Bismarck daily tribune., 1908-11-22
Sen. u'CUMBER

OdyS lldl Ally GOlnDlla!lOn
to Defeat the Choice Of
the People for Senator
Would Be Political Crime
Points Out Past BIundefs
Senator ]. P. McCumber, of North
Dakota, who arrived in Washington
few days ago for the coming ses-
sion of congress, authorizes the Min
neapolis Journel to make the follow
ing statement for him concerning the
alleged combination in his state be-
tween Senator Hansbrough and Re
presentatives Marshall and Gronna.
to secure the reelection Of Senator
Hansbrough next January: .sg
''The consumation of the object of
the combination would be one Of
greatest political crimes ever COM
mitted in the history of the state. It
would be mistake that would never
be fully condoned, and no man capa-
BILE of placing the interests Of his
party or state above his own selfish
interests would ever contemplate
such an act. # Ss ,a
Bound to Support Johnson
Every man who allowed his name
to go on the senatorial ballot, either
at the primary election or at the
general election, by that act enter
ed into an agreement with the peo-
pie of the state, and with his adver-
saries, that he would abide by the
result of such an election. The res
ult of the first election eliminated
bolh Mr.. Hansbrough and Mr.. Lit.
tie. Their vote was far below that
of either Mr.. Johnson or Mr.. Mar
shall. Mr.. Johnson won by about
1000 majority, and if we could get
rid of the Democratic vote it is safe
to say that Mr.. Johnson's majority
would be between the 5000 and
1000.
These defeated men, if they are
sood Republ cans, are not only NOR
ally bound to keep out Of the race,
but by all principles of party ethics
they are morally bound to support
Mr.. Johnson.
Says Law is Morally Binding.
u know that the supreme court
has held that portion of the primary
election law requiring the legislator
to pledge himself to support the
nominee Of the party to be unconsti-
tutional but that does not change
the situation in the least. Every law
yer knows, and probably every candi-
date for the legislature knew, that
Ibis provision was not legally binding
Z but that it is Just as morally bind
ing as though the court had not
passed upon its legality, cannot be
successfully denied.
Our legislature sought to get at
the wish Of the people as to whom.
their nominees for political office
should be. without the Intervention
OF nominating conventions. The law
which 1t passed provides what is now
the only method of nominating. Mr..
johnson, a poor man, was compelled
to make his fight against enormous
expenditures of money by those who
We're opposing him, and he won won
fairly
Reaping Results OF Mistakes.
IL is doubtedly true that quite
q number of Democrats called for
the Republican senatorial ballot, but
it is conservative to say that 80 per
cent Of them VI ted against Mr.. John.
son. This is borne out by the fact
that the Democratic daily, and near
.ly all the Democratic paprs of the
state We're boosting for his opponent.
Democratic speakers were in many
instances openly advocating the right
of Democrats to vote on the senator
2ial question, and advising them to
vote for Mr.. Marshall Had not our
supreme court, few days before
the election, declared against this
right undoubtedly many more Demo
Gratis would have INDUCED in the
belief that they had such right, and
would have exercised it.
We have for the past few years
been reaping the results of what at
the time 4 considered serious party
mistakes, in contentious in our own
ranks Our first great mistake was
made when without the slightest
warning Mr. Spalding was defeated
for denomination for congress. We
repeated the mistake four years
later. Az party we have paid dear
nE