The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1912-10-18
All Will Vote for Norton

All Will Vote for Norton
P. D. Norton's campaign for Con-
gress has made splendid progress during
the past few weeks and the enthu-
siastic support given him by his friends
and by the newspapers of the district
is exceedingly gratifying, and continues
to grow steadily as the campaign pro-
crosses. One thing that has helped
not aittle to arouse his friends through
out the district and keep them interest
ed and active on his behalf has been
the petty misrepresentation and at
tacks that have been made upon him
by some not too scrupulous parties.
The fragrant injustice of them has
spurred his friends into action and has
resulted in solidifying his support to
such an extent that there is not re-
publican newspaper in the district that
is not actively supporting him.
One of these small schemes was the
spreading of the report that Mr.. Norton
was not Republican. This was done
more by insinuation and veiled innuendo
than by direct statement. A number
of the republican newspapers were
deceived for short time until they
could get in touch with MIR. Norton and
hear from him. When that occurred.
and they discovered the attempt to
trick them, there was added to the
viritation at being misled a wholesome
feeling of Indignation at those who had
attempted to deceive them. The result
is that these newspapers are more
ardent supporters of Mr.. Norton than
before and are convinced that he stands
an unquestioned Republican and the
candidate of that party.
A similar yelled attack was made in
spreading the rumor that he had de-
cided to make the general election
ballot only three columns in width,
permitting Prohibitionists, Socialists
and Progressives to be mixed in one
scramble, from which the voter would
be compelled to pick his choice with
considerable difficulty. This was not
long of refutation when the ballot form
appeared issued under his authority a.
Secretary of State and showed five
columns, one for each of the parties.
Instead of ballot such as the opposi
tion hoped or rumored he would issue
we have this year ballot that is the
simplest, the clearest and the most
easily understood of any that has ever
been issued, and at the same time more
nearly conforming to the law than ever
before. He is advertised by his enemies
and when they seek to harm him it re-
bounds, in the end, to his credit.
So the reflex action of this rather
underhanded campaign against MIR.
Norton is really helping him wonder
fully. His candidacy is receiving in
creased attention and many who were
Indifferent before are no longer 80.
There is evidence of this in Morton and
Stark counties. where, in the primaries
Simpson received strong support. Yet
here Mr.. Norton receives now the sup
port of such openly conservative news
papers as the Mandan Pioneer and the
Dickinson Press and others, and those
who have visited in these counties re-
port that the sentiment is all Mr..
Norton's way today. In Billings County,
the Chronicle of Beach, which opposed
him before the primaries, comes to his
support in ringing editorial. And
these are but samples of conditions
throughout the district.
In fact republicans have been awaken
ed to the fact that the only way to
maintain progressive republican legisla-
ton in congress is to send progressive
republicans like Mr.. Norton to congress
and to keep them there, and they will
neither be misled or deceived into TAX
ing any other course. As result the
Norton campaign is the livest wire to-
day in North Dakota politics.
i