The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1908-09-26

| Ieg1SlAIuFe, So &t. 49,
| The Fargo Forum advocates four
1 year term for county officers with In
eligibility for recollection. One term
of four years ought to satisfy most
! anyone.
Grand Forks Times: The Times
| does not believe the selection of the
senatorial candidate should become
such party matter, as to in the least
i Jeopardize or obscure the election of
the entire republican state ticket In
the November election. The deter
4 mination of the contest between the
two candidates who secured the high
est number of votes in the June pri-
mary is a matter entirely within the
republican party. AS such 1t can be
discussed and a choice made as be-
| tween them without embittsrment. 1t
should be determination OF the mer-
! its OF the men and their ability to
! best serve the state The claims of
either should be based upon facts and
be devoid of personality and acri-
mony.
The Times believes that 1t would
be to the best interest OF the state to
elect M. N. Johnson to the United
States senate. He is a man thorough
| ly identified with the interests of the
state, is a farmer and a man entirely
able to maintain. the standard Of
craftsmanship required of the repre-
sentative of great state like North
Dakota in the upper house of the ma
tional legislature. The interests of
the farmers are paramount In this
state. A farmer in the senate, with
all the intellectual qualifications re-
quired Of senator, would be an as
set which would be valuable to the
state in particular and the nation as
a whole. It can be truly said that
legislation in the interests of the ag-
riculturalists OF the country is just
in the inceptive period. That class
has few representatives in the SEN
ate. II the legislation which their
conditions now demand is to receive
such attention as II merits, 1t must
be seen that men who not only under
stand the needs of those for whom
they legislate. but who are able to
take the initiative in constructing
and shaping such legislation to the
purposes which 1t is intended to ac-
complish, must be sent to congress.
The agricultural states must look
to their own selections OF senators In
accomplishing this end. IT would
not be expected that Pennsylvania,
whose great Industries are manufac-
ture and mining. would elect sena-
tor whose interests would be with
the agriculturalists; neither would
Massachusetts, with It's millions In.
vested in mills and factories; nor VET
New York with It's abnormal munich
pal conditions. So the list might be
extended to every state except those
which are purely agricultural They
must care for themselves.
With these imperative needs OF the
country at this time, IL would seem
that the interests of the great mass
of farmers would be best served by
the election of Mr.. johnson who Is
feminently qualified to serve the peo-
pie in the capacity they demand It
is useless TO say that he Is honest and
able and broad minded, for his oppon-
ents admit these sterling qualities IN
him and admire him for them.
Bismarck Tribune: One OF the
planks of the democratic state plat
form declares in favor of law giving
the governor of the state power to
/. remove executive officers. not subject
to impeachment, for ''wilful neglect OF
duty" That plank Is being supported
by democratic speakers on the stump
in the state and 1t Is being urged
that with such law on the statute
books the governor of the state could
upon his own motion and after a
hearing at which he was Judge and
jury, remove any officer not subject to
impeachment, whose performance ot
his duty did not meet with executive
approval thus insuring the perform
ance OF all ofticial duty---to the sat-
isfaction of the governor at least
under penalty Of summary dismissal
from Office. Such a law would place
in the hands Of any governor pow
er beyond anything at present on the
statute books of the state. inaSmuch
as 1t would make all county and
other officers through the state re-
sponsible directly, not to the people
who elected them after the fashion
provided by the laws of the state
but to the governor of the state. who
would remove them at pleasure. al
though they were appointive officers
Of his own creation.
A law that would give the gov
ernor summary power OF removal over
, all executive officers would necessarily
give him power to sit as Judge and
jury and decide what constituted will
] full neglect Of duty And 1t would
make one officer of the state the Ana
| aThffar over ali the 0ffar of4irera nj