The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1911-01-05

taken by W. e. Purcell of Wahpeton,
who now holds and will hold until
Gronna takes his seat. Gronna 10 at
the present time congressman from
this state and will be until March L.
II he assumes his seat in the senate
Immediately upon his election, as he
can do IL he chooses, that will create
cation until March 1, when H. T.
Helgeson of Milton takes his seat as
congressman. This vacancy might be
filed by appointment from the govern
o.. which would hold for only few
weeks, but would make an honorary
place fos some Democrat for that short
period. It Is likely, however, that Mr..
Gronna may not qualify until his term
- congressman expires.
i. i. j.
The ballot for the two senatorships
will take place on Jan. II in separate
houses. The Republicans will vote for
McCumber and Gronna and the Demo
Gratis will cast a complimentary ballot
for w. f. Purcell of Wahpeton and
John Bruegger of Williston, who are
the primary nominees of the Demo
cratic party for the two senatorships.
On the following day the two houses
Will meet IN joint session, compare the
journals, and formally declare the elec-
ton Of McCumber and Gronna, which
will complete the formality of the SEN
aAorial election. The primary law has
done away with the excitement and in
forest Of the old time senatorial cleo
lions, when the first Ave or six weeks
q the session were given over almost
entirely to the business OF chooslng q
senator, in years when senator's were
70 be elected. Old timers in legisla-
tive circles remember with vivid in
terest the long contest in which Sena-
| tor Gilbert A. Pierce was defeated and
Senator Hansbrough elected. They re-
member also the long and bitter strug-
gle in 1893, when Senator Lyman R.
Casey was defeated and Democrat,
w. N. Roach, was elected-an event
| unrivalled in the history Of the state
for keenneSs of excitement and inter
est, and which threw the United States
| senate into the control Of the Demo
Gratis by bare majority of ono. The
thing like the old time spirit was re-
| dected was when Senator McCumber
was first elected in 1899 as q dark
horse in a field of half dozen candi-
dates, including NJ NJ Johnson, who
was afterward selected at the first
state primary for the senatorship,
only to die within less than a year of
his election.
| + i. i.
AS yet there does not appear to be
| any definite and well defined legisla
tive programme. Much Of the legisla
ton will be amendatory rather than
| constructive. The primary law Will
! be the subject OF numerous pro
/ posed ~. amendments The general
opinion in the state 10 that the general
statewide primary Is disappointing -
. means of eliminating the political
many years. The processes Of the law
are exhaustins, financially, physically
and politically. 1t is difficult to keep
mem bers of one party from taking part
in the selecting Of candidates for the
| other. The supreme court by a major
ity decision not long ago held that a
provision requiring 80 per cent of the
party vote to be cast for nominees for
any office before the nomination would
be held effective was unconstitutional
For these and good many reasons
| many Legislators would like to remedy
the practical workings of the law with.
out destroying the principle of direct
, nominations. How this is to be done
is not easy to figure out. Those who
have supported the primary election
theory do not want to 30 back to the
old convention system, fearing the
domination of the bosses" On the
| ether hand, it is pointed out that twice
! now the Republicans have nominated
4 . candidate for governor by direct
primary only to SEQ him defeated at
the polls. -
+ i. +
REINFORCEMENT VIII De anOtner
| live topic. The figures of the recent
census show great many inequalities
| in the present scheme of legislative
I repres entation. Any reapportionment
bill based upon the figures from the
recent census would reduce the rep.
! resentation in the eastern part Of the
state substantially and increase that
of the central and western part OF the
state, where the greatest growth has
been. The members from the eastern
section would naturally oppose reduc'
I ton in representation, but inasmuch
as the membership of the Legislature
has now reached the constitutional
limit there is no other means Of bring.
ing about fair apportionment of rep
resentation. It seems likely that a
number Of eastern counties will lose
at least one senatorial district in the
consolidation of districts that is
bound to come in the passage Of a
| nou roannort ionment hill The mes.