Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-06-02
CARTOONlST
BAER NAMED
FOR CONGRESS
Secret Caucus" Was Set
Up in Fargo to Do His
Bidding.
LEAGUE ENTERS THE
R DIST. BOUT
1gnors Langer's
Advice to Republicans
on Convention.

Gear Townley has spoken again.
He has given his ukase, and has
waved his scepter of power over a
handful of the faithful-and they
have bowed low and done his bid
ding.
1t matters not that Gear Townley
had given his word hat he would not
NEEDLE in the affairs Of North Dakota.
Nor that he had said the league he
has fathered would not interfere In
matters Of national concern in poll
tics. Nor that the cars own attor-
ney general in Bismarck had given the
cars own governor a Townley opin-
ion that conventions were not legal IN
making nominations for the vacancy
in the congressional delegation OF the
state.
There was an important place to be
flied and the ear had to see hat 1t
was taken care of by his own methods.
And so the gar called a convention
at the Hotel Gardner in Fargo Of 70
members of the house n senate, IN
the recent legislature, who had al
ways done his bidding n told them
he wanted them to name a candidate
for congress in the First district for
the vacancy made by h death OF
Hon. H. T. Helgesen.
Thus it is that John M. Baer. re-
SCAlLly Va DCdSIs AAS oSSAS VI
Townley's activities. and now cartoon
list for the Nonpartisan Leader. is to-
day the candidate of the T~ownley-So-
cialist league for the seat in congress
representing the First "tstrict OF
North Dakota.
Nomination by Convention.
Conventions are gone forever in
North Dakota" quoted Attorney Cen
eral LANCER several days ago. when he
told Republicans they must not" hold
a convention to nominate a candidate
for congress, but they should resort to
the petition system of nomination. His
injunction. evidently, doesn't apply to
the Townley league.
The blackboard system Of nominal
ton. 1t is understood, was adopted,
that being the same system used last
year when the Townley ticket Of can
didates for state offices was nomin-
ated at the famous Fargo convention.
a year ago..
BY its employment, Townley had no
trouble in making good in the plan
to nominate the man selected for the
congressional post.
Townley and his aides successfully
kept under cover the name of their
candidate until after the convention
was we'll under way.
Nothing was said about Townley't
recent declaration that the league
wouldn't NEEDLE in congressional is-
sues. Townley's original idea wa
abandoned some time ago.
Didn't Pick a Farmer.
The nomination of Boer indicates
also, abandonment of Townley'l
boosted policy of the inner circle not
picking their w men" for offices
Heretofore, they have been wont tc
pick farmers, but a policy is nov
evident.
ToYnley presided over the conven.
ton, Of course. Like the secret eau.
Gus at the recent legislature. this con
vention. too. was secret. In fact, il
was much as though the Bismarck
secret caucus had been transferred
for a day. Anyway, it did the job Gu
out for it and now the league will
have a full fledged candidate for con
gress.
Inasmuch as Governor Frazier
veto of the terminal elevator bill hal
been giving the league organizer
more or less trouble, Car Townle,
thought it advisable to get the legisla'
tors present to approve the veto-st
they did.
John NJ. Baer, the candidate b,
grace of Townley. vas postmaster a
Beach, N. D., under appointment b.
President Wilson. He came to Fargo
something ove a year ago as cartoon
list for the Leader, and has been activ.
in organization work. Mr.. Baer hal
accepted the convention nomination
and will also file a petition as we'll.