The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-06-18
= o N T. / N u E ID
from page one
Politics Enlivened
By Race in Stretch

0AldACA POI dNC ~ WOuAO lldIOly nav
been succeeded, although it was obvi
Gus from the start that, so far as tn,
state administration was concerned
1t was conceived as an opportunity K
make political capital.
There are many who doubt thai
this effort to play politics with hu.
man misery will be effective. It i.
getting nowhere in these parts anc
1t will be interesting to watch the re.
turns from the counties affected BY
the drouth to see what the folks there
think of it.
Prophecies of what will happen in
the Republican primary are so dan.
gerous that few will commit them
selves. At this writing, however, even
the I. v. A. leaders admit, privately
that Shafer faces difficult job in
his race against Nye. Ordinarily this
Is tantamout to concession of de-
feat.
The governor has been drawing
painfully small crowds and only the
paid workers have evidenced any re-
markable enthusiasm.
The same thing is true of other
candidates on the ticket. At Valley
City recently Attorney General
James Morris had only 26 persons
out to meeting, according to reliable
reports.
The leading Nonpartisan cam
paginers have been drawing better
crowds but this is not, necessarily
on indication of their popularity
since some of those who have attend
ed were known members of the I. v.
A. faction. On the other hand there
is usually a Nonpartisan or two in
the groups at I. v. A. meetings.
X X X
1t is an i'll wind that blows nobody
good and the grasshopper trouble
may react to the benefit of Nye in
the Republican squabble and to the
Democrats next fall.
This, because the outstanding goat
| is Secretary of Agriculture Hyde,
who is one of Governor Skaters chief
sponsors in Washington. The spear
head of the Shafer attack has been
that he could get what he wanted
from the federal government because
he would be Hoover regular. So
far, however, his telegram to Hyde
about the grasshoppers has produced
no results.
Hyde's action not only puts him lin
bad" but throws cloud over the eff
ficacy of smuggling up so close to the
administration which Shafer has
promised to do if nominated and
elected.
On the other hand the department
Of agriculture is maintaining a large
force of agents in the state to super
wise the feed and seed loan business.
1t has been admitted by some of
these gentlemen that their instruc-
tons are to work for Shafer this
June and to holler for Hoover in the
fall There isn't great deal of work
for them to do right now on the seed
loan business so they have plenty OF
time to do political work and charge
the government mileage for their
trips. Economy? Well, it was ever
thus and 1882 is no different from
other years.
The Nonpartisans have quit worry
ing about Senator Nye's inability to
return home for the campaign. The
farm bloc in Washington has renew
ed its drive for the Frazier bill and
the senator Is remaining on the job.
He probably isn't losing any votes by
these tactics and it would be a tragedy
for him If the matter came up for de-
cision and lost by one vote because
he was not there.
Nevertheless, the I. v. A. faction,
particularly their leading newspapers,
are making much of the Junior sena-
tors absence. They hint, somewhat
ungallantly, that Nye is ducking the
state campaign because he doesn't
want to take sides In the race for gov
ernor as between William LANCER,
Nonpartisan, and I. ]. Moe, Progress
sive.
The thing Is ridiculous on the face
Of 1t, for Nye is and has been a Nom
partisan and makes no secret of the
fact. He probably welcomes the Pro-
'gressive support just as Shafer, a Real
Republican, welcomes that of the I. v.
A. group, which still lists few Dem
ocratic members.
Y
One phase of the I. v. A. campaign
has caused some comment and fric-
ton within the ranks. This Is the
fact that. in playing up Skaters
pull" with the administration, stones
have been hurled, indirectly, at the
candidates. Of Congressman o. B.
Burtness and Thomas Hall, both L
v. AS.
II 1t took Skaters "pull' to accom-
plish certain things, the inference Il
that Burtness and Hall have none
and they have been regular" with the
administration for q long time. The
friends Of Burtness and Hall are none
too strong for this sort Of campaier
and they are resentfM Of the einphaS.l
being placed on the presumed powai
az 4 senator IL Ne "6taY1da iYf'' NTH tn