The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-05-26
.STREETER OPPOSED
TO ELIMINAlORS
EDITOR OF THE LINTON RECORD
SPEAKS RIGHT OUT IN MEET.
ING REGARDING SOME OF THE
METHODS OF THE INSURGENTS
IN NORTH DAKOTA.


Linton Record. The so-caIled pro
gressive'.- ticket is being printed in
some Of the state newspapers. Under
the primary Jaw. no one, is authorized
to pick out few men and announce
them as the simon pure representa-
tiyes OF certain faction of a party.
Under the former delegate system, the
rank and file of party had the power
to meet in caucus and select delegates
to represent them. If they failed to
attend the caucuses and exercise their
right In the selection of delegates. IL
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 given
a place on the state ticket-neyer, I'M
less he was man of state wide pcpu-
larity who could bring strength tc the
ticket The writer was a strong sup
porter of the primary law in the legfs-
.iature. He still believes in it, and
thinks that it has not yet been given
fair trial. But we do sincerely pro-
test against the rank violation of its
spirit by bunch of couple of dozen
men who met together and appointed
an elimination committee. for the
purpose of picking out the favorites
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 a
chance to obtain Office at the hands
Of the people without placing himself
under obligations to any gang or ring.
whether called stalwart, progressive or
something else. This action of the
insurgent elimination committee in
picking out a ticket virtually offsets
and nuilifies every desirable provision
of the primary law Under Nthe elimi- |
nation method Messrss Burdick. Skula-
son and others who wanted to run for
congress are told that. although they
are progressives, they can't come into
the inner circle; that they can run if
they want to. but that the progressive
machine. or ring, had decided that a |
certain list shall be supported, and the |
men on this list are pledged to help
one another against all. corners in OBJ |
tanning the flesh pots of office Bur |
dick is told that he may run for lieu |
tenant governor but not for congress !
In fact this action OF the Marshall |
candidates in amalgamating against |
the other candidates will compel the |
latter to follow their example or suffer
severe handicap in the campaign. |
All of which kills the spirit of the
primary law and leaves us without
representative conventions.
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 of
the so-called progressive ticket7 I'm
der the convention system Emmons
and her sister counties every two
years sent delegates to a state con-
gvention---a convention which chose the |
state ticket, Sometimes one faction /
won in the county and sometimes an
other. The same was true OF the state I
convention itself. Sometimes the can
didate for. governor was Briggs,
Fancher or a SarIes, and sometimes he !
was Miller. an aAllin or a White But
whether belonging to the old gang or
the new gang, the state and national
ticket always had the loyal support of
those regular republicans who are now
known as stalwarts. BIT all is changed
eliminators, twenty one in number, in
grossly violating the spirit of the pri-
mary law BY their action they have
set a precedent under which two or
three rich men like Thomas Marshall
can gather band of delegates-or
personal followers, rather--who repre-
sent nobody bat themselves, and for
mulate and announce a So calle /
ticket" in the making of which none
of the rank and file of the marty. of
any faction, have had the slightest
opportunity to express an opinion or
denote a choice.
Is there man in Emmons county
who can truthfully assert that the peo-
pie of this county had in the slightest
degree any influence in the formation
of the o-called ticket presented by