The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-02-19

OF all news dispatches credited to il
or not otherwise credited In thi!
newspaper and also the local news o.
spontaneous origin published herein
All rights OF republication Of all othel
matter herein are also reserved.
Who Can Be Believed?
Happenings of the last week have
done much to clarity the situation
which the voters Of the state will bt
called upon to decide at the Repub.
lican primary election in June.
It Is clear that there will be two
Nonpartisan tickets in the field be.
cause the breach in the ranks now
is SO wide as to be beyond compro.
mise. Governor LANCER would b
glad to call quits with many Of those
who have arrayed themselves agains,
him, but they have rejected his over.
lures and the fight is one to the fin
tsh. Only the people can decide.
The statement by the anti-Langer
officials, repudiating his actions in
office, coupled with hangers subse-
quent attack upon them, made the
division clear.
The speech Of Senator w. z. Mat
thaei and Langer's answering retort
indicated what the issues will be.
There will be a thousand ramifi-
cations and subsidiary arguments
but all OF these may be incorporated
in the one question, Who has dem
or,strated the best right to public be-
lief and to trust by the Republicans
OF the state, Governor LANCER OF
those who are arrayed against him?'
That Is the situation today and it will
not be essentially changed by devel-
opments between now and the June
election. 1t was clear from the be-
ginning that this would be the case
This newspaper claims no prescience
because it has predicted In the pas,
that this would be the situation.
X X X
In deciding such a question the
public at large will be forced to de.
pend upon the records Of the mer
involved, both in office and out Of
office. Individuals who can be In.
fluenced by promises or who have
private axes to grind will not ap.
proach the matter in this spirit. Thei,
courses are and will be fixed by what
they consider their own best interests
But to the average voter the matter
stands on q different plane. He Will
continue to feel that his best inter.
ests lie with those who seem te
promise the best, cleanest and most
responsible government.
Governor Langer's record is vel
known, but If the issue is to be clear
It must be stated again, even though
briefly.
In 1916, young but very ambitious
lawyer, he was elected attorney gen.
eral as a Nonpartisan League candi.
date.
During his first term in office he
brought himself prominently to notice
by a number Of spectacular moves
among them his famous raid Ia the
city Of Minot, during which he tool
charge Of the telephone exchange anc
otherwise exceeded any authority
placed in him by law. Another wa.
his attempted arrest and prosecution
OF Thomas Hall, then also q Non.
partisan, on the charge that he hae
embezzled funds of the motor vehicle
registration department. Hall wa.
secretary of state at the time.
Subsequently came his break Will
A. G. Townley, William Lemke, Lynr
j. Frazier and the League organiza.
ton in general, and his manipula'
ton Of the IVA convention in 1920 *
obtain the endorsement of that or.
ganization as q candidate for COVER.
nor. In a recent address, the COVER.
nor sought to make it appear that b,
was offered this endorsement spon'
tareously, accepted 1t almost agains
his will. Such is distinctly not til,
case. Those who remember that w
meeting at Minot state very definite
~ that LANCER literally jammed him
self down the neck Of Z young ant
relatively inexperienced organization
Then came the campaign Of 1920
when LANCER toured the state heap
ing such villification ana abuse upo,
the heads Of Frazier, Lemke, Town,
ley and others as this state had neve,
before known. That campaign devel
oped more bitterness than any othe,
IN North Dakota history. It ende.
IN defeat for LANCER.
The governor now l. trying to tel
the people Of the state that he re-
sisted the recall election in which
Town1ey's grip ~ . political dictator
WAS broken aiad Frazier, Lemks an
John N. Hagen. members Of the stat
industrial commission, were recalled
from office.
That election WAS held In 1921 an
It - true that LANCER took no par
IA It. Instead, he went into Kansa,
South Dakota and other states wl,er
Townley had tried to spread his COS
~ and attacked the Nonpastisal