The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1908-11-27
M'cuMBER WRATHY
Junlor Senator Gives Out Interview On
Reported Senatorial Combine.
HOLDS MORAL OBLIGATION BINDS
Thinks Time 1t Hand for fractional
Strife In Republican Ranks
IN State to coaos.

Washington dispatch in Sat-
urday's Grand Forks Herald:
Senator McCumber authorizes
the following statement con-
corning the alleged combination
in his state between Hans
brough, Marshall and Gronna,
to secure the reelection of
Senator Hansbrough next
January.
The consummation of the
object of such combination
would be one of the greatest
political crimes ever committed
in the state. It would be a
mistake that could never be
fully condoned, and no man,
capable of placing the interest
of his party or state above his
own selfish interests, would
ever contemplate such an act.
Every man who allowed his
name to go on the senatorial
ballot, either at the primary
election or at the general elec-
ton, by that act entered into
an agreement with the people
of the state. and with his
adversaries, that he would
abide by the result of such an
election. The result of the
first election eliminated both
Hansbrough and Little. Their
vote was far below either that
of Johnson or Marshall. The
result Of the second election,
when it became a choice be-
tween the two men, eliminated
Marshall. Johnson won by
about 4,0OO majority, and if we
could get rid of the democratic
vote, it is safe to say that
Johnson's majority would be
between 5000 to 1000: -.
These defeated men, if they
are good republicans, are now
not only morally bound to keep
out of the race, but by all the
principles of party ethics, they
are morally bound to support
Johnson.
Il know that the supreme
court has held that portion of
the primary election law re-
quiring a legislator to pledge
himself to support the nominee
of his party to be unconstitu-
tional, but that does not change
the situation in the least.
Every lawyer knew and probab-
ly most of the candidates knew
that this provision was not
legally binding, but that it is
just as morally binding as
though the court had not
passed upon it's legality, cannot
be successfully denied.
Our legislators sought to get
at the wish of the people as to
whom their nominees for polit-
ical Offices should be, without
the Intervention of nominating
conventions. The law which
it passed provides what is now
the only method of nominating.
Johnson, poor man, was
compelled to make a fight
against enormous expenditures
of money by those who were
opposed to him. and he won
won fairly.
It is undoubtedly true that
a number of democrats called
for the republican ballot, but it
is conservative to say that 80
per cent of them voted against
Johnson. This is borne out by
the fact that the democratic
daily, and nearly all the demo-
cratic papers of the state were
boosting his opponent. Demo
cratic speakers, in some in
stances, were openly advocat-
ing the right of democrats to
vote on the senatorial question
and advising them to vote for
Marshall. Had not our SUI
preme court, a few days before
election, declared against this
right, undoubtedly many more
democrats would have indulged
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 Iconsidered
serious party mistakes, in con-