Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-05-21
THE WORK OF THE ELM
iNATORS

Emmons County Record: The so
called progressive" ticket is being
printed in some of the state news
papers. Under the primary law, no
one is authorized to pick out few
men and announce them as the SIM
on-pure representatives of certain
faction of q party. Under the former
delegate system, the rank-and-file of
party had the power to meet in
caucus and select delegates to repre-
sent them. If they failed to attend
the saucuses and exercise their right
in the selection of delegates, it was
their fault alone if they were not
properly represented. And, under the
old convention system, the man who
was not supported by the delegation
from his own county was seldom CIV
en- a place on the state ticket-never,
unless he was man of statewide
popularity who coulu bring strength
to the ticket. The writer was q
strong supI orter of the primary law
in the legislature. He still believes
in it, and thinks that it has not yet
been given q fair trial. But we do
sincerely protest against the rank
violation of its spirit by bunch Of
a couple Of dozen men who met to
gether and appointed an "elimina-
ton committee" for the purpose Of
picking out the favontes who were
to pull together and help one another
to secure office. 1t is wrong because
the primary law was intended to give
the individual q chance to obtain Of
flee at the hands of the people with.
out placing himself under obligation
to any gang or ring, whether called
stalwart, progressive or something
else. This action of the insurgent
elimination committee in picking out
ticket virtually offsets and nullifies
every desirable provision Of the pri-
mary law. Under the elimination
method Messrs. Burdick, Skulason
congress are told that, although they
are progressives, they can't come in
to the inner circle; that they can
run If they want to, but that the pro-
gressive machine, or ring, had decid'
ed that. certain list shall be sup
ported, and the men on this list are
pledged to help one another against
all corners in obtaining the flesh-pots
Of Office. Burdick is told that he may
run for lieutenant governor, but not
for congress. In fact, this action of
the Marshall candidates in amalgam-
ating against the other candidates
will compel the latter to follow their
example or suffer a severe handicap
in the campaign. All of which kills
the spirit of the primary law and
leaves us without representative con.
ventions.
And who, we ask, do these men rep
resent? What opportunity have the
rank and file of the republican party
of this state had to say anything or
do anything regarding the formation
o. the so-called progressive ticket.
Under the convention system EN-
mons and her sister counties every
two years sent delegates to state
"a convention which
chose the state ticket. Sometimes
one faction won in the county and
sometimes another. The same was
true of the state convention itself.
Sometimes the candidate for govern
or was Briggs, Fancher, or a
Sarles, and sometimes he was Mil
Ter, an Allin, or White. But, wheth-
or belonging to the old gang or the
new gang, the state and national tic
ket always had the loyel support of
those regular republicans who are
now known as stalwarts. But all is
changed, through the action of the
lnsurgent eliminators, twenty-one in
number, in grossly violating the spirit
If the primary law. BY their action
they have set precedent under |
which two or three rich men like
Thomas Marshall can gather band |
If delegates-or personal followers,
represent nobody but |
themselves, and formulate and an
lounce a so-called ticket" in the
making of which none of the rank
lnd-file of the party, of any faction,
ave had the slightest opportunity to
express an opinion or denote choice.
Is there a man in Emmons county
1ho can truthfully assert that the
'eople of this county had in the
lightest degree any influence in the
ormation of the so-called ticket pre-
ented by the insurgent freeze-out
ommittee who call themselves elm