The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-06-11


OnIv four candidates for congress II
the First district have qualified Tor q
place on the ballot in the special eiec,
fion on July 10, under the rule as lalo
down by Secretary Of state Tnomas
Hall and Attorney General LANCER.
The petitions filed are:
F. 4. Cuthbert, Devils Lake, Repubn-
George A Bangs. Grand Forks
Democrat.
John M. Baer, Fargo, Nonpartisan.
H. q. Wick, Cavalier, Republican.
Petitions for the nomination OF Q. B.
Burtness, Grand Forks, were malleo
last Friday evening, carrying aoout
400 names, but the Grand Forks man
isn't listed by the secretary OF state
today as among those present.
Neither is H. H. Aaker, Grand FORKS
and Fargo, who has announced tnat
he is a candidate mo matter what the
Republican convention" does.
The secretary OF state announced
last week. that he would accept any
petitions mailed within the state ana
bearing June 10 date. That makes
it possible for others to qualify In the
event such additional petitions, If any
were mailed, arriving in Bismarck late
this afternoon.
The petition for John Baer was
filed late Saturday, carrying over 5000
names. When the league convention
was held in Fargo, it was announced
that $1,000 names would be listed.
May Be Taken of.
The Forum this morning directed a
telegraph inquiry to Secretary or state
Thomas Hall. at Bismarck, asking him
yyhefher or M0t candidates, H they so
desired. would be privileged to WITH
draw from the ballot after the He-
publican convention at Grand FORKS
Mr.. Half wires. in response. as fol-
..No ballots will be printed before
that time"
This leaves the inference that the
secretary of state will permit candi-
dates to withdraw from the ballot II
they so desire, although it is quite
certain that Nonpartisan league inter-
ests. which absolutely control the
election machinery from the Bismarck
end, and have so framed the election
as to nullify the effect of the RepuD-
lican convention at Grand Forks, Will
strongly oppose any such Withdraw
ais. realizing that the more candidates
there are on the ballot, the better is
their chance of success.
Burtness Would Quit.
q. B. Burtness of Grand Forks, one
of the Republicans to file petitions OF
nomination, declares his willingness
to withdraw from the field IL the
Grand Forks convention did not nom
mate him.
s'It seems to me that this is a time
for Republicans to unite on Repub-
lican candidate" said Mr.. Burtness.
1--WE find, at the present time, two
Democrats in the field-Mr. Bangs or
Grand Forks. and Mr.. Baer, the Nom
partisan.
on q candidate, they should be able 70
elect him, in view of the fact that the
district is overwhelmingly Repub-
lican."
That everything isn't as satisfac-
tory within the Nonpartisan ranks as
might be wished, is also evident.
There was no little bitterness devel-
oped at the recent Fargo convention,
when President Townley forced the
nomination Of his personal friend ana
Nonpartisan cartoonist John Baer.
Neither is there any great amount
of sympathy among the farmers for
the proposal to make q peace pact
with the /. w. w. element, as repre-
sented by the Agricultural Workers
union, and as outlined at the conven-
tion here.
1T is q confession of weakness
that has dangerous possibilities for
the state said one Nonpartisan in
attendance at the convention. IF the
I. w. w. element gets the notion that
the farmers and people of this state
are in a mood to make peace with
them-in other words, II the farmers
put themselves in the position of ask
ing the mercy Of the I. w W., the
outlook surely isn't very encourag-
ine. unless the government steps in,
as a war measure, and takes steps
necessary to curb disorders and labor
troubles. which the state administra-
ton has so far declined to do.