The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-02-15
GRONNA'S LETTER
CAUSES A Stir
RUMoR OF HIS INTENTION TO
JOIN NORTH DAKOTA DEMO
Gratis ARoUsEs THE
POLITICIANS.

Another Minot dispatch in The Min
neapolis Tribune says: Great excite
ment has been caused in political cir
cles here over the revelation of a letter
purported to have been written by
Congressman Gronna in which he prac-
tically repudiates the republican party,
the import of which was reported ex-
Clusively in The Sunday Tribune.
Speculation is rife and the politicians
are all busy denying and affirming. ,
Gossip gives plausabiIity to the story
when it is recalled that in 1894 Gronna,
who was then, as now, running a gem
eral store at LaFota, was a candidate
for the democratic nomination for state
senator against P. J. Lamb of Michi-
gan City. Lamb defeated Gronna, and
two years later Gronna left the party
and became the local representative of
Senator Hansbrough who later reward
ed. him by giving him the republican
nomination for congress at Grand
Forks in 1904. All this is political his
tory long since written down in the
annals of the state.
Marshall Gronna Compact.
Further plausibility is given by the
SPECTATORS to the report of Gronna's
possible return 10 the democratic party
in the fact that the Marshall -Cronna
compact, 1t is said, is not sweeping
the state with the wild fire that it's
sponsors anticipated.
A democratic combination with Pur-
cell and Gronna for the senate, Burke
for governor. Hildreth and some other
popular democrat for congress and
Fisk and Carmody, at present both su-
preme court judges, for the supreme
court--all able citizens of the com
monwealth Of North DalSota--it is said
would be a combination of more than
passing strength.
The election returns for 1908 show
nearly twenty republican senators and
members of the house elected by ma
joriti-s ranging from 200 to 100 votes.
The old war horse, Jud LaMoure, had
only eighteen majority and no fight
was made by the democrats for seats
in the legislature, the entire energies
of the party being in an effort TO re-
elect Burke in which they succeeded,
though Taft's majority In North Da-
kota was in excess of $4,000 in vote
OF less than 10000. When this fact is
considered 1t is easy to see the posi-
bility Of the election Of democratic
legislature in North Dakota next fall.
Matters of History.
North Dakota has in the past shown
some political acrobatio stunts worthy
of note. For instance in 1892. when
she had only three votes in the cleo
toral college, she gave one vote to
Harrison, one to Cleveland and one to
Weaver-A record never duplicated be-
fore nor since by any state in the union.
Also in January, 1893, she elected w.
L. Roach, a democratic United States
senator to replace Lyman r. CASEY,
republican. by a fusing of democratic
and populistic votes together with nine
republican votes. Jud LaMoure vas the
leader and one of the nine republic
can votes.
All this is history and those politi-
clans who like to speculate declare
that the vagaries of politics in North
Dakota have been OF such a nature
that most anything can be expected
in view of the divisions existing with
in the republican party at present.
Some of the leading democrats figure
that Gronna would be followed into the
democratic party wit the eclat ofsome
10000 Scandinavian republicans who
are dissatisfied with the Payne AIdrich
tariff law.
Gronna's Denial.
A Washington special to The Min
neapolis Tribune is as follows:
THE statement that I have at one
time written a letter to q democrat in
North Dakota or anywhere else as
sorting that / am considering an anil
lation with rhe democratic party is a
pipe dream, and a lie manufactured out
Of nothing" said Representative Gron-
ma Of North Dakota today.
Il see 1t is also claimed that ! am
to return to my first love, the demo-
cratic party, That 1t so plain false
hood that 1t stamps the whole story
rs false. / never was a democrat;
have been republican all my life"
Whether Mr.. Gronna opposes Mar
shall in the race for the senate Is not
indicated by Gronna's attitude here
toward Marshall. Mr. Marshall ar
rived here last night. He hunted, up
Mr.. Gronna today Immediately after
The meeting Of the public lands com