The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1908-11-19
II. J. Schulz Writes Hansbrough
Legislator Elect Tells the Senior Senator Few Things
That Will Set Him Thinking Hansbrough's
Letter Is an Insult to Any Honest Man

| the decision Of the supreme court as
to the constitutional feature of the
primary election law in its applica'
ton to the election of United States
senator by the people. know Of no
lawyer who would not promptly have
expressed the same opinion, in fact
I have repeatedly expressed the opin
ion myself in public and in private
conversation, and there is no doubt
in my mind but that the Legislature
which passed the law believed It to
be unconstitutional at the time, but
does that relieve me or any other
member of the "moral obligation? p
Is it not true that the moral obliga.
ton" is created rather by the ex'
preston of the people than by force
of any pledge signed?
Party government in this country
is yet less than ninety years old and
was not thought of by the wise men
! VINO framed our federal constitution
when they founded the electoral col
lege and yet, the implied pledge ct
every presidential elector is so bind
| ing and the "moral obligation to
vote for the party's nominee, ratified
| by the people, so far reaching that
the man who would break that pledge
or violate that obligation would be
| forever ostracized-and yet the cleo
f, tors Notwithstanding, could, "as con-
templated by the federal ol:'!:ution
vote for whomsoever he pleased and
! such vote can be counted for whom
soever voted.'''. Is this not t,:e::
The Republican party 5. North Da'
kota has had political whoop!nE
cough, measles and scarlet fever and
now you would inoculate it viii .
sort Of political bubonic plague by
inducing the members Of the com ne
LEGISLATURE to not only violate ueir
"moral obligations" but do violence
to every honorable instinct ami IN
suit every citizen of the state and
bring down upon the whole common
wealth the scorn and contemps o.
every other state in the Union This
idea impresses me so strongly that
feel that should the coming iegisla
ture- overwhelming Republican
| elect any other man that NJ. N. John
son for United States senator, that
that "ancient and honorable body
would be fully justified in refusing
to seat the man 50 elected because
Of the odium and suspicion necessar
ily attached to the transaction. Your
letter would indicate that the Repub
licans of this state are incapable o.
deciding for themselves whom they
want for United States senator. Your
intimation is wrong; they are cap
able: they have decided! And every
reason urged by you for your return
to the senate was urged by you fol
Won before the June primary, and tn
people rendered their decision In nc
uncertain way.
You refer to your important com
m,ttee assignments and the "unwri'
! ten rule Of the senate" that wouic
preclude the possibility OF new
man receiving such recognition. Yor
forget that the social and politica
evolution now taking place the
world over has even reached the
United States senate and that LaFol
! lette and other apostles Of progress
and reform in the United States sen
ate are this winter to be REINFORCED
by Cummings, a Bristow and
Jones. and many Of the stand pa
rules Of the senate are to be topplec
over. Your reasons for your return
i to the senate, the verdict OF one
people Notwithstanding, are like many
"of the unwritten rules Of the sen
ate',-of the vintage of a quarter o.
a century ago, unsound and out o.
date.
You refer to your efforts against
the importation of Canadian wheat
into this country four years ago, Tree
Of duty, although the law fixed the
] duty At csc per bushel." CANNOT
impugn your intelligence by believ
ing that you do not know that this
statement Is to say the least, mis-
1 leading. AS a matter Of fact, this
question was thoroughly threshed Out
], BY you before the primaries ami al
| ter reading Secretary shaw's letter
the intelligent farmer. Of North Da
] tota came to the Just conclusion tnat
| Secretary shaw's decision On tina,
point was d positive bsneat . him