The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1914-09-14
The Senatorsbip

Every voter is directly and per-
sonally interested in the selection of
public officials If they are elective
it is important that the voter should
know who and what the candidates
are before he exercises the RESPONSE
BILE privilege of casting his ballot.
1t therefore becomes the duty of
every newspaper to inform it's read
ers, as best it can, as to the qualifi-
cations and probable value as public
officials of those who seek election
to public place. This duty of news
paper is especially true with refer
ence to those who aspire to make the
laws and to determine and establish
governmental policies-with refer
ence, for instance, to the persons who
seek to become state senators.
Hence we conceive and believe it
to be eminently proper for the Pho
neer to honestly and candidly pre-
sent to our readers in Beltrami and
Koochiching counties our estimate
of the character and ability of both F.
A. Wilson of this city, and Leonard
H. Nord, of International Falls, and
to state our opinion as to which of
these gentlemen would the better and
more creditably represent this dis
trict in the state senate To do this
is our purpose, which we intend to
carry out by truthful statements and
pertinent comment from time to time
during the pending campaign.
: First, as to F. A. Wilson, whose
career in this section Of the state be-
gan as an employe Of the Pioneer
about four years ago. Heretofore a
newspaper reporter, he continued in
that capacity with us for a brief
period and then acquired an interest
in the Bemidji Sentinel, which week
ly newspaper he now publishes.
Other than this, Beltrami county and
northern Minnesota know nothing of
Wilson,, except as he can be judged
by his newspaper utterances. His
only other occupation or effort since
northern Minnesota first heard of
him has been in the capacity of fill
ing unimportant clerkships in the
state legislature. His interest in
and knowledge of the important sena-
torial district which he now seeks to
represent is only as thus indicated
He is absolutely without public or
private record within the knowledge
of the people of this district by
which his fitness to fill the position
he covets can be judged. We have
yet to hear anyone state any reason
whatever why he should be consid-
cred a representative man for any
purpose or why he should have a seat
in the state capitol in any more con-
spicuous capacity than as commit
tee clerk. Without acquaintance in
the district, without knowledge OF
the needs of the district, without ex-
perience in public affairs, without
even a pleasing personality, without
the slightest commendatory charac-
tertistic, we ask, in all candor and
sincerity, why should we want Will
son in the state senate for the next
four years, or at all. To imagine
that man of his capacity and gen
eral makeup would have the least
influence in a legislative body, or
would be able to promote the interests
of the state, district, or this city, is
too absurd to seriously contemplate
In attempted defense and reply to
the Pioneers recently published
statement that only about
one-third of the voters of the
City of Bemidji voted for Wilson
at the primary election, this
self-selected, self-lauded, self-serving
candidate, in the last issue of the
Sentinel, published an article which
is in itself convincing argument that
he is unworthy of political prefer
ment. In evident attempt to divert
attention from the damaging fact
that only one out of three voters in
;c 1;t 60 L, t1-E-