The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-11-18
GOV. BURKE'S BLUNDER
Colonel Haser, One Of the HIGH Priests
Of the insurgency, Roasts tho
Democratic Executive.

Grafton Record; wednesday last
Governor Burke appointed Fountain l..
Thompson, OF Cando, as United States
senator to I'LL the vacancy caused by
the death Of Hon. Martin N. Johnson
The new senator is democrat. a man
Of fine character and a successful
farmer, banker and real estate dealer,
but before his election was practically
unknown outside Of Towner county.
The governor has made 1t plain that
he desires to assume the responsibility
for the appointment and in his pub
lie statement regarding 1t claims the
selection the best possible under the
circumstances.
We believe the governor has made
a serious blunder, and, whether inten-
tional or not, has committed an act
hostile to his former public declara-
tons and in opposition to the platform
Of his party.
In his first message to the leRisla-
tive assembly Governor Burke urged
the enactment Of q primary election
law, and when 1t had been passed by
a republican legislature affixed his
signature to the bill.
All through his term of office the
governor has made Flaw enforcement
the handspring of his administration.
and in mis- campaign for reelection last
year the most telling argument he
urged for support was that he had en-
forced the laws without fear or favor.
When the opportunity came to show
that he was in favor OF the spirit Of
the primary law, when he could carry
n IN o1ks a. n
his party on the question of the cleo
ton Of United States senators, when
he could demonstrate beyond question
not only his belief in law enforcement,
but his willingness to abide by the
laws of the state, he makes the mis-
take Of mis- public career, turns his
back upon the policies he has advocat-
ed, and deliberately violates the spirit
of the primary law. At the primary
election in June, 1908, q large ma
jority Of the electors OF the democratic
party nominated Hon. John L. CasheI.
of Grafton, as their candidate for the
United States senate. The democratic
members Of the legislative assembly
showed their good faith by accepting
as binding on them this expression OF
the electors Of their party, and cast
their vote for their party's choice. No
public or private act Of Senator Cash
Ell since the primary has rendered MIN
ineligible to the position, or relieved
the governor from carrying out the ex-
pressed wish Of his party. MIR. Cash
els past services for the democratic
party, his standing in the state. his
experience as a legislator, his success
in private business mis- training and
temperament, and his general reputa-
tion for worth, all united to make him
fit man for the position, yet the
governor ignored all this and selected
an unknown and untried man.
We believe the blunder OF the gov
ernor has sown the seeds Of discomfort
and disunion in his party, has es-
tranged him from the old time leaders
Of the organization who in the past
have made possible his success, with
out the compensating result OF salts
tying any large number Of North Da-
kota democrats. We also believe he
has lost large measure of the con-
fidence of the whole people of the state
and that the star of his political sue
cess is on the wane.
Those who hailed John Burke as a
second Lincoln will now be called up
on to reverse their estimate of the
man, who at the only real crisis of mis-
affice, has demonstrated his lack OF