The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1922-03-02

not held on account of the severe
blizzard sweeping the state on that
day. The caucuses are to be held
March 4. The great fight in the lea
que circles is going to be on the bal
ance of power program as being ad-
vocated by Townley, Mckenzie and
McCumber, who are seemingly trying
to form triumvirate for the pur-
nose of again electing McCumber to
the United States senate. From all
over the state come reports of antag-
onism against the Townley balance OF
power plan, and also against the re-
nomination and election of McCum-
Der. The rank and file Of the league
do not want their organization thrown
into what they term as the "big Biz
program which they declare the
Townley program to be but want to
fight it out on the same lines as they
have done in the past with a straight
league ticket and to win or fall on
such a program. McCumber six years
ago had the backing of the league
and slipped into his senatorial seat
| very easily but this time he is going
to have hard Shedding and in our
opinion will be loser unless he is
shrewd enough to get few fellows
to enter the race for the senatorial
toga with view of breaking up the
vote and giving him an opportunity
with his we'll CREASED political ma
chine to slip under the wire winner
If it comes to show down between
McCumber and a real good citizen
who has the interests of the state at
heart all the time instead of for a
few days once in every six years, ne
is going to get it in the neck. He is
absolutely out of tune with the peo'
ple Of this state, his appointments are
political ones more than for the fit
mess of the incumbents, and all things
|put together is going to make his po'
litical roadway a rough and rugged
path to travel. The farmers Of North
Dakota are not going to be fooled
with any more chaff about that fin
ance committee appointment. Such a
position could be used to good advan-
tage for the people of North Dakota
but McCumber had had THIS commit
tee virtually for the past two years
on account Of the sickness, Of the
chairman, Mr.. Penrose, but yoyu have
not heard of him using that position
to help the farm interests of this
state-so you would notice it.
Guilty of murder in the first de-
gree, is the verdict returned by a
Barnes county jury late last night
against William GUNNER for the
murder of Marie Wick in the Prescott
Hotel, Fargo, on the night of June g.
1921. This case, one Of the most noted
ones in the annals of our crimina]
courts, has occupied the court for
about about five weeks. Holidays
have taken up two or three days,
sickness Of the attorneys and jurors
have taken up many more and the
case has dragged, but the outcome has
more than justified all these draw
backs. The jury trying GUNNER was
good one and he had the best at
torneys in the state to plead his case
and has had every, consideration by
the court, so that his conviction has
come about because the jury sworn
to render true and just verdict ac-
cording to the evidence submitted
has brought in a verdict justified IN
every particular and to our way OF
thinking the only one it could bring
in under the circumstances. Gum
mer convicted himself on the stand
last Monday morning under cross ex-
animation, and if there was doubt
previous to that time, he swept all
doubts aside. This paper has re-
TRAINED from expressing itself one
lway or the other before the jury rem
dered the verdict, and has been care
| full to keep any coloring or opinion on
the matter out Of our columns, but
now that the case has been settled
and the verdict in, we want to say
that we have always entertained
strong opinion of Gummer's guilt
and we want to congratulate the Ju-
Nv on it's verdict. The crime commit
ted was one of the worst ones in the
category of heinous crimes, and who
ever the party is in sdch cases, the
punishment, particularly in this state
is not severe enough for that crime
It has come to a great pass when wo'
men, both old and young, cannot
travel through the state. and STOP
over night in our state hotels with
| ,,4 ,;.L;,,r tLo;r 1;yoc oS we'll as risk.