The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-03-16
NORTH DAKOTA.
TEST AWAITED
Politicians are Interested in First
Statewide Presiden-
tial Primary
BATTLE ROYAL ON TUESDAY
Other States Will Express Pref
erences Later
Roosevelt and LaFolctte Forces Both
Claim State. Result Very Much
In Doubt.

Bismarck, n. d., March 1G.-North
Dakota promises to monopoiize the
center of the political stage next Tues
day, when a State wide primary will
he held TO give the voters OF both the
leading parties an opportunity to ex'
press their preference for candidates
fer the presidential nomination. The
primary will be the first Of its kind
ever held in any OF the States and will
mark an important innovation in Am
crican politics.
The idea Of presidential preference
primaries is an outgrowth of the direct
election plan which originated in ore
gon several years ago. The primaries
i'm this State next week will afford the
first demonstration of how the idea
works out In practice. The theory on
which the scheme is based is generally
conceded 10 he sound by the politicians
Of all parties. II is the theory that
delegates who place in nomination men
for the highest Offices in the land
should represent the people directly,
and not merely the politicians. The
elections will do away with The con-
ventions, which heretofore have been
held for the selection of delegates To
the national conventions, and, It is be-
lieved. will insure the carrying out of
the popular viii, with no miscarriages
,1,,o o.. ,,nIitfaoI ,,,a pfn,lafinn
Other States In Line.
In additional to North Dakota, the
States that will try out the primary
plan this year in the selection Of the
whole or part of their delegations
to the national conventions include
New York, wisconsin, Illinois Nebras-
ka, Michigan, California, oregon, Ohio.
New Jersey and South Dakota. II the
results OF the plan work out as It's
supporters anticipate. and there are
found TO be no counterbalancng bad
effects from the new law. it is safe TO
say that by 1916 the direct primary
system will be adopted by practically
all of the States.
ever possess an interest that Is OF
more direct Importance TO the politi-
clans for the time being than anything
that concerns the theoretical aspect
of the new Jaw. Upon the results of
the popular vote 10 be cast here neNe
Tuesday is believed to depend in no
small measure the chances for success
of two aspirants for the Republican
presidential nomination-Theod
Roosevelt and Robert M. LaHollette.
OF the two, the chances OF LaFollette
are most vitality concerned.
Means Much to Progressives.
II LaFollette should sweep the State,
the result would be a temporary set
back for the Roosevelt boom. On the
other hand. il is conceded on all sides
that a pronounced Roosevelt victory
would sound the death knell of the
LaFoilette candidacy. for ii has beer
claimed all along tina, the LaFollctte
brand of progressivism has taken deep
cr root in North Dakota than in any
other State and that the Wisconsin
senator has had proportionately larg-
er number of supporters among the
Republicans of North Dakota than were
to be found in his home State
The campaign which practically
closed today has been strenuously con-
Quoted on both sides. Many of the
best speakers in the Roosevelt and
LaFollette camps have been stumping
the State from end 10 end the past
two weeks. The end of the fight finds
the Roosevelt managers brimful of con-
fidence i'm the result. They undoubted-
~ believe that the former president
will sweep the state. One OF the prin-
cipal grounds for their belief is found
i'm the fact that Colonel Roosevelt is
known in North Dakota better than he
is in most states. for he lived on a
ranch here for years.
Taft's Chances Arc Poor.
The Toilette managers are anxious
for fine weather on primary day, as
much depends upon II in the rural dis
tricts. The LaFollette forces contend
that the rural vote will be strong for
the Wisconsin senator. The Roose-
welt boosters. on the other hand, say
they have nothing to fear on that
score.
Taft's name will appear on the pri-
mary ballot. but the friends OF the
president long ago decided to make no
active fight here. II rs the only state
they are willing to concede to the IN
surgents" without n struggle. The
president has many friends here, but
there are many Republicans who are
/ against him. some Of whom are against
him because they are for Roosevelt or
I.aFollctte and others whose opposition
is based upon the Presidents espousal
of Canadian reciprocity, which was
considered inimical to the agricultural
| interests of North Dakota.
In the Democratic party there will be
no contest for the delegation to the