The Bismarck tribune., 1925-12-30
NEST0S, HANNA
MAJOR ISSUES
IN COP RANKS
Elimination of Either Not So
Easy, as Both Have Strong
FOllOwings
CARDS ARE ON TABLE
lf NestOs Is Eliminated as
Senatorial Candidate He
May Seek GOvernorship
Nestos or Hanna?

Ncstos or Hanna?
These are the major issues in the
ranks Of the Independent Republicans
as the year of 1925 draws to a close.
When ambitions clash then comes
elimination.
But elimination in the case Of Han
ma and Nestos is not so easy. Both
of these men believe that 1926 is their
year to lead the electorate of North
Dakota back into the Republican fold.
Grapevine has il that at Il recent
meeting in Fargo both l.. u. Hanna
and X. A. NcStOs placed their cards on
the table but that the only tangible
result Of the meeting was that who
ever was eliminated at the conven-
tion to be held after January ! should
run for governor against A. &. Sorlie.
The meeting, it was urged, was
sponsored by the various political
factions which split at the time the
Fargo machine defeated Porter j. Nc
Cumber- and threw their support to
j. +. 7. O'ConnOr, a Democrat. Others
in the faction supported Lynn j.
Frazier, Nonpartisan, in their zeal
to retire McCumber because he did
not allow the Fargo machine to die
tate the federal judgeship which
went to Andrew Miller, who was per-
soma non grata to some of the lead
ing Fargo insurgents because of his
aifiliation with the Stalwart Repub-
Leans in the days Of the late Alex
ander Mckenzie.
Want Clear Field For Hanna
/. is rerorted that the meeting
went along smoothly as long as gilt
tering generalities held the boards
but when the henchmen settled heav-
ily into their seats and got down to
business, it transpired that the OBJ
: icct of the Fargo session was to in
Guce Nestos to run for governor
and allow Hanna Il clear field to
pick off the still untitled seat of
the late Senator T.. +. Ladd. But
Nestos reported. it is urged, that
his canvass OF the state indicated
positively that he was stronger and
would prove 4 better vote getter
than L. B. Hanna. 1t was admitted
that Iianna's experience IN Washing
ton was larger as well as the cam
paign fund he could command. But
Nestos and his friends cOntended
that the MinOt statesman could at
tract more votes and could hold in
line the old mugwump organization
still functioning as the !. V. A. 1t
was pointed out that ut Bismarck
there were still many followers of
Nestos who were ready to do and die
for him politically the moment he
threw his StetsOn into the ring.
After much conversation and more
political amenities. the meeting
stood adjourned with tentative
agreement that if Nestos is elimin-
ated at the next convention fathered
by the Fargo machine, he will seek
10 defeat Sorlie or anyone the Non
partisan League nOminates.
Hanna Is Washington's FavOrite
The Hanna machine in the state
has been functiOning ever since the
former governor returned from EUR
one. II is known that the Republi-
can national CONN., tee favors l.. 3.
Hanna and that much of the delay
over the seating of SenatOr-Design-
ate Nye has come through the OPP
position Of the Fargo machine which
is most concerned now in patching
I'D q truce between the followers
Of Hanna and Nestos. Both Nestos
and Hanna are working to line up
all Republicans opposed to the Nom
partisan regime. 1t has been de-
cided that an elimination convention
will be held.
Agitation in favor Of p. J. McCum-
her has died down. On his recent
trip to the state, it is said that many
members of the old Stalwart faction
discouraged him against entering
the primaries. Whether his old sup
porters in federal Offices will be
cared for has not been made known
but it is generally rumored that the
McCumber boom was started by
some at the federal pie counter who
wanted to remain.
There has been a better feeling Of
late between the Hanna supporters
and the old McCumber following.
Hanna's management of the Coolidge
campaign has given him the edge
over Nestos at Washington. The BIZ
partisanism of Nestos in the last
senatorial campaign and his attitude
toward McCumber are the greatest
handicaps he will encounter when
the Republican factions opposed to
the Sorlie regime meet.