(From the Literary Dipest.)
“I'm as dry as Volstead, and then
some,” in effect declares Rev. O. J.
Qvale, nominated for Congress in
the Seventh Minnesota district to
succeed Congressman Volstead, of
dry-law fame. The preacher can
didate has been Es.ioiting his dry
ness, it seems, ever since he came
out for Congress, in spite of the
fact that he has been enjoying the
enthusiastic support of the "wets,”
all of whom, it is said, voted for
him at the primary, anomalous rho
the thing appears. Qvale ran on
the Non-Partisan league ticket,
which brought him thousands of
farmer votes, but the report is that
♦hi “wet” vote was what turned the
tide in his favor, and he was nom
inated by a majority of 3.000. At
no time does it appear, however,
that the minister offered the ad
herents of J. Barleycorn any en
couragemnt. On the contrary, be
ing an earnest man, with no desire
to hide his light under a bushel or
in any other obscure place, we are
told that he attacked the demon
Rum vigorously in all his campaign
speeches, and when the "wets’
mailed contributions to his cam
paign fund, he returned them with
scorn. The “wets, not to be
squelched, took the money and con
l ducted a Qvale campaign of their
own. When the ministerial aspir
ant for congressional honors spoke
they crowded the hall and led in the
applause. So the preacher was nom
inated amid great rejoicing, not
only in Minnesota, but wherever
there is mourning over the late Bar
leycorn’s untimely demise. How it
happened that this uncompromising
■“dry" had the unqualified support
of the equally uncompromising
» “wets’ ’is explained on the ground
that if Mr. Volstead does not go:
back to Congress the chairman of
the house judiciary committee will
be “wet,” and in that case the
“wets” feel certain that there will
be a new enforcement act to re
place the Volstead law, which new
1 act. they are sure, will permit a
good deal more than one-half of
one per cent alcohol in a drink.
But the anomaly of a “dry” ran
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didate's winning by “wet'’ votes is
not the only amazing thing about
this bewildering Minnesota affair.'
Another feature has developed since
Qvale's nomination, which offers
something entirely new in political
gyrations and involves a situation in
which a candidate’s election depends
on nothing less than his belief in
miracles. It appears that when he
found himself defeated for the nom
ination. Volstead, who is not only
an expert at writing booze laws, but
apparently also a wizard in politics,
suddenly recalled that during the
campaign his opponent had indorsed
and sent out over the district a
circular in which it was charged,
among other things, that Congress
man Volstead had no religion and
was really an atheist. Issuing cam
paign matter of such chaz^cter look
ed to Congressman Volstead and his
attorneys like a violation of the cor
rupt practices statute for such case
made and provided, wherefore they
began action in court, alleging that
Mr. Qvale was in fact guilty of such
violation. This would, of course,
disqualify the preacher as a can
didate unless it could be proved in
court that Volstead was an atheist.
The burden of proof was placed
upon Mr. Qvale. The case came up
for hearing in due time, and from
an account of the proceedings ap
pearing in the Xew York Tribune
we quote as follows:
The first step of the defense was
a demurrer. Judge Johnson over
ruled the motion.
“I have made an impartial study
of the case.” he said, “and I have
no doubt of the guilt of Mr. Qvale,
provided his statements concerning
the religious beliefs of Mr. Volstead
can be proved false. The demurrer
is dismissed. Proceed with the
case.”
Counsel for the plaintiff at once
called Congressman Volstead to the
stand.
“Are you an atheist?” he was
asked.
“Absolutely not." was the answer.
“There never was a time when such
a charge could be made against me.”
“Do you believe in Christianity
and in the Bible, Mr. Volstead?” i
“I do, and have always done so."
“Are you a member of anv
church?”
“I attend the Congregational
church.”
This is a Lutheran community
and Congressman Volstead is a
Scandinavian. The answer drew
smiles from the Qvale adherents. j
“Why are you a member of that
denomination?” the congressman’s
attorney asked.
“I was confirmed in the Lutheran
church when a boy, in Goodhue
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county,” said the congressman. “I
married a Scotch girl, and then
changed to the Congregational
church.”
Attorney James Manahan, of St.
Paul. Non-Partisan leader and coun
sel for Mr. Qvale, subjected the con
gressman to a merciless cross-exam
ination.
