The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-02-12

resentatation Butte of Ransom county
in the house of representation Feb. s,
the house as committee of the whole
having under consideration H. B. No.
2. providing for the election Of United
States senators by the people:
Mr.. Speaker: have read over
House Bill No. 2, introduced by my
democratic friend. Mr.. Casey Of Walsh
county. and while there are many OBJ
jections In the details of the bill, yet
l find one that predominates over all
others; YOU will find 1t in lines ~, IS,
and IA, ON page of the bill, which
requires candidate for the legislat-
ure to first sign a pledge. to-wit: II
will always vote for that candidate
for United States senator in congress
who has received the highest number
OF the peoples votes" etc.
Now, Mr.. Speaker, I am a republic
can and have belonged to that party
for more than forty years. l have
been elected a member of the North
Dakota legislature for three success
sive terms. and if this bill should be-
come law. requiring candidate to
pledge that he would vote for the
man who had received the highest
number of votes for United States
senator. l certainly would never be
a candidate again; and cannot mag
inc how any other conscientious re-
publican could sign such a pledge,
which might result in requiring him
to vote in the legislature for a demo-
crat for United States senator. 1
therefore offer the amendment that
now send to the clerks desk, and ask
to be read; which amendment strikes
out the two words, to-wit: peoples
vote." in line IA, page 8, of the print
ed bill. and insert in lieu thereof
votes of my party" so as to make
the sentence read that the candidate
pledges himself to vote for the man
who has received the highest number
of the votes of my party"
Mr.. Speaker, am glad to see that
our able, fair and worthy speaker, the
gentleman from Cass county, Mr..
Twichell, has seconded my motion to
amend said bill, thus indicating his
Intention to adhere to the republican
party. OF course, every member must
know and realize that, in all parties,
We have differences of opinion, based
more or less upon desire for office, or
in our preferences for candidates; and
sometimes there occurs a "craze" in
all parties, and especially something
like the one we had last fall in this
state, when a large faction of the re-
publican party bolted the regular
ticket and supported two democrats
nominated upon the democratic ticket
resulting in filling two of the highest
offices in the state, to-wit, governor
and supreme court judge with demo-
Gratis; consequently, if you pass this
bill as it now reads, without my
amendment. and either Governor
Burke or Judge Fisk should be the
democratic candidate before the prim.
aries for United States senator, and
receive the solid democratic vote
without even the so-called insurgent
element cooperating with them; and
1
thirds of the votes of the state to their
credit, should be divided between
some five candidates whom have in
mind at present, to-wit, Hansbrough
Hanna, Little, Marshall, johnson and
perhaps several others, why, you can
readily see that the republican vote
would be divided up between these
aspirants and the democratic vote con-
centrated upon their one single candi-
date, thus leaving him, in all probable
ity, more votes than any one of the
republican candidates.
Now imagine that the election to
be held about two years from now re-
suits in electing legislature with a
large republican majority, all of whom
have signed pledge to vote for the
candidate fer the United States sena-
tor who had received the largest num-
Der of votes, which of course, would
result in a republican legislature per-
haps three-quarters of the general
assembly would be republican. elect
ing democrat to the United States
senate. Now, Mr.. Speaker, this takes
me back to few years ago when an
element, gang or combination, or per-
haps had better term it a faction of the
republican party-no, shouldn't say
party, but a faction of republican
members of the Generally Assembly of
North Dakota who voted for demo-
crat (Mr. Roach), electing him to the
United States senate Rut faw oP tho
members now present realize the con-
sequence of that treachery to the re-
publican party, and therefore will
take the liberty to call their attention
to 1t now. That one democratic vote
in the United States senate was the
balance of power between the two
great contending parties in the senate.
l remember distinctly the status or
division of the two great parties in
the United States senate at that time
After the North Dakota democrat had
taken his place in the senate, the
parties were SO equally divided that
the two populistic" or middle of the
road" senators, Allen of Nebraska and
Kyle of South Dakota had the absolute
control of the senate, with Roach
lined up with the democrats. That is
to say, with Kyle and Allen voting
with the democrats, which they did,
gave that party control of the senate.
But to the credit of the brave demo-
Gratis, German of Maryland and Smith
of New Jersey, some modification or
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