Bismarck daily tribune., 1908-06-09
A PARTY OF DESTRUCTION.

The Herald is satisfied that the
"1nsurgent" party of this state is
"a constructive political movement"
It's aim, the Herald assures us, is
to build up and not to destroy. We
take it that the voters Of this state
understand pretty well that the aim
of the Insurgent party in this state
is to build up the ambitions and as
pirations of a few political leaders
who are candidates for Office. We
cannot subscribe to the belief that
men like Mr.. Marshall, Mr.. Twich-
ell and others Of the Insurgent fac
tion have other aims than to build
up an organization that has for its
chief purpose the furthering of the
ambitions of some ambitious candi-
dates for Office and to effect an,
organization that shall dominate
the Republican party in this state,
if it shall be successful at the pri-
maries.
The Herald, naturally, would like
to dignity and hallow the Insurgent
cause in the minds of the people Of
this state, and to create the belief
that the salvation of the Republican
party and Of the individual voter
depends upon the success of the In
surgent cause. 1t objects to the
plain and truthful statement that
the majority of the Insurgent leaders
are candidates for Office, that a few
members of the organization of the
Republicans in this state have gone
over, professedly to the Insurgent
faction, for the sake of the votes
that that organization may bring
them. We find the Herald, Mr..
TwicheH and others Of the Insur-
gent advocates and leaders support
ing for the senate Mr.. Marshall,
whose recent conversion to Insur-
gentism is matter of common
knowledge. and opposing Mr.. John
son, who has been at least consistent
in his .fInsurgentfsm. 2 This instance
shows pretty closely how much of
sincerity there is in the Insurgent
pretenses. The Herald itself, no
less than six months ago, declared
that Mr.. Marshall was not an In
surgent, that he could by no manner
Of reasoning be classed so, and 1t
declared that he was leading, if not
the deciding factor, in the defeat Of
the Insurgent cause at Jamestown
two years ago. All Of that was true
when it was stated and it is true
now. What promises or pledges Mr..
Marshall has made to the Herald
with regard to his future political
conduct, we do not profess to say.
We know that the Herald is swallow
ing his candidacy with pretty wry
face and seeking to call it good.
The Herald preached two years
ago, after a convention in which a
Republican ticket was nominated,
that the Republican party in the
state was in need Of defeat, and that
voters should knife the ticket that
was nominated. If the Insurgent
faction is successful at the polls in.
the June primaries, we shall expect
to see the Herald advocate the same
doctrine. Some Of the leading In
surgent papers In the state have al
ready threatened that if the Insur-
gent candidates are not nominated,
the voters must defeat the candi-
dates of the Republican party at the
polls. This is from the leaders Of
the organization that says it is not
"a party of destruction, but Of con-
struction that its aim is to build up
and not to destroy. Il
We have primary law under
which the majority Of the Republican
electors will say directly whom they
want for candidates. Will the ad-
vocates Of Insurgentism in politics
declare now that they will support
the candidates whom the ajority Of
the party declare the nominees? Or
will the minority declare that the
majority does not know what is
best for it, that the nominees of the
majority are not entitled to Repub-
lican support, and that there shall
be another knitting and slashing, to
the destruction Of the party in the
state?
r Are the ambitions OF few men
ITO wreck the party, by leading off
Republican voters into the Demo-
cratic camp, arrogating to themselves
all the political morals, sense and de
cency there is In the party?
And IL this is the case, are these
fit leaders for a faction that repre-
sents itself as OF construction and
not destruction?
H@------------------ s.
The Grand Forks Herald says that
"the literary bureau at Bismarck will
have its work cut out for it from now
until the day of the primary to COM
IL. = r.