The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-05-11
Press Comment

L&AA&AOAA 4NGNOLAs 2 IA ~ Tie NIO~
gressive papers Of the sttae are very
bitter against the provisions Of the
recently enacted primary election law,
passed by a progressive legislature,
which requires the assessors to secure
the political preference OF citizens.
The mistake made by these papers is
that they look upon the primary cleo
ton as a peoples election, when it is
in fact nothing but a party election.
It simply takes the place of the party
caucus system. 1t is held for the
purpose Of allowing those parties
which cast a certain number OF votes
at the last preceding general election
to settle by their party votes the Qnes-
ton as to whom they desire for their
respective candidates at the regular
election. In the caucus days the APP
pearance Of democrats at a republican
caucus, or Of republicans at a demo-
cratic caucus desiring to vote, would
have raised a disturbance, unless such
would declare that they had
changed their political views to those
Of the party in whose caucus they de-
sired to take part. There is no more
reason why republicans should vote
~ ACAlACNA q at a 4 W 0CAAAO%
Gratis for republicans, than there was
that they should so vote at the caucus.
Besides, there is nothing compulsory
in the making Of a declaration of par
ty affiliation. He isn't much of a mar
who, belonging to n party, wishes
to stuff the ballot box Of another par
ty. If he is a party man. let him so
declare 1t to the assessor. If he is not
a member of any party. let him so de-
clare it. Certainly, If he declares the
truth, he will not. if he is honest in
his declaration, wish TO vote either a
democratic or a republican ticket: and
the declaration that he IS not a party
mar deprives him of no privilege at
the regular election held for all voters
in the fall. The legislature passed the
party-preference law for the sole and
only reason that many party men had
taken the primary tickets of the OPP
position party and voted for candi-
dates whom they believed would be
the easiest for their own opposing
candidates to defeat. Without some
such law, it has been demonstrated
that the primary statute was a delu-
sion and a Something had to
be done to prevent members of one
party at the primary election voting
the ticket Of a party to which they
were opposed, or the primary law
would have to be repealed. And no.
body wanted to go back to the old
caucus system. That is all there is to
this party-declaration matter, and
that it is a wise provision is shown
by the fact that reports from all owe
the state are to the effect that the as
SCISSORS are having very little trouble
with this part of their work. The
party man who is worth a continental
is not afraid or ashamed to declare
his preference, knowing that the law
was enacted to prevent the stuff1ing
of ballot boxes; and the man who
really has not made up his mind as to
which party he prefers can honestly
say SO, and will not be deprived of a
single right to which he is entitled
when the regular election is held in
November.
Hankinson News: Congressman
Hanna is expected home within ter
days and will start an aggressive cam
paign in the interests of his candidacy
for governor. His friends scott at the
suggestion that he may withdraw
from the ace and state that he will
be a winner at the June primaries by
a good majority.
Neville Journal: The Journal mar
has been amused over the scare heads
and outlandish reports that Cong. L
1 % +. TJnano F.. a. 3, STD
this great state, Is to withdraw from
the campaign as a candidate. These
reports are all untrue and come from
sources will known by the writer sim
ply to injure Mr.. Hanna and misleaC
the good thinking people of the state
Mr.. Hanna is a candidates; is to re-
main so and we dare say will be nom
mated and elected governor of North
Dakota at the coming election days
The business men and active progress
sive farmers realize that Mr.. Hanna
is the right man for governor. Why:
Because he is a capable man, conscien.
tious in his desire to be governor, q
man of unusual ability and above al
with malice to not a single person. He
has always been and is honorable in
his transactions and no one can point
their finger at the congressman with
one assertion of disrespect or untrue
effort on his part for the good of the
commonwealth. We have watched
Mr.. Hanna's record at Washington
and though he and other statesmen
might not have voted always just al
we thought we would had we been ir
their position, still we can assert thai
no other public official has gone tt
Washington and accomplished Sc
much for North Dakota in such Z
short time as has Mr.. Hanna. Mr.
Hanna deserves being elected to tht
Office of governor and we predict thai
every fair minded voter will give hin
support for the nomination at the
June primaries and at the genera.
election in November. The Journal Ii
for Mr.. Hanna for governor because
we sincerely believe that he is the log.
ical man for the position and will give
the state a business administration
that the voters may be proud of.
,Lidgerwood Monitor, Gem: In stat,
politics it is claimed by some that al
effort is being made to get Hanna Il
withdraw from the fight for the re.
publican nomination for governor
That is quite doubtful and probably il
but one of the many campaign rumor
that often get circulated. True, thu
defeat of Roosevelt gave him a blacI
eye, but did not put him out Of tn,
race. At the last election he received
a higher vote than Helgeson, and tina
surprised many. There are many vot
ers who call themselves progressive