi
of the voters in our state are young
men, but heretofore they have, nus
been organized and the older poiitF
clans have controlled things. Now
there are many in the young mems
republican club and, with members
scattered through forty-three cou1r
ties, you can easily see what. a pow
er 1t isl. he II :. .5. 81 i.
When asked whether the young re
publicans would be stalwart or; In
surgent, Mr.. Blaisdell said:
"They will be independent and Vots
| for the men they want Now tffa
state. conventions have been don,
away with, there will be no oppor
tunity to make a definite selection
beforehand, and members Of; the par
ty will go to the polls and vote 10
/ the men they want. 2st.5