Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-11-09
CHARGES MADE
+ = l'',1- 80 "
BY LEACUERS
ARE DISMISSED

Fargo, N. D., Nov. 9.-The first
group of prediction criminal actions
and civil procedures brought by Nom
partisan league officials and leaders
both in official and private life went
by the boards today when Judge A. T.
Cole OF the Cass county district court
presiding as magistrate in the cases Of
Dan McLaren. and L. M. Thorsell
charged with violating the corrupt
practices act in the last primary cleo
ton. dismissed the charges.
. Attorney General William LANCER
pear at the court house to prosecute
the criminal charges that had been
filed about six or seven weeks before
the election by H. A. Bronson, assist
ant attorney general. who at that time
was a candidate for Justice of the su-
preme court. - 2.
Mr.. McLaren was placed on the wit
ness stand and testified to events that
occurred on election day. Following
his evidence the state having failed
to appear, Attorney Barnet repre-
,sentinG MEs Mcxasen ana Nj. Thorsell,
moved for the dismissal OF the charg-
es which motion was Immediately
Stanley Abbott, an assistant in the
office Of the state commissioner of ag-
riculture and labor, made the COM
plant on which the arrests Were made
and the complaint was filed. Mr..
LANCER recently announced the day
following the primary election. 1t
wasn't till six or seven weeks before
the general election however, before
any action was taken by. him.
Still another factor that enters into
the situation is the likelihood that the
vote on governor does not in fact rep
resent the aggregate of all votes cast
in the election. In 1916. for instance.
there were approximately 5000 voters
who balloted on presidential electors
who did not vote for governor.
This year many voters who would
note vote for Lynn Frazier for COVER
nor and were averse to voting for the
democratic candidate are believed to
have avoided balloting upon the gov
ernorship which fact would increase
the handicap for the amendments.
Forty-six counties that cast 75;073
votes for governor have given the con-
stitutional amendment removing the
debt limit majority of 568 Of all
votes cast for governor. Seven, counties
still to report and isolated precincts in
the counties reporting will not alter
the figure materially and on the final
unofficial count it is likely that the
amendments will on the face of the
reports put only a few hundred votes
either side of. the majority line. It will
require the official canvass of the vote
to determine the outcome and the SOL
are still expected, may be the deter
mining factor. @
A new issue involved in. the amend
ment proposition came to light today
when 1t was learned that women had
voted on the amendments at Medber-
ry in LaMoure county. Efforts to get
into communication with the county
O at Te
full, the telephone line being out of Dr.
der. LaMoure votes very heavily in
favor of the amendments, under the
law women are not qualified to vote
on constitutional amendments.
To determine the standing Of the
constitutional amendments, The
Forum addressed stelegraphic inquir-
les to every county auditor in the
state and the only counties still to
Grand Forks, Cavalier. Pembina and
Sioux which will give majorities
against the amendments and McKen-
zie, ,McHenry and Morton, all of
which will give majorities for the
amendments. Frazier leads by 16,-
200 votes reported from county au.
ditors Of every county In the state ex-
reached because Of disrupted wire
service give Frazier SO, $50 and Doyle
$3.50, isolated precincts in counties
included in the total and the MISS
ing Mckenzie county vote will in-
crease Fraxier's vote to about the
June primary figure, $1,000. Mr..
Doyle's vote will increase probably
another 1000. making the total vote
cast for governor about 100000 ex-
elusive Of the soldier vote still to
come. This would make it necessary
for the amendments to pick up an
other 1000 or $4,000 votes In the
missing precincts and counties not 30
far reported with the lfklihood that
the soldier vote win be- largely mega