Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-05-24
MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
MAN AND POLITICS

The Herald cynlcally observes that
according to the 'sgang" papers, no
man who believes in the publication
of politics should be candidate for
Office. We do not think the attitude
of any paper in the state justifies
such an observation. The only OBJ
lection that has been raised by any
of the Stalwart papers in this state
is to the se1f-laudatory ana self
righteous assumption Of the Insur-
gent candidates and newspapers that
there is no virtue, political or other
wise, outside of their ranks, and
that to be Stalwart is to be i'll
iquitous from all points of view.
There is every right and every rea-
son that every man who believes in
clean politics and methods should be
a candidate for any Office he desires
to run for and the primary law g:ues
him both the right and the oopor-
tunity. But if political parties are
to be maintained, there must be a
rule of the majority, otherwise we
shall have no parties at all, but po-
litical chaos.
The claims of the Insurgent news
papers, every time there is a defeat
registered against them in coaven-
ton or at the polls, that the "honest"
people of the state are with them
but the voters or delegates have been
bought, bluffed or Influenced against
their convictions is bosh and noIh-
ing else. The majority of the cleo.
torate of this state, so the Tribune
believes, is not corruptable or venal
There are just as many honest men
in the Stalwart ranks as in the In-
surgent, and they are working for
political advantage just as the In
surgents are doing. The statement
that Tom Marshall and Treadwell
Twichell and the other Insurgent
candidates in this state are inspired
purely as desire to purify politics
and are spending time and money
to so purify them, are buncombe, in
tended to influence a class of voters
that are susceptible to such buster.
Tom Marshall and Twichell and the
rest of the Insurgent leaders and
candidates are out for the offices
they seek, an they are employing all
legitimate means-we do not charge
any other to any candidate on either
side-to get them The Herald is
working for its candidates with its
own interests in view, and because
it dislikes a number of Stalwart lead.
ers. Other Insurgent newspapers in
the state are engaged in the entirely
human business of furthering their
own personal and business ends. The
Herald, the Times-Record, the La.
Moure Chronicle, the st. Thomas
Times-all expect to gain financially
politically and personally if theil
favored sons become the leaders Of
the party.
There is about as much abstract de
sire for political -dissociatet
from the other considerations in thu
whole bunch as there is room in til,
eye for canary bird or railroad
spikes.
Sometime, when we get down t.
an honest basis Of expression, ther.
will be fewer attempts to alarm ant
deceive the voters with blatant bun
combe, such as is now being howlet
across the prairies Of the state b,
deep mouthed bayers of the Insurg
ent faction, and frank admission
that the question at issue is which
of two sets of leaders shall contro
the party organization, out of per
senal pride in authority, political ag
grandizement and desire to be O
the winning side.
The average man is decently honest
upright, wants good government ant
sane and sensible administrator
of affairs. He isn't an anchorite, q
purist, an abstract moral philosoph.
er, or political philanthropist
When you get up against candidate