“Do you believe literally that
Christ fed live thousand people with
two iittle fishes and five loaves?”
he demanded.
“Yes, it was a miracle." was the
answer.
“Do you believe all the state
ments in the Bible?"
“1 believe in God and that the
Bible was inspired by him."
Miss Laura Volstead, daughter of
the congressman, was then sworn.
“Do you believe your father to be
a Christian?" she was asked.
“1 know he is one,” she replied.
“Has your home, to your knowl
edge, been conducted as a Christian
home?"
“Always. My father is a good
man. He is not against the church."
“Did you ever hear him say that
he did not believe in the Bible?"
“Never. He always told me, when
I asked questions about passages in
the Bible which I could not under
stand, that God performed miracles
to spread his teachings.”
“Did he ever tell you about the
wedding where the water was turned
to wine?” demanded the attorney
for the defense.
“Irrelevant," began the attorney
for the congressman, when Judge
Johnson stopped him.
“That miracle is not mentioned In
this case," said the court.
There was no further cross-exam
ination.
H. S. Lampson and J. H. Deber
meyer, both trustees of the Granite
Falls Congregational church, testi
ed to Congressman Volstead's Chris
tian character.
The attorneys for the congress
man rested their case—on the mira
cle of the loaves and fishes.
Then Mr. Qvale was called to give
his version of the case. Most of
the spectators seemed to favor the
minister, and we are told that the
judge threatened to have the court
room cleared before the demonstra
tions ceased. The account continues:
“Are you the regularly nominated
Republican candidate for Congress
in the Seventh Minnesota district?”
asked Attorney Manahan.
“I am.”
“How did you become such can
didate?"
“I was nominated at the primary
election in June, 1920.”
“In that primary election who was
your principal opponent?”
“Congressman Andrew J. Vol
stead.’ ’
“And you defeated him?”
“I did.”
“What was your majority?”
“I received a majority over Con
gressman Volstead, my leading op
ponent, of three thousand votes.”
“Did you ever violate, in your
knowledge, the corrupt practices act.
which governs primary elections in
the state of Minnesota?”
“I have not.”
“You went through a bitter and
hard-fought campaign?"
“I did. My opponents made many
unfair attacks upon me.”
“To your knowledge, did you ever
make a charge against your op
ponent, Andrew J. Volstead, which
you did not believe could be sub
stantiated?”
“I did not”
The attorneys for Congressman
Volstead took the witness for cross
examination.
“Y ou are the author of this circu
lar, are you not?” asked the at
torney, handing the witness a copy
of the pamphlet used in the cam
paign.
“I helped prepare it. In fact, I
wrote it.”
“It is true, is it not, that this
circular alleges in so many words
and by inference that Congressman
Volstead, your opponent in the pri
mary election, is not a Christian;
in fact, is an atheist?”
“It charges him with being an
atheist.”
“Do you and did you believe that
charge and did you have any evi
dence to substantiate the charge
when you circulated it in this Chris
; tian community?”
‘‘The statement was based upon
a sneering allusion I had heard of,
in which Congressman Volstead ridi
culed the miracle of the loaves and
the fishes. In my opinion, a man
who will do that is not a Christian.”
“Had you any other ground for
charging Congressman Volstead with
atheism?"
“I was told that he hail called me
a vile name. No Christian would
use such language in speaking of a
minister of the church.”
“And upon this hearsay you stoop
ed to slander?"
“I do not believe my statements
were slanderous, because I believed
them to be true. In my opinion the
word atheism carries no opprobri
um."
Smarting under the rapid fire of
caustic questions, the minister made
several dramatic appeals to the court
for justice.
The Rev. G. T. Lee, of Minneapo
lis, was called by the defense.
He was asked if he had told Mr.
Qvale that Congressman Volstead
“had no religion.”
His testimony was ruled out.
J. A. Lee, of Benson, offered the
same testimony. He shared the same
fate.
