The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1920-03-26
COUNTER OFFENSIVE ON LANCER
MAKES APPEARANCE IN ATTEMPT
TO INJECT STEEN INTO CONTEST


Treasurer, Who Failed to Beat
Frazier in 1918, Would Like to
Make Another Trial-Victory
for Townley Seen as Result
The ink was hardly dry on the
printed announcements of Attorney
General William Ianger's candidacy
for the governorship when there was
mailed from the offices OF weekly
publication at Grand Forks, controlled
by p. O. Thorson, recently suspected
of nourishing similar aspirations. Il
statement to the effect that john
Steen. of Rugby, former state treasurer
and Fraziers opponent in the 1918
primaries, was again at least re-
ceptiye candidate. o.
Whether John Steen seriously con-
siders all attempt to divide the anti
Townley vote by opposing LANCER is
yet to he discovered. But the Grand
Forks communication. accompanied by
personal letter. from i. J. Siljun,
political writer for the weekly named.
would Indicate that there is to he
an attempt upon the part Of someon,
to create such division.
THE GRAND FORKS COUP
The Grand Forks coup is contain
Ell in the following statement, released
for publication today:
"That former state treasurer John
Steen of Rugby will be a candidate
for the republican nomination for gov.
ernor at the June primaries is the
opinion of the-------- which has,
interviewed Mr.. Steen Oh his return
to North Dakota from an extended
recreatioM trip in lthe south. The
standard-bearer of the anti-Townlcy
forces of two years ago did not defin-
itely state that he would be a candi-
date. saying that he had been back
III the state too short a time 10
lave come to Il final DECISION. but
he admitted that he had been asked
to throw his hat in the ring, and that
he he's very much tempted to obey
that impulse.
mr. Steen left for Hot Springs.
Ark. and other places in the south
after. having harvested his crops anl
cleaned up affairs at his Pierce coun-
ty farm last fall and returned home
last week During a visit to Grand
Forks, he was interviewed by local
newspaper men, and he expressed sur
prise at that more had. been dDne
to gather the 'rdwnley3 opposition
around a suitable candidate The III
dependent Voters association is al
excellent organization and is in good
shape to lead the opposition to victory
ut the coming primary election said
Mr., Steen. but 1t Is not one Of the
objects of this organization to pick
candidates for the voters. 1t is 70:
the candidates to come out and AM
nounce themselves"
NOT YET DECIDED
In reply to a direct question as to
whether. he would be a candidate, the
Grand Forks statement quotes Steen
as saying.
"'I am not decided as to that yet.
l feel. however. that those who ar,
opposed to Townleyisln and who voted,
for me for governor in 1913 should
he given a chance to vote for some
one who is not only anti-Townley but
antiTOwnleyism. 1t seems to me that
it is UP to those of us who never lef.
the track to now deal as wisely as
possible with both Townleyism and
Townleyites. We would not permit
ourselves to he hoodwinked by former
tools Of the big league boss. even if
repentance, They helped to put it over
on us. and it will take some time be-
fore for one. am willing to trust
them.'''
This. Of course. is direct attack
upon LANCER, who was elected and re-
attorney general on the TowI
ley ticket. and who did not part with
TOwnley until about year ago. Since
that time. however, while Mr.. Steen
has been sojourning in more pleasant
latitules, Mr.. aI.nger has been gal
Looping up and down the state doing
more damage to Townleyism than Mr.
Steen and all Of his friends have ac-
complished in their five years an
tagonism. insist friends Of the attorney
general l.J. '.aa
The Grand Forks statement pro.
ceeds to quote Steen as follows:
I'VE must get untangled from Town
Ieyism as it is expressed in autocraty
in government: in arbitrary, high-han-
ded law-abiding and imported adi-
Gals we must untangle the state frOlE
this mess in such a way aslto leave
rs little damage as possible. As to
those who are responsible for Townley-
ism in our midst, we should deal with
them in a manner SO as to make them
harmless: 80 that the next generation
At least will not 50 easily be led 50
far astray hy political lemagogues that
vDlify their fellow citizens who are
not at all times ready to jump off the
track with them.
II am not. rs yet, Il candidate. but
if I enter the race | shall make it
plainly understood that | will not
tolerate compromise with Townleyism
in any way
BACON MAY SUPPORT STEEN
The Grand Forks Herald may have
the Steen statement We'd
Continued on Page Three)
TO SING IN FAR EAST
Berkeley. Cal, March 26.-The Var