The state herald., 1912-09-06
A Fair Deal.

The Herald insists that all cahdidates S
before the voters in direct primary
should be given a square DEAL
1t has come to our knowledge that
certain party leaders have been repre-.
senting to the voters of the republican
party that the candidacy Of Miss Madge
Crowner for nomination for county clerk
is against the best interests of the par
ty because that Office had been promised
to Haxtun candidate and it is due
Miss Crowner that the facts surround
ing her candidacy be given to the voters
Up to the morning of the county as
sembly Gust Westman Of Haxtun was
conceded to be the candidate for county
assessor without any opposition. ~Nsome
time prior to the convention Miss Crown
er had decided to be candidate for
county clerk and there were also two
other candidates for that office in the
eastern end Of the county. So, at the
time Miss Crowner decided to make the
race, there was no candidate for clerk
from Haxtun. On the morning of the
county assembly, the slate was sudden
ly changed and in the assembly the
nomination for county assessor was Civ
en- to one of the candidates for clerk
from the eastern end of the county and
the other candidate withdrew and Gust
Westman of Haxtun was placed in nom
ination as one of the candidates for
clerk and the writer placed Miss Crown
er's name before the assembly as a can
didate for the office. Neither Miss
Crowner nor her supporters are in any
way responsible for the fact that her
candidacy is against Haxtun man but
the party or parties who are
responsible for this condition of the
campaign are the party or parties who
changed the slate Of candidates on the
morning of the assembly. Their motive
for making the change is known only to
themselves and they have not said
whether they did it through fear Of
Miss Crowner winning the nomination
or for some other reason. If her NOM
nation does not fit in well with the slate |
it is the slate makers fault and not hers |
The Herald holds that the only fair
way to conduct primary campaign, is
for the party organization, party boss.
es, party candidates whose nomination
is not contested and party newspapers
to keep out of the fight and let the vot-
ers express their choice uninfiuenced by
any of these. But it seems that we
cannot have such an ideal primary cam
paign in this county. The Herald has
had nothing to say and would have had
nothing to say had the campaigning for
nomination for clerk been fairly done.
DIEM. Smith is taking an active lead
in the fight for the defeat of Miss
Crowner, and is leaving no stone un-
turned to accomplish that object. Some
of the other candidates who have no
fight and consequently haveno occasion
to campaign for themselves have been
sent out with Mr.. Westman to cam
paign for him, an action contrary to the
continuance Of peace and harmony in
the party and, to say the least, decided
ly poor politics.
We have made no fight on Gus West
man and certainly have no occasion to
do so, for we have only the most friend
ly feeling for him. All we ask is that
the republicans of this county give Miss
Madge Crowne- a square deal in this
primary for il is due her. She has al
ways been a stauneh republican, has
made good in the only public Office held
by her in the county and deserves fair
treatment at the hands Of the republi-
cans.