The Ely miner., 1930-08-15
.On This
Occasion
Just few thoughts by the Editor
on things Material and Immaterial.

Just few thoughts by the Editor
on things Material and Immaterial.
i.
Editor Wolfe of the Deer River News,
brought up matter at Tuesdays
meeting of the Arrowhead Association
at Hibbing which is of immense i'm
portance to not only the Arrowhead
section but also the state and nation.
He showed how the water manipu-
lation in the government dams at
WinmbigoShish, Leech and Pokegema
lakes was not only spreading ruin
among the farmers along the river
bottoms of the Mississippi but also
among the Indians in that country in
running the wild rice harvest which
has kept the Indian in cash and kept
him from asking the government for
assistance. Mr.. Wolfe pointed out how
the system of dams have outlived
their usefulness insofar as they were
regulated for the driving of timber
thirty and more years ago. The red
tape and dates for opening and closing
these dams regardless of conditions
are still being followed as per the
schedules set up for the driving of
logs. On a certain day of the calen-.
dar the dams are opened. This year
1t occurred on July % before the
farmers had gotten chance to remove
their stacked hay from the meadows
which were flooded and the crop
ruined. The lakes are not maintained
at the proper levels and the wild rice
crop, the duck shooting and the fishing
are lost by the drying up of the lakes
and Sloughs AS the hunting and
fishing are an enormous asset in the
tourist trade, this is loss felt very
keenly by the residents of Deer River,
Grand Rapids and other places.
Here is a good one. Every machine
politician, every predatory interest that
wants to take advantage of the public
hates the primary" says the Com
munist. Where the red element gets
this idea we are at loss to explain
A politician hates nobody and loves
everybody, in particular the voter
Also, what is predatory interest?
Webster defines predatory as of, per-
tanning to, or characterized by plum
dering; practicing rapine; given to
plundering or robbery; etc. How this
will apply to interests as recognized
in the above is also a mystery.
We remember when the convention
system was used to nominate men for
public Office and we cannot remember
any predatory stuff at any of the con-
ventionS. We can remember, however
when corporations employing a large
number of voters suggested men for
public office who were in every way
qualified to fill these Offices Under
the primary system every man with
ten dollar bill can get on the ticket
and get thousands of dollars worth OF
free advertising for his little invest
ment. Large concerns who pay heavy
taxes for the maintenance of the state
and nation are entitled to their opinion
as to who is to administer the tax
money. They are competent to con-
duct their own affairs and pay wages
to employees, why are they not COM
petent to select men for public office
Then, here is another thought Dele
gates were chosen by the voters to
attend these conventions and so far as
we have noticed none of these dele
gates were incapable of naming a
candidate.
John A. Johnson, Winfield Scott
Hammond, Governor Van SAINT, Gov
ernor Burnquist and dozen or more
we could mention and who made cap
able officials, were nominated by the
convention system and at no time
were they accused of being under the
thumb of predatory" interests. When
the primary system came into being
it was also made possible for the
multitude of parties and organizers
for series of "ismS" to wax fat and
Saucy with emoluments taken from
them they organized. If the interests
were interested before, other interests
are interested today. If you don't be-
lieve it. look over the record of the
Farmer Labor fiasco in the Dakota S
and Southern Minnesota. Some of the
organizers have not worked since and
are living high and wide from the
cleanup. Under the old convention
system it was not possible for every
one to get on the ticket and nomina-
tions made which later became a
stencil In the nostrils of thesvoter.
ssss
Believe it or not" as Ripley says
but there was man on the last
ticket who was SO un-American during
the war that he was in concentra-
ton camp for reds. This same fellow
is not recognized as Republican OF
Democrat but notwithstanding he
had money enough to get on the pri-
mary ballot. The time is not very
far distant when the convention sys-
tenn will again be invoked to make
nominations. In all probability the
primary system of balloting will be
used to elect delegates to these con.
ventions. The selection of officia
timber should not be left to chance
and should be careful procedure.
We read the restraining order issued
by Judge E. j. Kenny in District Couri
inl,