Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1883-11-23
THE RAILROAD BILL.

The onktOn treSS ana LAX Otla0, aItcr
referring to the dispute Of the Alert and
Fargo Republican over the responsibility
for the railroad law lets daylight III upon
the history of the law as follows:
Now then, gentlemen, we can settle this que''
ton for yor by giviIg brief history OF the birth
aud baptism Of the iniquity. E.P. Wells, OF
jamestown, who is known TO operate in the inter
est Of the Northern Pacific railroad, prepared AMI
caused to be introduced bill which provided that
In lieu Of al other taxes upon road, running stock
franchises, etc., xnd al o'her property owned by
railroads, two per cent tax be iey;cd and col
ls~ted upon the gross tarni g. Of railroads. The
words "aii othcr property were employed with
tho hope that they w0uld MT he noticed, ~ they
clearly applied 10 the landed pos eesoDs Of rail.
road companies. In reading over he bill Land
Commissioner Simmons, Of the Chicago & Norti'
western road detected the full import Of the cl anre
aud though his own company would profit By The
retention In the bill. he gave notice Of his discov'
cry to some Ysukton attorneys, among them Gen.
Hsgh !. Campbell The plot WAS revealed to
rAembers OF the Legislature and the council there
upon passed au amendment striking sut from the
bill the words oil other properly" BY unanimous
vote, The bill then lsssed ~ amended. lttraLs.
TO the clerks desk and was not placed spon the
record The bill wss enrolled ~ 1t s,ood before
the amendment was passed. and contained the 90
jeetisasbls phrase "sll other property" TLis
1t 10 believed occurred through the fraudulent
conuivanee Of come member Of the council After
the bill had been sent n the governor, and bcio:s
It hsd been gned by him, tw members Of The
couueil, Nes4rs. Jerauld and WashsbsuNh. were
a. - -. ~ tho lQl M
they In turn notiaed the council, A committ OF
the council va. appointed which waited upon
Gov. Osdwsy and before he had placed his ofictal
signature to th.. bill informed him fully in regard
70 tho fraud and saked him to send 1t back to the
eosse for correction, at least to veto II. Gov.
Ordwsy. with fulI knowledge Of the import Of the
uea are aud its effect upon railroad property, dis
eezsrdcd the reqsest Of the committee aud, On tie
Oh asy Of March, the last day Of the session, when
sYerythias was turmoil aud confusion, 10 spprov-
I'd the bill and 1t became law. faEr
1hess ars the plain, unvarnished facts.: The
psbaic can readily judge a. to where the !stpossi.
hity lics. The bill was constructed for she Scxs
pre,s purp,.e of exenpting railroad lanas asron
taxation sua With those words stricken odG Nesld
not have iulnled the OBJECT Of its projectors. The
pxht the governor placed his sgnsturc to the bill
Mr.. wells gave an elaborate wine banquet st
restaurant In Yaukton, which was attended by
hupdrcds Of people. This banquet lasted until
the hour of Ansl adjournment, when the bill vas
safc for at least two years.
The Fargo Republican quotes the above
% the Alert with the gall of the man
who came down from his retreat In the
loft after his v,te had killed the bear that
had attacked their hut triumphsutly
shouting "Didu't We kill HIM qu,cke"
This, however, does not SHIFT the respon-
D,bil,ty for the Law from the members OF
the legislature only % far as they may
plead and prove irresponsible stupidity
on ths,r part; aud 20 far - the question
In dispute between the Alert and Repuo-
i,csu il concerned it remains the same,
with the exception that the article above
quoted makes Gov. Ordwsy an accessory
10 the ,n,qulty after the the fact, which,
while 1t duplicates him, does not relieve
the legislature. 1t is no defense TO the
charge sf m offence to show that others
than the party or parties charged were
implicated.
But the statement Of the +. and d. 10
20 unreasonable 10 some Of its parts that
Il veskeps them all. It's well known
Law OF mechanics that the strength of
beam u not greater than its weakest
mart. and it il much the same with
story. The idea of Mr.. Wells. private
citizen and An outside party, going 0ovn
70 Yauktou and 'getting away with
the legislature. Yankton attorneys. gov
ernsr and oil, is unreasonable upon 'ts
face and 10 dead give away" to the
whole story. II would show rem arka-
ble shrewdness on his part or . sublime
stupidity on theirs that will net be ac'
cepted upon the mere statement. 1t this
10 true it ueuld be economy to turn over
the Iskielatugs and executive departments
- him and save the expense Of maintain-
ing body OF men called the legislature.
II this story IL true i voald bs . good
scbsns 70 have NJ. Wells Y. his haad -
cesQss aud the Psssiteest r sscars d.
,,siss q ~ Territory.