After taking the case under ad
visement, the court held that Con
gressman Volstead had the best
of the situation, and tiiat he was
entitled to the nomination on the
ground that the preacher had violat
ed the corrupt practices act. In
rendering his decision, the judge
said:
"Such charges made in a Chris
tian and God-fearing community
like the Seventh district by a min
ister of the Gospel, whose word
could well be taken as true under
ordinary circumstances, would lead
to disaster and defeat of the oppos
ing candidate. Beyond any ques
tion, the offense against the corrupt
practices act, herein disclosed, was
a most deliberate, serious, and ma
terial infraction of the law."
The case has been appealed to
the Minnesota supreme court. If
the Rev. Mr. Qvale wins, and is
elected, the Seventh district of Min
nesota will have a new congress
man. whose career is sketched brief
ly as follows:
Mr. Qvale. who is 51 years of
age. is the son of a farmer. He
; was born on a farm near Decorah.
Iowa, received an elementary educa
• tion in a rural school, entered Lu
ther college at Decorah, was gradu
ated in 1890, and completed his
training for the ministry at Luther
seminary in 1893. Later he took
> post-graduate work at the Universi
[ ty of Chicago.
For 23 years he served a congre
' gation at Orfordville, Wis. In 1917
he was called to his present charge
in Benson. He is serving on the
board of the Norwegian Lutheran
church of America.
! The Rev. Mr. Qvale has seven
children, three of them young men.
Two sons served through the world
war. The other was rejected for
physical disability.
That is the kind of man who is
charged with violating the corrupt
practices act at a primary election;
in other words, stooping to corrup
tion in order to win a seat in Con
gress.
It is something new under the
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sun. after all. Men have been ac
cused of corrupting elections by the
use of money. Never before has
a minister of the Gospel been called
upon to defend a political nomina
tion by proving in court that his
defeated opponent is an atheist.
Congressman Volstead, the hope
of the “drys,” is accused of being'
a man with “no religion.” One
might think the saloon men would
be on his side. But they are not.
Sinee the primary the preacher
nominee made the following state
ment:
“My record is as dry as Mr. Vol
stead’s, with a little to spare.”
He stands on that, and the “wets”
will vote for him.
They care little either way about
the loaves and fishes.
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NORTH OF NENANA HOUSE.
ORDER AND
NOTICE OF ELECTION
To Be HoM on
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1920.
In the Office of the United States
Commissioner at Nenana, Alaska,
Fourth Judicial Division.
Now, on this day, pursuant to an
Act of Congress approved May 7,
1906, entitled “An Act Providing
for the Election of a Delegate to
the House of Representatives from
the Territory of Alaska,” and an
Act of Congress, approved August
24, 1912, entitled “An Act to Cre
ate a Legislative Assembly ip the
Territory of Alaska, to Confer Leg
islative Powers Thereon, and for
Other Purposes," and in conformity
therewith,
It is hereby ordered that for the
purposes of the general election to
be held on Nov. 2, 1920, all the
territory in the recording district
known as Xenana Recording District,
outside of incorporated towns, is
hereby divided into voting precincts,
in each of which a polling place is
hereby specified.
The said voting precincts are des
ignated, described and bounded as
follows:
The Xenana Voting Precinct, em
bracing all that portion of the Xe
nana Recording Precinct lying
Xorth of an east and west line
drawn through Mile 389 on the Gov
ernment Railway.
Polling Place: Fire Hall in Town
of Xenana.
The Canyon Voting Precinct, em
bracing all that portion of the Xe
nana Recording Precinct lying South
of an east and west line drawn
through Mile 389 on the Govern
ment Railway.
Polling Place: Alaskan Engineer
ing Commission’s Store at Healy.
Xotice is hereby given that a gen
eral election will be held on Tues
day, November 2, 1920, for the
purpose of electing the following
officers, to-wit:
A Delegate to the House of Rep
resentatives from the Territory of
Alaska;
An Attorney General for the Ter
ritory-of Alaska;
One Member of the Senate of the
Territory of Alaska;
Four Members of the House of
Representatives of the Territory of
Alaska;
Two Road Commissioners for
Road District No. Four.
The said election will be held in
the voting precincts above named
and at the polling places therein
specified. The said polling places
will be open between the hours of
eight o’clock a. m. and seven o’clock
p. m. of said day.
Dated at Nenana, Alaska, August
31 1920.
(seal) r. s. McDonald,
U. S. Commissioner for the Nenana
Recording District, Fourth Divi
sion, Territory of Alaska.