The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1914-03-05
PRIMARY ISSUES
SETTLED MICH "a
By Selection of State and County
Tickets

Dakota will vote at the primaries
for party nominees for COMPRESSION
al, state and county candidates
the candidates thus selected to be
the regular party tickets to be voted
for at the fall election in November.
The republicans have two state
tickets at the primary election, a
majority" ticket and a minority"
ticket; the democrats have n state
and county ticket; the prohibition
lists have enc state ticket. and no
county ticket; the socialists have one
state ticket, and no county ticket.
The only contest to be settled at the
March primary. therefore. is the
contest between the majority" and
minority republicans. and one in
dependent candidate for governor.
The majority and minority fac
tons among leaders of the republi-
can party is the old factlonaI division
which started ten years ago between
what was then called the "organiza
ton and the insurgents Later
the Organization became the
''stalwarts." and the insurgents
became the 'progressives,' and
have been known as such ever since,
Perhaps it is the old. old division of
radical and conservative which di
vides mankind the world over.
In 1896 the staiwsrt element,
which had had control of party af-
fairs for several years. was defeated
bv the progressives. who have been
in practical control of the party and
state since that date.
These two elements are now con
tending for party control at the
coming March primaries. The pro-
gressive wing is supporting the
majority" ticket. and the stalwarts
are boosting for the minority
ticket. The leaders are getting
warmed up a bit. as customary IN
politics. each side claiming to be
the simon-pure republicans. and
criticising each others records.
But this partizan enthuiasm need
not be taken too seriously, because
they are all republicans. opposed in
method and principle to the ancient
democratic enemy. That this is true
is readily proven by the fact that
Ill candidates upon both the major
itv and minority tickets have public.
~ pledged themselves to support the
republican ticket selected on March
2lth. They certainly would not
have given such Hedges if they did
not think each other qualified or fit
for the offices to which they aspire.
Hence the party voter may accept
these pledges as fully settling both
the republicanism and personnel of
the two tickets. Personally they are
al right. clean AMI able. and any
republican having a personal prefer
ence need have no h~esitancy in vot-
ing for any Of them -notwithstand-
ing campaign ut~terances of enthu-
sisstic p~artisans.
On the questions Of this years
platforms and promises the two
wings do not differ a great deal. be.
cause of recognized Tenderness in
legislation and present day trend of
political thought.
So the question now being consid,
cred by the average republican voter
who has no personal interest. and
with equal personal friendship with
oil of the candidates. is-which sid,
will be Of greatest benefit to state
and party in the management OF
public affairs? Both elements have
had control of legislative and cxecu
tive departments of the state. In
legislative performance it must be
admitted that during their contro
Of the past few years the progress
sive wing has the best of lt-consid-
cred from the viewpoint of the
masses of the. people. They have
enacted measures which benefit the
greatest number. and opposed the
railroads and corporations. To their
credit stands the "a cent railroad
fare law. lower express rates. anti
pass law. valuation of railroad pro-
perty, anti-lobby law. corrupt prac
tice oct, the tax commission which
seeks to brink systematic justic,
snd fairness out of the tax chaos.
Upon these issues the progressive
wing has won the state for severa
years. and Governor Byrne. nov OF