The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-06-27
LENKE ADMITTED HE
HAD NO POWER TO
PICK NOMINEE

Continued from Page One.
strangers to the Republican party
machine coming in here with no
standing whatever" .#a4.
How long since, may ask" said
Judge Spalding when given an oppor-
tunity to reply to Lemke, has it be-
come a crime or inconsistent with
the principles of the Republican party
to be anti-socialist? l had no init
nation that this political nom
descript," referring to Lemke, was to
De here in this case today, or would
have come better prepared to reply to
him..
At this juncture Judge Robinson,
from the bench, came to Mr.. Lemke's
assistance with some reference to Jud
LaMoure and Alex Mckenzie.
Il am glad you brought their names
in, Judge" said Judge Spalding. II
think had as much to do with the
overthrow of the old system as lot
of other men in this court room who
sat with their mouths shut and cried
out like lot Of chumps but did moth
ing.
Abiding to Baer's nomination as a
Fargo cartoonist a Democrat slightly
tinctured with socialism," and de-
clared: mo member of one party has
a right to be nominee of another
party. This is essential to the integ-
rtty Of our institutions. The
meeting which nominated Baer
was attended by eight members Of an
executive committee Of Is, Of whom
two had knowingly and intelligently
and advisedly signed the call for the
district convention held in Grand
Forks. The third member who had
signed the call when he learned what
was contemplated at Fargo withdrew
from the meeting and refused to have
anything to do with this preposterous
effort to foist upon us a Democrat
tinctured with socialism.
In this connection, Judge Spalding
read an affidavit from r. J. Hughes,
central executive committee, in which
he told Of the Fargo meeting at which
but four of the eight in attendance
were residents Of the First district
while two, the chairman and treas
urer, were not members of the state
central committee at all. OF the four
committeeman from the First district
present, Hughes was confident that
three had signed the call for the
satisfied that the fourth had done
likewise. Lemke's call addressed to
Mr.. Hughes, in which he called atten-
ton to the danger that the "old gang"
would seize the rejuvenated Republi-
can party, also was read by Judge
Spalding.
Bronson Aids Lemks.
The attorney generals Office went
to the assistance of Mr.. Lemke.
H. A. Bronson, representing the at
torney generals Office, opposing o. B.
RIITfnnGG' TNIan that his YlnnnI
upon the ballot as the regular nominee
of the Republican party, contended,
first, that the petition system of
nomination must govern in the cleo
ton, and, secondly, if it does not, then
the party committee chairman is the
authority in naming candidates that
should be recognized by the court.
Mr.. Bronson made a point of the
fact that Burtness had voluntarily
procured his nomination by petition,
thus signifying his agreement with
the opinion of the attorney general
and the proclamation of the governor.
Bronson claimed that inasmuch as
Burtness' name already appears
through his own act in the individual
column, he cannot procure the trans
fer of his name to a party column.
He argued that the caucus system of
nominating candidates has been for
ever repealed by law.
The caucus plan he referred to as
the 'old gang system.
He also insisted that the nomina-
ton Of Burtness was made too late,
even were the convention system
legal. why didn't they get busy in
April, when he (Mr. Helgesen) was
dead and everybody knew he was
dead?' shouted the prosecutor.
Then, he insisted that the legally
constituted head of the Republican or
ganization has made a nomination
which the court must accept as final
If it finds the convention system legal.
Mr.. Lemke devoted his arguments
largely to a story of how the Nom
partisan league a year ago captured
the Republican organization and made
him chairman, and how the "old
guard" has sought to undermine the
He told how full power
was given at the organization of the
state central committee to an execu-
tive committee composed of one MEM
Der from each judicial district, and
how this committee was called to-
gether in Fargo and Baer was nomi-
mated as the Republican candidate for
congress to save the grand old party
from the grasping old gang.