The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1908-10-08
Judge Lauder on
the Sena torship
Contributed)

IS
The last issu Of your paper contain
Ell two short editorials, both dealing
with the senatorship. in which you
urge the selection Of Mr.. Marshall as
Ne candidate of the Republican par
". Az grounds for supporting Mr..
Marshall you assert, in substance.
arst, that in the contest before the
priasary Mr.. Johnson was Well suf.
ported by the press OF the state and
yet Mr.. Marshall received the largest
vote, and from this you conclude
Nat Mr.. Marshall Is the popular
oteice for senator. You also repeat,
a substance, the false charge that
was iterated and reiterated before
the primary by many Of Mr.. Mar
shaN's leading supporters. that Mr..
Johnsons candidacy was not in good
faith; that he was in the race mere
u as a talking horse for the benefit
OF others.
Second you assert that in as much
40 Mr.. Johnson has been out of pub
lie life for some years he would, II
elected senator. have no weight or
influence at Washington; that Sen
Stor NoCumber would control him en-
tirely and that Mr.. Johnson as fac
Tor or force in politics would, to all
.tatents and purposes, be absorbed or
submerged; but that if Marshall is
elected, he will, by reason of his ex-
psrience and great (?) ability at
oaoe become controlling power and
hat the reign of the Machine and
its leaders will abruptly come to an
end.
You give no facts to support your
exclusions: you deal simply ia as
scerfons.
Let us analyze your arguments and
zee exactly where it rests Was
Mr.. Johnson well supported by the
press in the contest preceding the
.erimary? Not one of the daily papers
oisthe state supported Johnson, and
Of the weekly papers not one in tren.
" advocated his nomination. You
lcnow this to he true. There are no
publications, OF any note, in this
state, outside Of the daily and week
~ newspapers. How then was MI.
Johnson we'll supported by the press
or the state? In truth and IN fact
substantially the entire press Of the
state was against Mr.. Johnson It
Is true that, except in the case OF
few of Marshall's leading organs, the
newspapers treated Mr.. Johnson cour-
teously, but they did not support
him; on the contrary. to the best OF
their ability, they supported his va
risus opponents. You conclude that
because the newspapers did not lie
about Mr.. Johnson and heap person
Al abuse upon him that therefore they
should be classed as supporting him!
No candidate for a, state Office ever
had less support from the press than
had Mr.. Johnson in the late contest.
In this statement I do not criticize
the press, I only state the fact. NO
other candidate for senator in this
state ever made the race with so
little external aid as Mr.. Johnson re-
ceived. To assist him he had no Or
.Eanization, no money and, Is shown,
practically no newspaper support, To
aid him in the fight ne had sim ply
his unspotted personal character, his
recognized ability and the confidence
OF the people in his integrity as a
man and public official. In view Of
conditions as they actually existed, no
man in this state ever made better
race for public Office. With exactly
the same support, where would Mr..
Marshall have been in the race? He
would not have known that he was
JHnning! By the Lavish use of money
ne secured an endorsem ent from a
gathering representing to De repre-
seatative Of insurgeat faction. This
enabled him to pose as thu candidate
~ that faction. and induced many
df the leading Insurgents to support
I'm. some of them much against
their will and Judgment. For more
than six months be poured money
sat like water all over the state. He
Subsidized and bought UP new news
papers everywhere. He had the ac-
tive supporb Of numerous postmasters
WA0m he had appointaA in various
4parts of tn. state. Substantially
livery elevator agent in the state
was Logging for him for dear life. Ia
It 4 matter Of surprise thaa that he
received aany .votes? With the
same support tas most Questionable
man In the state would have received
ynfpr AMI many NJ them ~