Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-07-09
THE CAMPAIGN OVER

the congressional campaign in the First district is
over. The election will be held on Tuesday, and members
of committees and others who have taken an active part
in the campaign will remain on duty until election time,
and efforts to influence the decision of voters will con-
tnue as long as there is any possibility Of their having
any effect. But to all intents and purposes the campaign
is closed, and the number of votes that will be influenced
between now and election time will be negligible.
No two political campaigns are exactly alike. Some
OF the distinguishing features Of the present one have
been the dragging into it of the Non-Partisan league by
its dictator, Mr.. Townley, the selection by him of an OBJ
scure man, virtually a nonresident, as the candidate
whom league members are expected to support, and the
impudence with which Townley, in a campaign for a
national office, has set himself in opposition to the gov
eminent Of the nation and has sought to obstruct it
when that government is preparing as best it can to
play its part in a great war.
In contrast we have the candidacy of olger B. Burt
ness, who, out Of a number of men who had declared
themselves as tentative candidates for the position, was
chosen by the vote of nearly two hundred delegates reg
ularly elected to perform that work as the man most
available for the place, and who has received the loyal
support Of the other prospective candidates, as any one
of them would have received his support had another
man been chosen. The groundwork of the Burtness
campaign has been active and ungrudging support of
the American government in maintaining the principles
on which American government rests. Mr.. Burtness is a
Republican, and, If he is elected, when the time comes
for decisions to be reached on those issues which are
distinctively party issues, he will be found supporting
the recognized policies of the Republican party, an at
titude which is also the attitude of probably three-fourths
of the people of the state of North Dakota. But, while
Mr.. Burtness is a Republican, and the president of the
United States and the majority Of the members of both
houses Of congress are Democrats, Mr.. Burtness has,
not only during this campaign, but long before the cam
paign began. demonstrated that he is first of all an
American. and that whatever the political complexion
of the national administration may be, he stands squarely
and unequivocally in support of that administration in
the great work that 1t is now called on to perform, and
that no partisanship enters into his thoughts when the
broad interests of the nation are at stake. This has
heen his attitude in the past, and we know from the
character Of the man that it will be his attitude in the
future.
The Herald is not in the habit of making election
predictions. 1t has always regarded the making of such
predictions as idle, we'll enough, perhaps, as an amuse-
ment for those who chose to entertain themselves and
others in that manner, but decidedly tame and uninter-
esting SO far as this paper is concerned. The Herald
hopes for the election Of Mr.. Burtness and it will be
disappointed IT he is not elected. But, whatever the re-
suit Of the election may be, this paper will have the
satisfaction Of feeling that it has followed the right
course to the best Of Its ability.