The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1908-02-21
Emerson Branch. A. n; t3lxzs.z 1924"

But getting along half column or so,
the kindly editor tries to prove that we
we're one of the original insurgents" or
to use the more up-to-date term, "pro-
gressists" in this county, and also men,
tions in all, three (3) times in which we
appeared to be more or less Independent
of that "dictation of the party machine
and refused to "cringe to the c-r-rack
of the party LASH"
Now this leaves us in somewhat of an
uncertainty; we're we always wigwarm-
or or did we occasionally get ''lostedf'
Perhaps after all it is very small mat
whether f-r-a-n-k-a-w-a-r-d-w-el-
did or didn't and SO far as the Republi-
can party or it's principles is concerned
it is certainly trivial matter. But
possibly as concrete example of perfdy
it might be we'll to look up the records.
just as matter of general history it is
also of some interest. As a matter of
fact there was no Democratic party of
any account in this county at the time
mentioned by Mr.. H. to wit: in 1884
which Is long time ago-and we say
this with all due respect for those old
time Democratic war-horses, Andrew
Nelson, F. e. Myrick ST., and about a
half dozen others like them.
The vote for the delegate to congress
that year was Clifford, Republican, 2768;
Wilson, Democrat, 155. For register OF
deeds there we're two candidates from
the Republican and two from the Demo
cratic party. The latter two together
polled 1855 votes. There we're six candi-
dates for sheriff of whom four were Re-
publicans and one of the others was
doubtful. In the vote for treasurer,
f. A. Wardwell (bolterl received 1878
votes, T. B. Holmes nominee of Repub-
lican convention received 1000 votes and
F. D. Harrison, Democrat 18 votes and
scattering votes.
OF course all old timers know and the
above figures prove that there was no
Democratic party at that time of any
Importance and that the political fights
of that year were simply Independent
fights all along the line. AS to ourselves,
the vote shows quite positively that we
we're in the "wigwam" all the time. Also
that on or about that time Editor Hager
was showing blindly to the dictates of
the party machine and cringing with
fear under the party lash welded by
the unprincipled and corrupt bosses''
etc.
Editor Hager also charges that we
said some rather sharp things about re-
suits of the convention at st. Thomas
in 1904. Guess we will have to plead
guilty to that-and if that is treason
make the most of it. But we deny that
we villified or insulted any candidate
nominated there, and that year each of
the proprietors of this paper cast a
straight Republican vote from top to
bottom as can be verified by the vote in
Ward no. 3 in the city of Pembina, their
being only three straight republican
ballots cast in this ward and no straight
Democratic ballots, and we know who
cast the other one, which also illustrates
how general the custom of splitting tick
cts.
In 1905 the editor of the Times found
mares nest. He showed it to the Re-
publican central committee. Dan
thought he saw good thing in it for his
own local purpose. He encouraged
Brother Hager to "set'' on the eggs
therein and hatch 'em while he and
some of the other members did the
rooster act, Tapping their wings and
Growing. The committee invited us to
assist Grant in the "setting" as sort of
lady's maid, but we didn't set.-The
eggs never Matched either.
We hardly saw the logic of condemning
the county board for partisan purposes,
when they had shown their non-partis-
anship by appointing no less than two
principal county officers who were Re-
publicans. and besides, we have always
seen in practice, that each district selects
it's commissioner with little or no regard
to political faith.
Certainly the selection Of county CO.
mmissioner would not endanger the
great foundation principles of the Re-
publican party to any appreciable extent
in any case, and is very different pro-
position from deserting the head Of the
ticket which is supposed to represent
those principles. u