The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, June 28, 1917, Page 9

Republicans Indorse J. M. Baer League Candidate Gets Support of Only Legal Body Representing the Republican Party in North Dakota---Grand Forks Convention Illegal OHN M. BAER, indorsed by the Nonpartisan league, is also the choice of the Repub- lican party for congressman of the First district of North Dakota. The Republican state central committee met in Fargo last week and indorsed Baer’s candidacy. This makes Baer more of a Nonpartisan than ever He was the unanimous choice of the Nonpartisan league delegates of the First district in convention nssembled June 1. Prior to becoming a Nonparti- san Baer was a Democrat, having at one timle been Democratic postmaster at Beach. Now the Republican state central committee has indorsed him. He therefore has the support of both Republicans and Democrats as well as the Nonpartisan league. The Republican state central committee that met in Fargo and indorsed Baer is the only legitimate body representing the Republican party in North Dakota. This com- mittee gets its authority directly from the rank and file of the Re- publican party. It was elected by the legally constituted Republican voters of the state at the legally constituted Republican primaries last year. The authority of this committee is convention, that met at Grand Forks last week and framed up a plan to concentrate the opposition to the League candidate on one man. This self-constituted convention, reverting to the days of party slates and po- litical ” conventions, which have been abolished by law, nominated O. B. Burtness for congress and at a secret caucus influenced three other Repub- lican candidates to promise to with= draw from the race, so that Burtness would have a clear field against Baer. The Grand Forks “rump” conven- tion, controlled by the standpats and actuated by animosity to the farm- ers’ political organization, was called without autherity of the legally con- stituted Republican state central commttee. It was a last, desperate ef- fort of the discredited reactionary Re- publican politicians to regain control of the party policies and candidates. This same element of the Republican party was kicked out of the party last year by the Republican voters, who elected men to the Republican state centrdal committee in sympathy with the farmers and - the Nonpartisan league. 3 The Republican state committee that indorsed Baer has a membership of 15. Eleven of the 12 who met at Fargo voted for the indorsment of Baer. R. refused to concur. He left the meet- ing before' its business was completed. This makes Baer practically the unani- mous choice of the Republican central committee. Former Judge Spalding of Fargo, defeated for re-election by the Nonpar- tisan league last year, has gone to Bismarck to bring suit in the name of the illegal Grand Forks Republican convention (so-called) to prevent the election being held on the lines laid down by Governor Frazier and Attor- ney General Langer. He wants party columns to be placed on the ballot and Burtness placed in the column of the Republican party. He also asks that three other Republican candidates whose names appear on the printed ballot be allowed to withdraw their names, according to the secret agree- ment, afterwards ratified by the Grand Forks convention, to concentrate the opposition to the League in one man. Chairman Lemke of the Republican state central committee said, after the indorsement of Baer by the Republi- cans last week: “I believe the court will hold that 'thie old convention sygtem has no standing under the law of the state and that the petition system governs, according to the opinion of Attorney General Langer. be designated, to recognize Mr. Baer as the Republican candidate instead of the candidate named by the rump convention held at Grand Forks. “This Grand Forks convention was called by unauthorized persons. The state chairman is the only person who has a right to isSue a call for such a convention, and I as state chairman had no part in the proceedings. On the other hand our executive committee meeting held here today represents the authorized machinery of the party and Mr. Baer therefore is the only regular party candidate.” 3 The Republican state central com- mittee indorsed the administration of Lynn J. Frazier, farmer governor of North Dakota, and also the members of the legislature that stuck to the Republican party platform last win- ter at Bismarck and went down the line for the Nonpartisan league program. The committee pledged its support to the national government in the conduct of the war, but asked that the control of food be taken over by the government, in justice to both con- sumer and producer. The committee also went on record in favor of con- scription of wealth, swollen war in- comes, etc., for financing the war. The fake Grand I‘orks Republican in direct contrast to that of the illegal J. Hughes of Wahpeton was the only convention, styling itself a Republican member of the committee present who “However, we shall ask the court convention is denounced in strong if it decides that party nominees can language in the resolutions. Republican Party’s Resolutions The following resolutions were adopted by the Republican state central committee that indorsed John M. Baer for congress in the First