The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-09-13
Other Mems Views
An Editorial That May or May Not Square
81. With The Views OF The Forum
The Butte Miner.

The Butte Miner:
BY long odds the most satisfactory result OF the
primary held last week was the routing Of the
Nonpartisan league in Montana.
This organization had high aspirations, which
had no lesser object in view than nominating a
candidate for the United States senate for the
Republican party Of this commonwealth.
The opportunity to do this presented
through the working Of the iniquitous Montana
primary law, which permits any person. who SO
desires to run as the candidate pf any party,
whether such individual belongs to that political
organization or not.
congresswoman Rankin, who never was much
of Republican, and who. after being elected to
the house, came out In her true colors as rabid
Socialist Of the I. w. w. type, was selected by
this element its standard bearer who was to
be forced upon the Republican organization OF
Montana. ..- -.'
Backed by the support of the Nonpatriotic
league and in view of the fact that the straight
Republican vote to extent divided
among three candidates, Miss Rankins candidacy
at the outset looked extremely formidable.
Fortunately for the reputation of Montana, as
we'll as OF the Republican party Of this common
wealth, the Nonpartisan league so bungled the
situation as to more than offset the favorable
situation presented to 1t by the fact that three
regular Republicans were entered in the race
against the congresswonan.
The league managers got their political wires
very badly crossed when 1t came to running legis-
1ative candidates in the different counties, for in
most Of the counties where they had candidates
they placed them upon the Democratic ticket
BY this means they made it impossible in such
counties for the league members to vote for Miss
Rankin on the Republican ticket and the Non
partisan leaguers the Democratic ticket, thus
depriving Miss Rankin Of the full vote Of their
organization
Even a casual analysis Of the primary returns
discoses that If this blunder had not been made,
Miss Rankin would today be posing the sena-
torial candidate Of the Republican party of Mon
tana instead Of DR.. o. M Lanstrum.
The latter would have been beaten, for the
son that Harry H. Parsons Of Missoula and Judge
Nichols of Billings DETECTED enough votes away
from the doctor to make this result possible.
Had Messrs. Parsons and Nichols not backed
into the race after retiring from it, it is
probable that even though Miss Rankin had re-
ceved the entire support of the Nonpartisan
league, she could not have imposed herself upon
the Republican party.
Now there is considerable talk and her broth
er, Wellington D. Rankin, Is responsible for the
statement that the congresswoman will continue
to run for the senate as the candidate of the
tional party, upon whose ballot at the primary
election her name was written in.
If this happens 1t will give the Nonpartisan
league renewed life for few weeks, and until
after election.
Another very satisfactory result of the primary
Is the poor showing made by the league in fore
ing its legislative candidates upon the tickets Of
the two old parties.
In this respect the organization did not meet
with nearly the success 1t appeared at one time
1t might do, although here and there throughout
the state 1t has succeeded in placing upon
either the Democratic or the Republican ticket.
Still 1t must be remembered that a. primary
is not an election, and it is not believed that many
If any, of these Nonpatriotic league legislative.
candidates will survive the election the 5th day
of November.