Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1883-11-02

ZONE DAYS ago the Fargo Republican
IN an endorsing way referred to the senti-
ment of the Alert upon the railroad law
of the last session Of the legislature, but
insisted upon the responsibility of the
law being placed upon Gov. Ordway.
We made no reply for tic reason that we
charltably supposed the editor OF that
paper was away at the time and that
some one who did not know what he was
talking about wrote 1t. With this I'M
preston VIC allowed the article in the
Republican to pass unnotlced and with
out rcjoinder, never for moment think
ing That the heavy editor of that paper
would make such "bad break" But
that paper yesterday came back at us on
the same subject and insinuates that the
culprits have "fxed" it, assuming to
draw this inference from an article which
appeared in the Alert few days ago
calling halt upon the newspapers that
are making such yindictlve personal
warfare upoa Gov. Ordway, and now we
are forced to conclude that both the ar
tlcles arc from the pen of-wc Will return
the compliment-the "yenerable sage
Of the Republican. In the course of the
last editorial referred to in the kepubli-
can it says:
The alert, however, in its criticisms of
the bill, carefully and skillfully avoided
fixing the responsibility for its origin aud
passage, and while frowning aud shaking
its index finger at the law, presumably
held its left hand III the region of the
small of the back. The culprlts have
evidently found the left hand and "lixed''
it, for we now find our wise friend taking
The enemies of Gov. Ordway to task for
criticising the executive. Is the Alert
ready to establish mutual ground be-
tween right and wrong? Canthat which is
half right and half wrong be commend
able position for a leading newspaper to
assume? Is tins the Alert's conception of
thejustlcc it so frequently alludcs to? You
coLdcmn the act for which Gov. Ordway
is unqucstionably responsible, yet assume
to stand between HIM and what you
choose to call the "abuse" of the press
for these acts. Can you condemn wrong
and consistently defend the doer of it? If
SO, you are more of moral acrobat than
your brother journalists, who arc opposed
to MIR. Ordway, simply because of his un-
wise and apparent dishonest adminlstra-
ton of the duties OF his office.
In the first place we will remark that
when we become SO lopsided that we can
not discuss public question with fair
and candid consideration of both sides OF
it we will retire from journalism. Be.
cause Gov. Ordway, or any other Official
may do that which we may think wrong,
does not IN any sense deprive him o. the
mead Of praise for his good acts of admin.
istratien. But Gov. Ordway's responsi.
bili,y for the railroad law is what we can.
not understand. We have been under
the impression all the time that The mem.
bers of the late legislaturc-onc Of whom
is said TO not be remotely related to tbs
Republican-were the parties responsible
for the laws of the last legislature. l,
never occurred to the Alert that the gov
ernor was the law making power of the
territory nor does it seem to have occurred
to any other paper than the Republican.
The only way in which any responsibility
at all can attach to him is in not vctoing
the bill, power that is to he used by the
executive only IN extreme cases, and the
reckless use of which brought about the
impeachment of President Johnson, as
the venerable sage' of the Republican
will no doubt distinctly remember. The
legislature is supposed to represent the
wishes of the people and for the governor
to defeat those wishes by the exercise 81
the arbitrary power Of the veto, except
for the most formidable reasons, IS not
only dangerous but reprehensible act
and even in thls it IS restricted by two.
thirds votes of the legislative body. II
Gov. Ordway never gives any other cause
or any greater cause Of complaint
than failure to use the veto power, his
name will so Gown to posterity as pa
tron saint.