Ogden Daily Standard | 1920-03-17 | Page 8 | Strong Arm Tactics of 1920 Campaign

'stii irencs OF 1928 GIPill Sen. Johnson Charges Minnesota Minne-sota Republican State Machine Ma-chine in Control DETROIT, Mich., March 17. The Miunr-Fota Republican .primary was characterized as "a pretense" and the "firsc strong arm tactics of the 3 920 campaign" by United States Senator Hiram W. Johnson, in a signed statement state-ment issued here this forenoon. He charged that, "tho Republican sta-e nu.chine is in absolute control" of affairs in Minnesota. "Thia machine," ma-chine," the statement declares, "has been conducting the Wood ficht Johrson Assails Republicans. A'though the state's presidential preference primary law had boon repealed, re-pealed, Senator Johnson said, the Republican Re-publican organization in Minnesota called what.it termed a primary, with a preferential vote for .president Fixing Fix-ing of tho time of voting from 7:30 p. m.. to S:30 p. m. with county chaii-m&i chaii-m&i empowered to fix the hours 7 to 9 p. m., he alleged meant in the country districts no primary at all. "In mid-winter -with the present condition con-dition cf roads," he added, "it was the disfranchisement of the farmers." Fake Primary. Continuing, the statement says- "When recently I was in Minnesota I demanded half a day in which voter, m'ght express themselves. Following this Hoover and Lowden forces made a similar demand. Of course the machine, ma-chine, In absolute control and repre sorting Wood, contemplating a mere fako primary, which might be used to influence other states, paid no attention atten-tion to our demand. I then advised my friends in Minneapolis and St. Paul to go to these night polls and fight as best they could. My atlvico cairicd Minneapolis and Hennepin countv and perhaps St. Paul. '"Thin one hour, machine-controlled primary, was a travesty on the exorcise exor-cise and right of free expression."