The Washington times., 1912-03-17
BOTH SIDES CLAIM
VICTORY IN FIGHT
IN NORTH DAKOTA
Roosevelt and La Toilette
Adherents in Struggle
f.. for Delegates.

FARGO N. D., March 17.-WIth
both sides claiming victory in the Pres
idential primaries on Tuesday, the first
TO be held by any State, tho Roosevelt
and La Toilette campaigns for North
Dakota's ten delegates in the next Re
publican national convention arc clos
ing with a last-mlnute fight and with
a tinge of bitterness, There simply is
no Taft fight here. The State will give
/; practically unanimous vote against
z him. 1t Is merely question which pro-
( gressive will win.
Gloves have been thrown away, and
the battle Is with bare knuckles. La
Toilette has come into the State and
openly assailed Roosevets record. Hs
campaign manager, Walter l.. Houser,
has questioned the good faith Of Roose-
Welt and practically called Roosevelt's
friend, Clifford Pinchot, n liar.
This has aroused the anger of the
Roosevelt leaders. who have come back
with emphatic denials, impuSning tho
fairness of La Toilette and Houser
Then they have added TO the exchange
of personalities by charging La Fol
lettc with having made Il compact with
William ]. Bryan and Gov. John
Burke. by which Democrats are to come
into the Republican primary ard vote
for La Toilette, in exchange for which
progressives are to help re-elect Burke,
giving him what will be his fourth term
Roosevelt leaders cite as evidence of
the existence of such an agreement
the fact that Governor Burke sat on
the platform at the La Toilette meet
ing at Bismarck, the State capital,
last night. The La Toilette managers
deny they have made such a compact.
AS the only fight in the Democratic
primaries Is for national committeeman,
there is no strong incentive to hold
Democrats in line and it will be possible
for them to go into the Republican
primaries If they want to.
Both Factions Optimistic.
Both John f. Bass, brother of the
governor of New Hampshire, manager
of the campaign for the national Roose"
welt committee, and II. NJ. Tucker, of
Courtney, manager of the La Toilette
campaign in the State gave out state
lnents today claiming victory. Mr..
I Bass said
"Our confidential reports from county
and precinct workers throughout the
State indicate that Roosevelt will win
by a comfortable majority. The situa-
, tion has become complicated by the
\ action of the La Toilette leaders in
forcing personalities into the campaign.
much against the wishes of the friends
of Mr. Roosevelt. 1t is further COM
plicated by the fact. that William J.
Bryan has recently been making
speeches in North Dakota. and has
taken advantage of the chance to urge
the nomination of La FOllete and there
by encourage Democrats to go into the
Republican primaries and vote for the
Senator. We anticipate that many will
do this. Still another complication is
the visit OF Senator La Toilette. These
conditions make 1t difficult to forecast
the result. but I have every confidence
Mr.. Roosevelt will be successful"
Mr.. fuckers statement was as fol-
lows:
II believe that La Toilette will carry
the State by at least 5000 / think the
maiOrtieS In the counties which have
heretofore been carried by the Opposi-
We have endeaVOred to make this a
succeeded in doing SO. One of the most
surprising things to me and which l did
not know until a few days ago, was
that all the La Toilette speakers came
to North Dakota without compensation
and betrayed their own expenses, which
Is an evident fact of the high regard
in which they hold the Senator and
which We take as evidence of his fitness
for the office"
Neither the La Toilette nor Roosevelt
forces will lay DOWN their arms until
Monday night. La Toilette himself goes
to Devils Lake and Minot tomorrow