The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1916-06-15

udu net OccN
by some boss at the county
seat, nor did we nominate by
any flowery speeches. We
nominated, or voted rather, by
secret ballot and kept on voting
until one man got a majority OF
the votes cast; that member
was then declared elected coun-
ty delegate. Fair, wasn't it?
| was that member and l met
with twenty-eight other mem
bers from twenty eight other
townships (all elected some
what the same way) on the 9th
day of March at Newburg for
the county convention.
Again, Lou, this convention
was different from the old
county ratification meetings
you and l attended so often.
You remember how they used
to have committee reports, re-
solutions, nominations and all,
all ready to sign and vote IT,
Yes, this was different. These
were representatives of the
people who dig their living out
of the soil-not out of other
peoples pockets or party.
You say you found two trusty
Townley hirelings there. That
is not true; and I failed to see
you there, although 1 looked
around for you (from force of
habit, l suppose.) But then l
came to the conclusion that we
were in different classes even
if we had belonged to the same
party. But one of the Big
Five Mr.. F.B. Wood, and Mr..
Lemke were there.
What for? To see what we
did and how we did it. Find
one delegate who thinks it was
not right. They told us that
the League was not going into
county or national politics; that
the state delegate would proba-
bly, be selected from the two
receiving the highest vote;
that all precinct delegates,
whether present or not, ought
to be considered candidates for
the legislature; that was the
Leagues desire Tor Townley's
rule, as you call it, Not so
bad after all. was it?
At the convention we. got a
piece of building paper, wrote
down the names of all delegates
elected and of those suggested
by the delegates present. Then
we voted by ballot without
comment. Each delegate vot-
ed for whom he pleased. Any
new names were always added
to the list and votes tailed.
Fair again, wasn't it? In that
way we voted until each of the
four candidates received a ma
jority of all the votes cast,
Hagen, Miller, Magnuson and
Stair. The first three named
were delegates to the conven-
ton. Mr.. Stair was not pre-
sent, | have since learned that
at the time he was in Montana
teaching the gospel of co-opera-
ton. Not one of the four
chosen as candidates had asked
to be nominated. Nor did it
make any difference to dele
gates which one of the four
was chosen state delegate. So
you see your assertion was un-
just and unfair, not so much to
Mr.. Stair, he stands for what
he is, but to the county dele
gates and the men who sent
them. It seems that such an
insinuation could only be made
by an old. we'll qualified politi-
cian-and you should worry
I attended the mass conven-
ton at Fargo. 1t was a sober
and orderly bunch of men. /
found there representatives
from all parts of the state;
men who get their living by
digging in the soil. Not like
the Souris Messenger by dig
cling into the pockets of those
who dig the soil, and then have
a rag like the Messenger say:
The bunch was too docile to
need bossing. However, they
selected an a No. l good ticket
of candidates for state Offices
What does it matter who nomi-
mated them! Townley, the Big
Five, or the convention, Who
ever did deserves credit for do
ing a good job, and l am sure
has the backing of every Lea
que member and right. think
IN man