Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-11-13
THE NEW SENATOR.


Senator Thompson, OF Cando, from
all accounts is clever gentleman and
a good citizen. That he has especlal
qualifications for the senatorshlp
over others of the democratic candl-
dates we have not seen urged. 1t
may be that, considering the fact that
he will serve only little more than
a year and can make no impress upon
the policies of the government, being
a member of the minority, the matter
of his especial qualifications is not
important. However qualified for
the place he is or might be, he can
not in the nature of partisan govern
ment, become factor in the deliber-
atoms or actions of the senate to any
great extent. Under these circum-
stances, it was thought by a good
many republicans and democrats in
the state that the governor might ap-
point one of the party leaders in the
0tdLSo WALL q Wow " olA OASo
the state organization for effective
ness in future campaigns. We have
not seen it urged that the appoint
ment of Mr.. Thompson will strength
en- the party in the state, except in
the negative way that his appoint
ment wild mot ALLEVIATE democratic
leaders except as their individual and
personal disappointments may enter
:, into their judgment of the appoint
ment.
The silence of a good many of the
democratic leaders in the state with
reference to the appointment may
mean either disappointment or lack
of knowledge Of the appointee from
which to speak: The delay in the
making of the appointment was TAX
'en by number of the more prom
inent candidates as an encourage
ment of their claims, and the final
outcome Of the matter was doubtless
"a distinct surprise to most Of them,
into which personal disappointment
entered in no small degree. We have
heretofore referred to the ease with
which harmony is possible In a pol
:itical party when there are no choic-
'es to be made among candidates for
honors, and the natural feeling that
arises when candidates for Office are
disappointed, as it is necessary they
must be in many cases. The feeling
that is reflected among some of the
democratic leaders of the state just
now would indicate that all will not
be harmony in the ranks in the fu-
ture. There seems to be division
in prospect between the conservative
democrats and the radical democrats,
much as there is existing between
the stalwarts and insurgents among
the republicans. And the insurgent
republicans of the state are doubtless
disappointed that the governor could
not see his way clear to name an in
surgent republican, thereby buoying
up the insurgent cause, by giving it
senatorship from which to make a
campaign next year.
Political wiseacres say that if an
appointment had been made prompt
-1y after the death of Senator John
son, before the hopes and ambitions
of so many democrats, and of insur-
gent candidates, had been aroused.
it would have been better for the
governor and for his party. Most of
the republicans Of the state have
been watching the struggle as out
tsiders, having an interest of course
as citizens OF the state as to the per-
son TO- be named, but feeling that it
was matter for democratic rather
than republican concern, SO far as
the political phase of it went. A good
many people In the state will con-
tinue to think that the appointment
of democrat like Cashel or Purcell
would have done more to stimulate
the party interests In the state and
to strengthen the democracy as a
party than the appointment OF Judge
Thompson. But when Cashel, who
was the democratic nominee, was not
held a suitable appointee, It could
hardly be argued that Senator Pur-.
cell was logical candidate. inas-l