The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-02-20
INTEREST TURNS
TO GOVERNORSHLP

Sioux Falls, s. D., Feb. 20.-Scarcely
five weeks remain until the March pri-
maries in this state. primaries which
viii determine the control Of state pol
iticS for some years to come. Notwith-
standing the fact that the prize of a
United States senatorship Is at stake,
the greater interest seems to center
around the governorship, owing no
doubt. to the three-cornered fight for
the Office. Governor Byrne, the an
didate of the majority faction, Is seek
ing a denomination n his adminls-
tration is attacked because Of the Gre
alton Of the tax commission, the raise
in the taxes on farm lands and the in
creased cost OF state government.
Anderson, the minority candidate,
like Byrne. is not an orator. AS audi
tor Of the state he a been the buffer
against which raiders on the treasury
have been stopped. He is a good hand
shaker, and is conducting q gumshoe
campaign.
The third candidate Is r.. o. Rich
ards, the hacker of Crawford in his
fight for the s~enatorShip five years ago,
now openly and bitterly against
Crawford's denomination. Richards is
making a ell-conducted campaign.
He has g. terse platform and a press
bureau that has been In working order
FIVE years. Richards wishes to win,
but he would sacrifice all his personal
ambitious to bring about the defeat Of
Crawford whom he charges with nav
ing betrayed the progressive move
ment n sold out to the railroads.
Looks Like Anyhody's Race.
It is a difficult matter to forecast the
outcome Of he gubernatorial contest.
Two years ago Byrne won over Gull
and Egan by a safe plurality. In that
contest, however, he had the support
Of the much deSpised stalwart faction,
which believed 1t was better to sup
port Byrne than to have Egan nomin-
ated. After the primaries Byrne's
campaign manager thanked the stall |
Byrne'S success. Now this faction is
practically unanimously against him
and for Anderson.
Richards, two years ago. was for
Byrne n he Is % a candidate in
opposition. Richards demonstrated his
vote getting strength in that cam
paign by polling practically $4,000
votes for senator without making a
campaign. If he can retain this follow
ing and poll his vote in March he will
be second, if not first, in the race.
Anderson is supposed to have fallen
heir to the strength Of Gamble which
was proven in the last contest to be
about $4,000 votes. If he can get the
Gamble vote and a smattering of the
Scandinavian vote he would be an
easy winner But can he? Byrne could
easily win If he could hold his own;
but no one believes that he can do
this. In fact. it is admitted that he
has lost ground, lost heavily, so that
at best he is running on a par with
the other g~ubernatorial candidates.
Byrne has the advantage of an army
OF state appointees working for him
and the advantage a candidate for a
second term always has. Crawford
charges that Byrne has a deal with the
Homestake for It's support; Byrne de-
MES this. but indications point to such
a deal. II this vote goes solidly for
Byrne, it will put him in the winning |
column, provided the deal Is not re-
scented by the farmer vote.
Crawford and BuEke.
The senatorIaI night Is an easier
problem. 1t is a straight out and out
fight between Crawford and Burke; |
one a senator for five years, the other
seven times elected to congress and
never having suffered a defeat at the
hands Of the people.
Burke is strong, stronger than any
n in the Black Hills; he is strong in
the second congressional district; that
he will carry both Of these DISTRICTS
seems likely. But the first district is
where the rub is. This district defeat
ed Kttredge; it defeated J. L. Brown
for governor: it defeated Sam Elrod,
who ran against Vessey the second
time. Can Burke get away from the
handicap Of this district? IL he can
keep the majority down to normal, he
will have votes to spare. If the ma
49, -. nI l
Is larger than usual, 1t will look bad |
for him.
But conditions there are promising
for Burke, and there are those who |
say it is possible for him to break
even in this district. SO the fight for
senator depends upon the vote in the
first district largely.
Congressional Contests.
There has been no particular change
in h congressional situation. The
first district Is the scene of the most
active fight. The ubiquitous Dick
Woods is in he field against c. H.
Dillon. The district is supposedly for
Dillon, but Woods is stirring up the
voters there is a change for him
TO win.
In the secon district Judge McNuI-
ty and Attorney General johnson, both
progressives. are the candidates. No
can even guess how it will result.
In fact away from Brown county,
where both men reside. one would not
know there was a fight on for O
gresham.
In the third district. commonly
known as the Black Hills district, the
candidates are Judge w. G. Rice. and |
j. G. Bartine. 1t looks like a landslide
for Rice.
Richards Law Gaining Friends.
The hue and cry raised against the
Richards primary is in a measure sub
siding, Notwithstanding Governor
Byrne characterizes it as a ''crazy law
conceived by a crazy person" and
power of his eloQuence. Yet it is
standing up and gaining ground. AS a
matter Of fact, it needs a little "iron-
Ing" which the author admits; this
done, no valid objections car be raised
against it. It's author, F. O. Richards,
predicts that it will not be repealed, I
but that 1t will stand and become a.