The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-06-11
Democrats HOLDING
Political Spotlight
Court Action Centers Attention
on Trials Of Rejuvenated
Party in State
MURDER CRY IS RAISED
Regulars Assert 'Jeffersonians'
Are Faithless; Other Cam
paign chitchat

North Dakota's revivified and re-
juvenated Democracy furnished the
bulk of the fireworks as the state
political campaign got under way in
earnest this week.
The political wolves are on the
trail, hunting down the unsuspecting
voter and filling his mind with the
virtues of their own particular clique
and giving him the real inside, low
down on the Vaccinations and dere-
lotions of the hated enemy.
So far it has been relatively polite
and. unusually refined, except among
the Democrats where the chance for
victory, as rare as blue moon in
North Dakota, has stimulated some
fast work.
The weeks headliner, Of course,
was the filing of a suit by the regu-
lar Democrats to prevent the use OF
the official guide card by q new or
ganization calling itself the "Jeffer-
sonian'' Democratic faction. Jeffer-
son is credited with having been the
original Democrat and the new out
fit is, in some ways, original, too.
A cry of pilot" and political MUIR
DER went up when the Jeffersonians
placed three candidates of their own
on a ticket and then blithely
Endorsed the remainder of the CAN
didates approved at the state Demo-
cratic convention. There was con-
sternation, however, when the said
remainder. voiced protest. They had
not been consulted.
The court challenge Is based on
the contention that the Jeffersonian
party is something of private affair
no state meeting ever having been
called and the whole business hav-
ing been produced out Of black po-
litical hat by John Gammons, long
noted as political prestidigitator
So far as the public records show, the
"Jeffersonians' blossomed forth al
most overnight, apparently having
heard call from somewhere to rise
and save the party.
X X X
! It all began when Halvor l.. Hal
vorson filed in the Democratic pri-
mary as a candidate for senator and
Tobias D. Casey, Dickinson, heard
the voice of the people loud in his
ears demanding that he run for the
yovernorship.
| Ssepculations as to the cause OF
the attempt to upset the work of the
New Rockford conventary, but most
conjectures were based on the
! theory that their presence in the
Democratic race was designed to aid
the candidates. of the I. v. A. as
pirants for the Republican senatorial
and gubernatorial nominations. Just
how the proposition was figured, II
this assumption is true. is difficult to
understand, for the Halvorson and
Casey candidates. are liable to be q
two-edged sword, cutting as deeply
into the I. V. AS as into their Non.
partisan opponents.
It may be. however, that the I. v
A. high command figured that in.
creased interest in the Democratic
primary might send more votes tc
that faction and that the majority
of them would come from persons
who might otherwise support the
NonpartisanS.
Over and against the assumption
that the Halvorson- Casey Gammons.
Leo Winter combine were and are
agents of the I. v. A., may be placed
the staunch denial of l.. L. Twichel
that such is the case. In fact
Twichell is described as being cen.
serious of the entire movement anc
worried about it.
If this is true, Twichell and George
F. Shafer will have the unpleasant
task Of classifying men who long have
been faithful to them, for Gammoni
and Winter have been serving II
their Jobs under I. v. A. appoint.
ments and Gammons has worked ir
the I. v. A. headquarters In every
recent campaign, his work for the
state evidently being on such a basi.
as to give him time for such activity
If the boys really are off the reserva.
1 Continued on page two)