district of North Dakota: WE, THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE of the Republican state central committee, representing the;Republican prineciples of Abraham Lincoln and not the plutoeratic and autoeratic prinei- ples of entrenched wealth which continually strive to control our nation and most of the states, CONGRATULATE the people of our state for having given birth to a NEW FREEDOM, by sweep- ing out of office those who represented other interests, within and without the state, than those of the people. ‘WE REALIZE that there is scarcely an epithet of abuse that entrenched wealth, prejudice, or ignorance has not heaped upon the heads of those who demand that the people have a voice in their own government. But we must have the courage, as well as the patience, to make government throughout the nation once more responsive to the will of the people. And for this reason we favor the Initiative, Referendum and Recall in the Nation, as well as in the state. . WE ARE HEARTILY IN FAVOR of our State Administra- tion-of efficiency and economy based on service of the i)eople and enforcement of law; and we commend our governor, LYNN J. FRAZIER, and the other state officials for their courage and fearlessness in enforcing the laws without favor or prejudice to- ward any. ‘WE CONGRATULATE MOST SINCERELY THE PROG- RESSIVE MEMBERS of" our state legislature, who fought so valiantly for the interests of the people; and regret that a few were able to block much of the progressive legislation, and ignore the progressive Republican platform. WE FAVOR THE BUILDING and operation of state-owned and state-controlled terminal elevators and flour mills within the different states of the Northwest; and we favor the building and operation of nationally owned and controlled terminal elevators at the great distributing centers of this nation. WE PLEDGE our support to our nation in the great war in whiech it is engaged. i 'WE FIND the only justification for war to be in the purpose to defend human rights and liberties and to further the cause of justice the world over. Therefore we pledge our unflagging ef- forts to aid this nation in shaping its course so that it shall always be consistent with these high ideals. : WE URGE our government to make plain to all the world the ‘ purposes for which it is waging war and to insist that the allies of our nation join with our government in stating the definite terms on which they will conclude peace, explicitly disavowing all aims of conquest and any purpose to exact indemnities as a means of punishment. _be crushed. - 'THE PRIME CAUSES of the world war are found in the secret plotting of kings and ministers. Therefore we stand for the abolition of diplomatic agreements and negotiations whose terms and conditions are hid from the world. WE ASSERT the necessity during the present hour of the nation’s trial of protecting human life and liberty in our own country and of guarding our workers from exploitation and op- pression. We urge that our government asswme control of the food supply of the nation and provide for the severe punishment of all who by speculation, monopoly or extortion, gain or seck to gain unearned profits out of the necessities of life to the injury of the producer and the consumer. WE BELIEVE that only by free discussion can the liberties of the people be maintained in times of national stress. Therefore we condemn all efforts to restrict the constitutional guaranties of free speech and a free press. % HUGE UNEARNED profits are being extorted out of the needs of a suffering world by manufacturers of the supplies of war within our national borders. Men are growing fat with riches made out of war while real patriofs are giving up their lives. We stand for the adoption as.a national fiscal policy of the conseription of war profits as the most just and essential eontri- bution toward defraying the expenses of war. If this is insuffi- cient we urge that the war be further financed out of the surplus incomes of those who receive far more than their needs before additional burdens are laid upon the backs of the workers, al- ready heavily taxed by excessive war prices for the necessities of life. WE DENOUNCE the bold and unscrupulous attempt made by a few discarded and disgruntled politicians to usurp the power of the Republican party, and its officers, in order to regain their lost political power by electing a congressman who would be sub- servent to them, and to the big interests outside of the state, and realizing the necessity of all factions uniting behind one man who will serve the interests of the people and this nation, rather than the entrenched few, THEREFORE WE INDORSE JOHN M. BAER, whose public activities prove that he is for government of, for and by the people, as our eandidate for congress from the First distriet. ‘WE URGE all progressive and patriotic citizens of this state, to unitedly support his eandidacy, so that the New Freedom in the state of North Dakota may grow and be perpetuated, and her- alded in the halls of the American congress. We aceept no middle of the road candidate. There is no compromise with special privilege. The true greatness of our nation demands that privilege Respectfully submitted, REPUBLICAN STATE CENTRAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, % i i bt ithy s conaraat S P