The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1912-07-26
Press Comment

Grafton Record; There ought to
be no doubt about the vote OF q
presidsntial eieetor Under the wise
sFev.,Isg sRd ,qIs%oerStie a;o., custom % which has
nlns of the republic the the elseter ete
| Is required 10 cast his vote for the can.
didates named by the national conyen-
tlon or the party which selected him
Tor the expression OF the wishes OF that
| party. II Is true that under the letter
OF the constitution he has q right to
pleases. but no eleotor has EiSf Yet had the
hardihood TO vote for any man for
president who was not the regularly
nominated candidate OF the party
which the elector was chosen to repre-
sent. That candidate may be personal
~ repugnant TO the eiecter, between
| the time of his state convention and
| general election, may have radically
changed his political views; yet he is
morally obliged to cast his ballot for
the nominee Of the party which ap-
pointed him It's voting agent. He has
no personal choice In the matter. No
system was established has ever claim
ed, or ever exercised, the right OF
The peculiar conditions Of the pres
ent campaign have brought this ques-
ton 20 the 'front.' practically for the
first time, Republican electors in some
Of the states were named at conven-
tions held prior to the national conven-
tion held in Chicago. A number Of
these electors were, and are ardent
supporters of Mr.. Roosevelt, and some
OF them 1t is reported have determined
to cast their ballots for their favorite,
regardless of the action of the Chicago
convention. holding that the nomina-
tion of Mr.. Taft was obtained by un-
fair methods, and therefore, according
70 their viewpoint, not binding upon
them: This is not the place to consider
the differences of opinion as to the hon
esty of Mr.. Tafts nomination. The
point is this These electors were nam
ed by republican conventions. They are
electors OF the republican party alone:
Mr.. Taft Is the nominee OF the national
republican convention. No matter what
one may think about the methods of
that he is the republican candidate for
president, and the only republican can
didate. Mr.. Roosevelt may be nom
mated for president, but he will not be
His party will bear some other name.
The republican electors, as private in
dividuals, have the right of every
American citizen to think and to vote
as they please, but in their official ca
pacity they are In honor bound to cast
their ballots in the electoral college for
William Howard Taft, the candidate of
the republican party.
Grafton Record: Some of our ex-
changes are having considerable fun at
the expense of John Andrews of The
LidgerWood Broadaxe, Andrews is one
of these extreme radicals who never
can see anything from the other fell
lows point OF view. He has been a
rip-roaring insurgent for years and
rather than support stalwart govern
or in the past has been openly for the
election of Burke. Two years ago he
took delight in fiaying all the insur-
gent editors who supported Johnson,
the editor of this paper In particular.
Now Andrews has decided to support
Hanna for governor and some OF the
fellows want to know where his con-
sistency comes In. We don't feel that
way about IL. We are mighty glad 10
know that Andrews is going to support
Hanna, and hope in the future he will
have little more respect for the views
OF those fellows who don't happen to
agree with him for the time being.
Grafton Record: That third party
movement has struck North Dakota
and a convention TO select delegates TO
the national convention has been called.
The convention will be held at Fargo
on Friday and the call IL signed by 100
men, many of whom are prominent pro-
greasiVss. 1t Is evident that a strong
effort will be made to carry the state
this fall at the general election for
electors who are favorable to the cleo
ton of Theodore Roosevelt for presi-
dent With three sets of electors in
| the field, two republican and one dem
ocratic 1t IL not at all impossible that
| the electoral vote OF the state will 60
| to Governor Wilson.