The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-02-25
NORTH DAKOTA
IN SPOTLIGHT
OF POLITICS
First Statewide Primary on
Presidential Election to be
Held Here Mar. Is
HELD VERY IMPORTANT
This Vote, Together with
: South Dakota's a Week
Later, to Show Trend

accustomed place IN the glare OF
the nations political spotlight.
For the North Dakota presiden
tial primary on March 18 is the
first in which there will be any
real indication of the popular trend
for president, in the opinion OF
political experts of the nation
Already eyes of Washington are
turning toward North Dakota.
Following the North Dakota pri-
| mary on March 18 is that in South
Dakota on March Is. These two
together are expected by political
wisacres to give an accurate index
to the feeling in the Northwest
toward President Coolidge.
In North Dakota the names of
Coolidge, Johnson and LaFollette
probably will appear on the bal
lot. In South Dakota only the
names of Coolidge and Johnson
will go on the Republican ballot,
it is understood.
Arthur Sears Henning, political
writer for the Chicago Tribune,
says Of the Importance of the vote
in North and South Dakota:
"These states are in the heart of
the wheat country, in which there
has been much economic distress
and a.resultant disaffection in the
republican party. According to all
the rules of the game, Johnson
should be more popular than the
president in these states. Ordin-
arily, New England conservative,
like the president, would have little
chance in this territory compared
with a progressive" rival like
johnson.
Both candidates recognize the
Importance of these two primaries
the first conducted in the west.
The president has been devoting
much thought and activity to solu-
ton of the problem of agricultural
relief, and has initiated measures
to avert disaster threatened by the
series Of bank failures in that sec
tion. Reports are that these steps
have sent his political stock sky
ward in the Dakotas. Johnson is
headed that way for stumping
tour to show up the administra-
ton and tell the farmers what he
would do for them.
Watching for Political Straws
IF Mr.. Coolidge wins the Da-
kotas 1T will look as if it were all
over but the shouting for there will
be strong indication that the presi-
dent could beat Johnson in the
progressive west in which John
son is naturally stronger. With
the conservative east and the south
and the greater part of the west
in the convention, Coolidge would
win in walk on the first ballot.
If Johnson carries the Dakotas
he will be encouraged to believe
that the west will yet rally to him
pretty generally and enable him
to give the president a real battle
in the convention. All the repub-
lican politicians will be watching
the primaries in the Dakotas for
political straws.
with 519 votes necessary to
nominate, the Coolidge managers
are claiming that the president will
have 866 on the first ballot. Vir-
ginia, Kentucky, and South Car
olina have selected their delegates
and instructed them for Coolidge.
Among the delegations claimed for
the president by his managers are
the following: .
Alabama, Is; Colorado, Is;
Connecticut, II; Delaware, 9; Flor
ida, 10; Georgia, 18; Idaho, II;
Iowa, 20; Kansas, %; Kentucky, |
26; Louisiana, 13; Maine, Is; Mas
sachusetts, 80; Michigan, 33; Min
nesota, q; Mississippi, IL; Mis-
souri,, 80; New Hampshire, ii; New
Jersey, 81; New Mexico, 9; New
York, 81; North Carolina, %;
Ohio, 81; Pennsylvania, 70; Rhode
Island, 13; South Carolina, II;
South Dakota, 49, Tennessee, 27;
Texas, %; Utah, IL; Vermont, II;
Virginia, II; West Virginia, 19;
Wyoming, 9; Alaska, 2; District
IF Columbia, q; Hawaii, 2; Phil
ppines, 2, and Porto Rico, 2.