Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-07-12

Whether or not that fact may be made the basis Of an
application to the courts for an order declaring the cleo
ton void The Herald is not informed. Should that be
done. a court decision must be awaited before It can be
known whether or not an election has been had and a
congressman elected. In the absence of such action,
John N. Baer has been elected member of the national
house of representatives from the First Congressional
district for the remainder Of the term expiring March a,
1919.
circumstances. He Is a new man in the district, having
lived in it barely long enough to entitle him to vote. The
people Of the district generally know nothing about him
except what they have been told within the past naonth.
Before that most Of them were not aware that such a
man existed. He has had no experience as a legislator,
and none in public life either as an official or as a ctti-
gen. He may be a man of extraordinary ability, or he
may have no ability at all. Nobody knows. There has
been no opportunity to find out Mr.. Baer was not elect
ed because of his character, his ability or his personality.
The votes that were cast for him would have been cast
for any other unknown man who had been presented to
the people under the same circumstances. He was
chosen as a candidate. not by the people whose candidate
he was represented to be, not by any persons delegated
by them to perform that duty, but by the small group of
individuals who have consistently followed the policy of
concentrating in their own hands authority over the po-
litical action of several thousand citizens Of North Da-
kota.
If election to office is the proper goal of ambition,
Mr.. Baer is fortunate. The fates have dealt kindly with
him. A man, young, untried and inexperienced, a recent
importation from a distant part of the state, With no
special interests III the district or the state, brought to
this section through the accident Of getting a job. he has
been chosen to serve a nation Of one hundred million
people d ~ II OF 1IS diu ~ IASN
hundred thousand of his fellow citizens In the national
congress. Not many young men find the road to such a
position SO short and 30 easy 70 travel.
But, If election to office is not the end in sight, but
rather the means to an end, and the end Is real public
service. Mr.. Baer's position is not without its disadvan'
tages. He labors under the handicap Of having beer
nominated and elected. not on his own merits and 81
his own man, hut as a man of accidental availability who
was chosen by the men whose practice has been to selec,
for official positions obscure, forceless and colorless per
sons who could be used as might chance to be desirable
| IIa &c Nrtr IN hoirO tHAnfjfiaH 4 mart through
the speech and actions Of others, and in part by his own
acquiescence, with the spirit of class antagonism and the
related spirit of antagonism to national policies which
have for their purpose the strengthening of the HANDS
Of the government for the tremendous tasks involved IN
the great war. These things, as Mr.. Baer will find. are
not light loads to carry.
Mr.. Baer is fortunate in having placed before him a
great opportunity. He can do much to clear the air OF
the faint of dissension and disloyalty that has been IN
jected into it. He can refuse to submit to the dictation
Of any boss. He has on his side youth and strength. an
agreeable personality, and the incentive Of a great need
for a great work. He will go to Washington untrled.
He will go on trial. For his own sake. for the sake OF
the state and district, and for the sake of the nation, The
Herald sincerely hopes that he will make good. r.