Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-11-08
trous to the STATE. Of course. hut
upon who would the disaster fall first
and heaviest? Think It over.
AN INDEPENDENT VICTORY

AN lNDE1ENUkNY VlO1OHY
Tho result Of the election in North
Dakota isia victory for the independ-
ent forces Of the state and a repudi-
alton Of Townley and everything that
Townley stands for, Notwithstanding
the fact that men chosen by Towley
will continue to occupy certain state
Offices for the ensuing two years.
Two years ago Governor Frazier
was elected by a majority OF 1900
with q total vote Of a little over 1oo,-
900. THIS year the vote is doubled.
To retain his position in the contest
Mr.. Frazier should this year have
had a majority Of $4,000. His actual
majority is about one-tenth Of that.
Ninetenths Of his majority has van
ished. This is true of practically ev-
cry Townley candidate on the state
ticket who has been elected. On
the other hand candidates endorsed
by the Independents and emphatic
ally opposed by the 'Townley leaders
have been elected to the positions Of
congressman in two districts, secre-
tary of state, state treasurer, railroad
commissioner, superintendent or
schools, and almost certainly supreme
court justice. &
In the general assembly the indc-
pendents will have a majority in the
lower house. In place of a safe
majority which the Townley faction
had in the senate the situation has
simmered down to a majority Of one,
and that one is at present IN doubt.
A straight issue was made on the
initiated laws. The independents
supported them and the Townley
campaigners opposed them. The mat
ter raj not allowed to go by default.
Every instrumentality of the Town
ley organization, platform, press and
personal solicitation was brought to
bear to. induce voters to .'vote no
five times" The laws were describ-
ed, and reasons were advanced why
their passage would interfere with
the Townley program. All five laws
have been passed unless the complete
count makes a decided and entirely
unexpected change in tie situatioa
The passage of the So laws is adrni!ted
and deplored by rownlcv papers.
The Independents. therefore, have
enacted laws which represented their
views, and which were bitterly OPP
posed. have elected two out of three
congressman, have destroyed Town
ley's control Of the legislature, have
elected approximately half of the
state ticket and have greatly reduced
the, majoritiesHn those cases where
Townley candidates are elected.
That is surely It gratifying list of
achievement in one election. But
in order to appreciate it's full import
it is necessary to examine the condi-
tions under which it was brought
about. This is proven to be a Repub-
lican year. The presidential vote Of
North Dakota has not yet been iabu-
lated, but the Harding majorityewill
be enormous, in Grand Forks county,
for instance. Senator Harding has a
IIidJcI1Ly VI O,VoO a. Will d
majority Of about 1000 for o'Connor.
Without question the Republican
wave has carried thousands OF votes
to Frazier. Had the names OF all
Intermediates all been printed in ore
column, without being designated as
Republican Or Democratic, every in
dependent on the list would have been
elected by an overwhelming majority.
Some evidence of this may be found
in the vote on supreme court justice,
state superintendent and initiated
laws.
Another feature which needs to be
remembered is the fact shown in THE
returns as they arrived that Townley
ha lost his hold on the farmer vote
even more completely than the totals
would indicate. In hundreds OF strict
ly rural precincts there was a very
great falling off in the ~proportienate
Townley vote, and this alone would
have defeated Frazier in spite Of the
other features which gave him an ad-
vantage had it not been for the fact
that it was offset in a measure by
the increased labor vote cast for him
in many of the cities. 1t is evident
that Townley has been preparing him.
self for such achange, and has en-
deavored. to fortify himself lagainsi
It by c%ultivating the labor vote. He
has done this on a. large scale else
where, and has made it a feature OF
his campaign in this state this year.
These are two important elements
which must be considered by anyone
who wishes to know just what this
election means. The conclusion is
unavoidable that Townley has reach
ed the end OF his tether in North Da-
kota, and the slaughter which his
forces have been subjected in other
states must be exceedingly discourag.
Fling to him.
N. Just F0Iks