The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-08-14

H - 40 ME77zl.S
Edgeiey Mail: lie Tom Marshall sets
into the congressional game again this
year It viii be up to somebody TO get
an awful hump on himself to keeE
even In the game.
| Edge1ey Mail: There are few men
In the state who could lend more dig
unity to the office OF governor. coupled
with real ability as an executive, than
Hon. Il, B. Hanna.
Rugby Optimist: John Andrews,
who, by the grace Of John Burke and
Paddy Norton, now fiIis In q gan
around the public pie counter at Bis
marck, Is authority for the astonishing
news that Governor Burke il lust
about the onliest governor that ever
happened. and says that Just BIT pres
ent the governor is out in Minot at
tending a meeting of the board that
was to select the site for the Mlnot
normal" and that he, was not pleased
with the site chosen away out in the
suburbs of Minot, and went up there to
wrestle with the board over the mat
ter" The surprising part OF the mat
ter 10, however. that after the govern
or had succeeded In stirring up great
big stinlx--he has proven himself a
pilSer. as usual, and didn't even attend
L the Anal meeting Of the board at Bis
marck, according to reports. or course,
Andrews has to do something to earn
his salary, and If he chooses to act
as press agent for Jawn Burke sand
Peeping Pat-why, that's his privilege.
| Mandan Pioneer: The Minneapolis
Journal has hit the nail squarely on
the head In an editorial denouncing the
primary election ais entirely inadequate
to meet the wants of the people In
selecting as candidates for office men
who are best fitted FOR the place In
North Dakota, which along with other
states In the west has adopted the
primary system of nominations, It has
been demonstrated again and again
the inefflciency OF the law in serving
either the best interests of the party
or the people. Does anyone for q
minute suppose that with the old con-
vention system the republicans would
have placed in nomination as their
candidate for governor C.. A. johnson,
a man who would doubtless have been
an Improvement on the present incum-
bent, but had once been repudiated by
the voters? There is every reason to
believe that his nomination was forced
by the democrats who recognized in
him the weakest candidate. Or would
convention disregard the proper geo.
graphical distribution Of candidates as
is so often done in the primaries? But
the greater loss to the people The
Minneapolis Journal thinks Is in the
retirement OF leaders, men of bigness
and ability who formerly were induced
to give their service to the party or
the state, but who recoil from the free
for-all scramble that a primary cleo
ton Involves The Journal says:
There was time when public men
swayed public opinion in Minnesota,
but that time has passed. The So
called leaders IN the politics Of the
state are afraid to say what they
think until they have caught the drift
OF sentiment and then they lose no
time in declaring for the popular side.
Any half baked notion or hystericaI
craze can command support from men
In public office II they get the idea that
1t Is popular.
For various reasons, Minnesota has
fallen into an era of small men and
small things. Politics In the big sense
is a lost art. Party organizations are
joke and have absolutely no in
fiuence. we boast sometimes that
this is sign of growing independence
and individual thinking, but il it?
Isn't 1t, and the fact, rather, that men
have lost confidence In those who
should lead them and direct opinion?
The average citizen Is engrossed in his
business and pays even less attention
to public affairs than he did ten years
ago: He needs direction, but he sees
no beacon light TO guide him, no man
whose judgment he can trust.
1T has come to this pass. that poll
teal activity is monopolized by fad
dists, place hunters, or the political
agents of brewers. The same, good
citizens who used to take a hand in
politics from high motives and firm
convictions, has almost disappeared.
Perhaps the biggest reason for this
degeneration Ii to be found in the
direct primary AhWs AQG&A III LnSOAyp
and with much to commend 1t, the
direct primary has It's glazing faults.
It tends to call forth the egctist and
the petty Job hunter. The Office CAM
not seek the man, and 1t is seldom
that man of large CALDER feels the
call OF duty sufficiently strong to seek
the office. Party organizations are
much In the same boat In Hennepin
county the committees Of each party
are made up on a foundation OF pre-
cinct workers. In which the ward
and city machines play prominent
part Direct elections of committee
men by the voters Is open to objec-
ton, but It's much to be preferred to
the Hennepin system, which combines
all the vicious features OF the direct
plan and the old style OF selection by
the candidates.
$50 it liz that In nominations for Of
fice, and In the organisation Of parties.
there Is no provision for calling out
big men and drafting them for the
public service. II Is a system OF push
ing for place, ludicrous scramble In