The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-06-24
GERMAN VOTE BIG FACTOR

SSSS~VS~As S~S w AAv" AASSA 6S W.
tonic Support in North
Dakota Will Go
The North Dakota campaign is clos.
ing with both factions in the princi.
pal contest-Steen versus Frazier-ex.
pressing confidence. Steen managers
are claiming the state by 10000; Non.
partisan league chiefs are relying up
on their membership to stick and give
Frazier the namination by 5000 to 10,.
900 votes. Disinterested observers
are of the opinion that the margin
one way or another will not exceed
5000 votes, except as to such univers.
ally popular candidate as Tom Hall,
who is expected to poll larger vote
than any other man on either ticket.
The German vote will be big fac
tor. II this vote, as whole, is strict
ly American and loyal, 1t probably will
be distributed as 1t was two years
ago. when it was divided fairly evenly
between Frazier and his opponents.
II the Independent Voters association
and other league opponents have sue.
ceeded in convincing the people that
the leadership of the league Is disloy.
al, and II a generally antagOnistic spir-
it to the war prevails in the strictly
German communities, Frazier may be
expected to receive large vote
there. The league has been accused
of seeking this German vote, and one
speaker is alleged to have stated in
his German addresses that If the
league is retained in power the teach
ing OF German in the schools and 9th
er concessions which have been made
German people in this state would be
continued, while IL Steen was elected,
ban would be put on everything Ger
man. Such, an appeal, of course, is
unjust to both factions, and it would
seem very bad politics to inject this
element into campaign where plain
Americanism should be the only issue
Vote Two Years Ago.
In the primaries tw yOears ago, Nc
lntOsh county, one Of the strongest
German counties in the state, gave
Frazier only. l Is votes, while his thrses
opponents polled 9OS. Logan, another
county with large proportion Of
Germans, gave Frazier but 276 votes,
while the opposition received 469.
Mercer, one Of the biggest German
counties'tWest ds fthdi giver, gave Fra.
zier 3S3 to his opponents $50. Frazier
got a big majority in oliver county,
312 against III, but Oliver was one Of
the ear1ieSt strongholds) of the league
in the Slope, ,eand this Note did not rep.
resent any decided German bent for,
Frazier at that time. Sheridan, whose
population is largely German, cast COL
votes against Frazier and only 337 for
him.
Frazier carried Morton, 1886 to t.
Isl, and Burleigh, 1,1O5 to 1,O61, but
it was because the league was we'll or
ganized in these counties, and not be-
cause the German vote went to the
league.
The league has been active in these
German counties during the last two
years, and the war has injected new
issues into North Dakota politics. A
strong majority for Frazier in these
counties might indicate one of several
things: That league economic poll.
cies have won new adherents there;
that the league stand on the war has
appealed to the Germans; that the
German vote in these counties regis
ers disapproval of the attitude of the
national administration; that the Ger.
man vote is not loyal. 1t would not
be fair, however, to say, merely be-
cause the league might show increased
strength in these counties. that it was
an evidence of disloyalty or pro-Ger-
manism on the part of either the
league or of the counties converned.
It is situation which embraces many
interesting possibilities.
Strong Partisanss,ip.
Partisanship is clear cut on both
sides. No primary election In the
history of North Dakota has been
marked by more intense feeling. 1t
is to the credit of both factions that
we have had no instances of mob VIC.
lance. In spite of the fever heat, both
campaigns have been orderly. and they
have been comparatively free from
mud singing. Unjust attacks have
been made on Steen, but they have
fallen largely of their own weight.
Sweeping charges against Frazer ap'
parently have made little impression
on his supporters.
The league has damaged it's cause
by bringing into the state soap.box
agitators of the Mills, Bowen and
Coulter type. Its gravest mistake OF
all was the importation of Lindbergh'
who finally was called off after receiv.
ing cool reception at several Slope
points. League papers gave no pub.
licity to his tour in this state, follow
ing his overwhelming defeat in Mime.
sofa, and a desire was shown to have
him forgotten, until today when the
Courier-News calls upon the council
of defense to protect Lindbergh at
Devils Lake. Burnquist's coming to-
day is expected to greatly strengthen
the Independent Voters association
Among the loyalist element Burnquist
is a hero just now, and he unquestion-
ably will win votes for Steen and his
team mates.
George Running Strong.
John l.. George is expected to give
Carl Kositzky hot race. The Bis.
Continued on Page sk.)