The Bismarck tribune., 1918-12-03
REPUBLICANISM
MUST DRIVE0UT
RED SOCIALISM
Job of HOusecleaning Cannot Be
Delegated to Bipartisan
Organization
SELB FOR LINCOLN LEAGUE

Contending that the republican par
ty must purge itself of socialism and
become the future hope Of this coun
try, and asserting that the demo
cratic party, already on the high road
to socialism, cannot be relied upon to
cooperate in this work, Attorney John
r. Selb of Drake has answered At
torney Theodore Koffel's plea for a
continuation of the Independent Vot.
ers' association as follows:
Nov. 80, 1918.
Mr.. Theodore Koffel,
Sec. Independent Voters Assn,
Bismarck, North Dakota.
Dear Sir:
Have your communication, re lnde-
pendent Voters association. My un-
derstanding of your suggestion is.
that republicans continue a gentle
mems agreement to fuse, and keep
alive the organization as it existed in
the late campaign.
AS republican. and speaking for
myself alone, cannot subscribe to
this plan, nor can give 1t my ap-
proval. Briefly. will state my OBJ
jectiOns.
believe that the socialist element
now dominating the republican party
organization must be driven out. This
can be done within the party only.
True republican principles must be
adhered to in the primary elections,
and strong ticket representing those
principles, and unalterably opposed
to the socialists candidates and their
principles, will eventually drive the
Nonpartisans into camp Of their
own.
The issues which will be fought out
in 1920 will be shaped during the
next ~ months. The republicans
have the senate and house in the ma
tional congress. There will undoubt-
edly be fight within the democratic
party. The Wilson policies" will be
opposed by many democrats from states
safely democratic. The Wilson 'poli-
cies" are strongly sOcialistic. and
should they win out. look for the
Non-partisan league in North Dakota
turning over it's support to the Will
sonGOmpers- Baker wing Of the dem.
Ocratic party.
The republican party would. under
those conditions be a non-entity in
this state. FusiOn-Or an agreement
to fuse, would in my opinion be a
mistake. 1t would weaken the party;
it would break down the morale Of
the individuals. am satisfied that
when the "crisis" comes. the republi-
cans of North Dakota will land right.
The pro-German element. which. be-
cause Of the war, has Loyalty support
ed Frazier and the >Non-partisan can
didates. will gradually get back to it's
former alignment
Because of the Townley raid. the re-
publican party in North Dakota needs
a thorough renovation-merely send
ing it to the democratic laundry won't
clean 1t. There can be no alignment
upon issues in 1920 if we fuse with
the democrats. We must fight the in.
vaders within our party in the party
primaries. From a party standpoint
this would give us a good party char
acter, and parties, like men. must
have characters. The big issues now
in the making will demand real leader
ship and that leadership can be found
only the republican party. Social
ism will have to muster itself under
its own standard. There can be nc
fighting under stolen colors or plat
forms.
The republicans of North Dakots
owe it to the people and to the state
to fight this thing out within theil
own ranks. A peace "by negotiation
would be cowardly. 1t would develop
no leadership-our party would re
main a mongrel breed. We must de
mand an unconditional surrender il
this fight. Townley, LeSeuer. Frazie
and others must return the stolel
property-it is ours. and we propose
to re-possess it without any alliance