Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1921-10-20
Laws
TW|STEDTO HIDE
GREATER ISSUES
League Leaders Now Oppose Plank
Placed In Original "Farmsrs
Program"

In order to get the public mind away
from the misconduct Of public affairs .
OF Frazier, Lemke and Hagan an ef-
Tort has been made to get up serious
on the election laws as IL
they were the most vital things In
volved In the election. Misrepresenta-
lions have been resorted to. Here are
some samples Of them:
1.-THE I. v. A. election would destroy
parties and disbar the farmer vote"
mo third party would be permitted in
national primary elections"
In order to make 1t impossible for
farmers to vote in large numbers the
primary Is set for the third Tuesday
In March, the very time when the
worst weather may be expected"
In state affairs there is no dividing
line between the Republican and Dem
ocrats in North Dakota. Consequently.
II the voters Of the state are divided
on questions that do not run parallel
with the dividing lines between the
Republican and Democratic parties
which exist only ON national issues,
then 1t follows that both Democratic
and Republican voters may be and are
united on matters that have to do with
state affairs. Therefore If there shall
be organized party responsibility In
state affairs, the election laws must
make it possible for all people who
agree on state issues to work and vote
together In state matters even though
they differ on national questions. The
first law makes this possible, but it
does not prevent either the Republic
cans or Democratic parties from hav-
ing complete state ticket in the field
at any election.
The criticism OF this law on the part
of the League leaders is laughable in
light Of the fact that the original
League platform contained a plank
favoring just such a law. They al
lowed their bitterness towards the In
dependents in the legislature and par
ticularly the floor leaders, Burtness
and OConnor, to reverse their position
in this matter. They knew that such
a law would be favored by an over
whelming majority of the people and
they were afraid that If 1t passed In
the form Of bill introduced by Burt
ness and O'Connor those men would
get the credit for it and the political
strength of the League leaders would
be weakened.
They were able to defeat the Burt.
ness and O'connor bill even though
several Leaguers voted for 1t, but now
that similar law has come before
the people direct they are just as help.
less as they were with the antkRed
Flag law, which after 1t had been Twice
defeated in the legislature was taken
direct to the people last June and then
approved by majority of over thirty.
three thousand.
Tho March Election.
II there is any plot to make 1t impos.
sible for farmers to vote in the ma.
tional primary provided for in the sec.
ond law than the farmers have been
plotting against themselves. The
third Tuesday in March is township
election day. That is the date on
which township officers are elected
and recommendations in regard to tax
levies and road work are acted upon.
1t is big day in every township. It
brings out more voters very often than
the general election in November does.
The third Tuesday In March ives des-
ignated township election day in 1899
at the request Of the farmers. Before
that time the township elections had
been held the second Tuesday in
March. If there is 'plot" in having
the election come in March, then the
farmers have been plotting against
themselves in North Dakota the past
SO years, as it has clearly been up to
them to set the date for their own
township elections. The vote on dele
gates to National party conventions,
National party committeeman, and
presidential electors is always taken
on the third Tuesday in March now.
Third Party.
The second election law proposes
scarcely any change in the existing
laws with reference to the third
parties. Our state laws now permit
any, new or old, organization that
wishes to have candidates in the field
in opposition to the regular party nom
inee may do so either by the holding
Of convention with 800 participants
or by petitions signed by 300 electors.
The names Of these are entitled to
place upon the ballot with fye words
to express the principles for which
they stand, the name Of the party or.
ganization they represent or any party
designation that may be chosen. This
fact constitutes the birth Of party
and every such party that gets even as
little as five per cent Of the total vote
cast for governor is entitled to sep.
.arate party ballot in the next follow
ing primary election.
The effect Of this provision In the
second election law is that no group
of people can come in and clog the