Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1884-09-25
MISTAKES OF BROTHER BURKE.

MISTAKES OF BkUIHEk BUkkEs
Upon his return from the Piorre con-
vention the editor OF our contemporary
gave wall Of disappointment that must
be amusing even to Mr. Raymond himself
and lead him to inquire why all the zeal
for his cause ami interests was reserved
until after the convention was over and
upon the heels Of such mastery lnactlvi-
ty theres Mr.. Burke, in the excitement
of his indignation, denounces Frank Pet
tigrew, Of Sioux Falls, w. F Steele, Of
Steele, Maj Edwards, of Fargo, and Alex.
Mckenzie, OF Bismarck, as "scoundrels
AMI knaves, who today have their heels
on Dakota's throat, and propose to rule
or ruin this great people Of Dakota"
Shades of Daniel and lamentations Of
jeremiah! What calamity has come
upon the people of Dakota. think of 1t,
and stand appalled, At the thought. Four
hundred thousand people with equal
voice in the political counsels Of the ter
rltory trodden under foot by these four
mon, fifty thousand to each on an aver
age. Well may congress think the p eople
of this territory incapable Of self-govern-
ment. Let us call upon the president
"ln the >me of God and the continental
congress-" a. old general Putnam of rev.
dictionary fame used to say, to send the
army and navy to suppress these fou- po-
litical tyrants who are walking arou nd on
the throats of the people. Let every man
shoulder a Wincht ster and every woman
q broom and wage war of determination
against them, for ''resiste nee to tyrants
Is obedience to God" '-'- <.
But with bated bre .th hear him further
for the cause Of the people: 'lt was
dark day for Dakota when these fellows
turned their faces toward this fair terri
tory and brought their contaminating
presence into our midst" Upon reading
that esch of these men, if he has any con-
science left over from the convention,
will seek some secluded spot and commit
suicide. The expression, ''our midst"
is good. But they were all here before
''our midst" was. When most if not oil
of them came to this ''falr territory" as
he says, tour midst" 80 far az it relates
to this people, was matter Of faith.
There are not four other men IN the terri
tory that have done as much to develop
It and induce immigration as the four
men named whose coming Mr.. Burke so
vehemsntIy deplores. Take away what
Alex. Mckenzie has done for Bismarck,
what Col. Steele has done for Kldder
county. what Maj. Edwards has done for
EUdr rxi1s,t 1hk 1lfs' sitouf snsNs done for
Dakota snd the vacuum would be painful
to look upon.
But what, the reader will want to know,
"fraud" did they perpetrate, and what
"cerrupt designs" did they "move hes
ven and earth. ana call upon friends in
hades (nades in this case should be trans
lated hell) to carry out ~ Why, weep,
oh, Israel, they nominated Judge Clifford,
who, Mr.. Burke himself says, IT'S a gen
tleman of high standing, lawyer of
ability, and man wholly opposed to
rings, cliques and corruptions" 1fitna
political crime, if it is kpavery and scoun-
drelism, If it is traml'ling on the throats
of the people to nominate man Of that
character for delegate to congress, God
save the people from themselves.
But with all his righteous indignation
he discleses a. least the intent OF worse
knavery on his ewn side than he charges
against the other. The lawyer has holy
horror of his own witness who testifles to
too much, because he is not permitted to
discredit the testimony OF his own witness
and he Is bound to stand by it though il
gives his case away. N.r. Burke's testi-
mony IN this case is that Mr.. Raymond
was .'asked by his friends to be allowed
to use money in his behalf" and he HIM
self was one of Rsymoud's friends. There
is confession Of the intent of corruption
on the part of Mr.. Raymond's friends,
such as Mr.. Burke does not even charge
against Mr.. Rsymond's opponents. and
yet in the very next paragraph he calls
them ''cortuptien,sts." He gives as the
result of the knavery, scsundrelism and
corruption of Petugrew, Edwards, Steele
and Mckenzie the nomination of man
who is "wholly opposed to rings,
cliques and corruption" By a single
stroke Of tho pen he tears down one of
tho fundamental doctrines of the great
founder of christianity, that a tree is
known by it, fruit, and in effect ccunsels
the people to go among thistles to gather
figs and the box elder. aud cottonwood
trees of the James river to gather banan-
as
Tine supreme court now sitting at
Yankton has promulgated its opinion
sustaining the validity Of the capital COM
mission bill and the acts of the commits.
s,ouers acting under it in removing the