Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-11-16
TO THE LAST DITCH.

q the last d1tch" IS the slogan OF the people
who arc preparing to institute an election contest
in order to invalidate the recent recall election in
North Dakota. Just what elements in the League
are involved in this movement and what elements
are opposed to it is not clear at this time. 1t has
been stated that the defeated officials have not been
IN favor of instituting a contest. If that is their
latitude. it is easy to understand because even a
successful contest would merely permit them to
retain office a little longer, and they would carry
during the remainder of their terms the stigma OF
defeat, and that stigma cannot be removed even by
the invalidation of election. The votes have been
cast. and the record made, and that record stands.
Whatever may be the real attitude Of the three
defeated candidates and Of those most influential
in the management Of the League, it is quite Ger
tain. that the interests of many of those who have
been employed to DO political work under the guise
of being state employees have everything to gain
and nothing to lose i'll a contest. They know that
if the administration is changed their occupation
is gone, and with their occupation goes their rcmun-
grafton. A good many of these men arc strangers
in the state. and it will be necessary for them to
seek new and greener pastures.
If the contest is brought as. is announced, and
If by any chance it should prove successful, the ad-
min'stratlon and the League management will be
left in an exceedingly unenviable position. Aside
from the fact that they have been defeated in the re-
call election. they viii be held responsible. and
rightly SO, for neglect in failing to prevent an cleo
ton which has cost the state hundreds of thousands
of dollars, when by proper diligence they could
have prevented the election and saved this expense.
The alleged frauds upon which this contest is based,
if they occurred at all, occurred before the filing Of
the recall petitions. When the petitions were filed,
they were matters of public record.
They were examined by ~partisans Of the admin
istration and members Of the League. 1t was alleged
from time to time that frauds had been committed.
If those who inspected the petitions had this knowl-
edge, as they asserted, long before the election and
long before the expiration Of the time provided by
law for the filing Of protests, why were protests not
filed at that time, SO that the election could have
been prevented? If the members of the administra-
ton and the responsible heads Of the League are
not involved in this contest, those who are bring
ing it are doing them a,poor service because they
are casting a reflection upon those who ought to
have attended better to their duties and who should
have realized more fully the nature Of their re.
sponsibility. :
There appears to be no sound reason why the
fcourts should assume jurisdiction Of the case at this
time, but that is a matter to be determined BY The
courts themselves. But whatever the result, the
fling OF a#contest after an election has been Carried
on, after considerable sums of money have beer
spent, and after the election has been lost. is rattle,
a poor way to go about this piece of business.