The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-03-17
North Dakota Political Gossip

6
Ray Recorder: The political situa-
ton in North Dakota at the present
time has all the old timers going. The
primary election this year is about the
hardest proposition to selve-before hand
that the political prophets has had to
guess on since statehood. and the Wis
est old owl in the bunch has nothing
in the nature OF a dope sheet that Is
one little bit consoling to either demo-
crat, insurgent or stalwart republican.
The pretty good job of congressman
from the fair state of North Dakota is
causing considerable loss of sleep and
the better job Of being senator from
this commonwealth is making insomnia
common complaint
II Is foregone conclusion that there
will be something doing in the next
few months in the political arena and
everyone is entitled to three guesses
as to what the outcome will be. To
begin with there is a split in the DEM
ocratic party. II is practically the same
old split that was born at the time
Shortridge and the demo-pop twins mad
the big lucky spell. Then there is a
bad split in the ranks of the insurgent
or progressive republicans. This on the
face of 1t would seem to give the stall
warts shade the best Of 1t and all
things equal this would be right sur
mise. But and this is a real something
In the but" line: the stalwarts have
had to bear the brunt of all the battles
that have been fought i'm this state for
the past ten or more years and the
men that have had to stand pat from
principle have had to do all the fighting
for the insurgents as we'll as to fight
against those that should have been
fighting shoulder to shoulder with them.
This fight between the insurgent and
stalwart has had the effect of eliminat-
ing the old time leaders, such as Nc
Kenzieaand LaMoure, and comparative
ly new men have been thrust into the
breachs In the years gone by McKen-
zie fought the battles of the Emitted
States senators and they fought to
bear on the battle Years of experience
in the kind warfare peculiar to poll
itics of the convention brand.
At the present time the best in
formed man in North Dakota can but
make shrewd guess as to the out
come of the battle that will be COM
menced on June 20, this same year.
For congress we have Hanna of
Fargo, Skulason of Grand Forks. Hell
gesen. of Cavalier, Pollock of Cass,
Blaisdell and Johnson of Ward and a
possible half dozen more running at
large. OF these Hanna is probably the
best equipped and the most popular in
the field Skulason and Blaisdell will
undoubtedly show strength that the
older men of the state do not at pres
ent expect. Helgecen and Pollock are
the extreme insurgent representatives
and will be endorsed as the only real
purity proposition while others of the
insurgents will contest their claims.
Hanna and Skulason or Hanna and
Blaisdell or Hanna and most any of
those mentioned are possible.
The United States senatorial aspir-
ants are Tightwad Tom Marshall, A.
j. Gronna, P. j. McCumber and Judge
Engerud. At present it is pretty hard
to determine just who will land, al
though there is no real reason why p.
j. McCumber should not succeed him
self He has been right where the
fight has been the thickest ever since
he was elected and has done a lot for
North Dakota. But they are after him
all right and there is not one of the
gentlemen who are now mentioned for
this position, except perhaps Judge