davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1885-02-05

One or the editors of the Yankton Her.
aid, who is in Washington, writes his
paper that he learns the universal senti'
ment of the democratic members OF con-
gress to be that the territories shall no
longer be afflicted with carpet baggers,
but that they will be permitted to select
their own officials subject to the approval
of the president The Alert is glad to
know that the democracy is taking this
bold and firm stand on the republican
platform of the last campaign; glad to
see it the purpose of the democrats to
practice what the republicans preach,
for candid world will concede that the
republicans always preached good doc
trlne whether they practiccd 1t or not.
President Arthur did not consider that
clause of The republican platform of last
year i, G'he upon HIM. He construed it
to apply - the other fellow who obtained
the nomination. Arthur is lawyer and
every lawyer knows that law or a plat
form that lmpairs the obligations of con
LTdCLS Is AiCuul u
great many contracts on his hands which
would have been seriously impaired by an
observance Of the plank IN the platform
relating to territorial appointments. lie
stood upon his constitutional rights and
let the republican party "be damned" as
Vanderbilt would say, and the damning
was reclprocatcd enough to be called
mutual. But we arc now to have new
deal, it seems, and if this Dakota prophet
of democracy reads the political signs at
Washington correctly the people of this
territory and others will bear the defeat
of the republican party last year with a
great deal more fortitude than they other
wise would or could have done. "It is
an i'll wind that blows no one any good,''
and if the cyclone of political whirlwind
which swept over the nation last Novem'
Der corrects even this one abuse 1t will
not have been utterly IN vain.
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1885-02-05

THE great and beneficeLt mission OF D.
L. Moody, the evangelist, must be COM
ing to close. 1t has been great and
glorious one. He has compassed land
and sea IN proclaiming the gospel unadul.
terated by church creeds and ceremonial
laws. He has fulfilled the commission
"Go ye into all the world and preach the
gospel to every creature" He has
charged the ramparts of satan IN all the
great cities of the United States from
San .Francisco to4 Boston. He has
preached free salvation to the dynami-
ters of Ireland and the blue bloods OF
England, and now, as the last great and
grand triumph Of his life, he has tackled
New Jersey
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1885-02-05

Times conner Imai, :: :Richa-daor i-oeas-.-
ally takes the Alert to task for venturing
to doubt or crlticise the wisdom Of pend
ing or proposed legislation, and depre :
Gates what he pleases to term the action
of "meddling constituents, who seem to
think that they and not the members are
the legal representatives" He further
expresses the opinion that lit is this con,
tinual dogging and instructing members
that leads them astray-where they do go
wrong"
Mr.. Richardson is informed that the
Alert and "meddling constituents" as he
terms them, regard officers, and especially
representative officers, as the servants of
the people and not their masters. The
members Of the legislature are there to
act for their constituents and not for
themselves. They are the 'legal repre-
sentatlvcs" of the people, not of them.
sci yes, and when a member of that body
becomes so exalted as to look upon IN
structions from the people whom he was
sent to represent as The impertinence Of
'.meddling constituents he has outlived
his official usefulness and should be rele-
gated to the shades of private life at the
earliest possible moment. Even if Mr..
Richardson did run two thousand behind
his ticket at the late election he is, never.
theless, one Of the representatives of the
whole people of the ninth legislative dis
trjct IN the territorial council, and as
such he should look upon them with less
contempt than as "meddling constlt-
uents''
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1885-02-05

The constituents of Councilman Rich
ardsor at Valley City are making his
path thorny by sending deputatlon of
citizens to Bismarck to oppose bill in
troduced by him to fund the warrants of
several school districts in Barnes and
Grggs counties. The opponents OF the
bill claim that its passage would rob
Barnes county of fifty thousand dollars.
They claim that the bill was being so
quietly pushed through that they knew
nothing of it until it had passed the Sc
ccnd reading. When Mr.. Richardson
was at home last Sunday he explained
his very conmendable action in the Jud.
lAaMourc contest case by saying he
would rather be right than be prcsl.
dent but when he goes home again he
will probably explain his questionable
action In regard to the school district
bending scheme by saying he would rath-
er be president than he wrong. The peo-
pie Of Barnes county, and especially Of
Valley City, are thoroughbred kickers,
and one might better strike can ot dy-
Mantle with sledgc hammer than tread
on their toes.
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1885-02-05


If the legislature undertakes to defend
all of Its menb bers who may bring down
upon themselves the wrath and lndigna-
ton of their constituents it will have q
large contract on It's hands. The eXas-
perated citizens of Splnk county express
ed their Indignation towards councilman
Day and assemblyman Miller by hanging
them in effigy and afterwards cremating
the effigles for advocating the division of
that county. Thus coming TO the ears of
the legislature councilman Richardson,
of Barnes county, came to tie relief of
the two gentlemen with resolution of
confidence and coincidence, and condemn
ing as unlawful, disgraceful and un-
warranted" the action Of the citizens OF
Spluk county in the matter. While such
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1885-02-05

unceremonlously dismissed from Office by
Gen. Jackson, and whose attempts, to
5gether with those of the legislature con.
Jointly with him, in establishing the
southern boundary of that illegally organ
sized state were denounced and repudiat-
al by the famous South Carolina nul!itier.
II South Dakota wants to engage in such
ridiculous folly as that of erecting state
OF such demensions and boundaries as
Size chooses without any authority from
congress, and bear the expense as well as
the eridiculc, no one in the north will ob
jet, but to pay the expense of this pro-
posed side show ont Of the territorial
treasury would be an outrageous fraud
upon the people.
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1885-02-05

more from Intimidation on the division
question, tearing that her opposition to
this raid on the treasury would be dis
torted INTO another outcropplng of her
suspected antagonism TO division. The
Bismarck Journal Is not regarded as q
champion of division, aud the ease with
which it falls in with the constitutional
convention idea is suggestive of a pene-
tration OF eye sight that enables it to look
far enough through millstone 10 see
that this is the most effectual means Of
defeating division. Ii the Altrt was op.
posed 10 division it would support the
constitutional convention bill.
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1885-02-05

The term slander in its common ac-
ceptatlon but family expresses some of the
phases of the CRIME which the legal term
covers, as, for instance, that Of defaming
the good name Of woman. Ii all the
terms used IN the catalogue of crimes
were condensed in one ineffable term of
infan it could not embrace the lower
and damnaDle depths of destroying the
character of woman, which TO her
is above all in value. Only few days
ago woman IN DesMolnes, Iowa, whom
the tongue of unjust scandal had rob bed
of her good name and reputation, de.
ranged by the dark and impcnctrable
gloom which had been cast over her life
beyond the power or hope of recovering
from its remorseless doom, poisoned her
self and two children that they might
find in the solitude of the grave sue
cessful retreat from the odum heaped
upon them by their prosecutors. No
midnight assassin was ever morally more
guilty of murder than the traducers of
this woman, ana YET they are perhaps
numbered among the refined society Of
the city. There are such murderers of
woman's reputation in nearly every COM
munity, and though they may not drive
there prosecuted victims to the ex-
tremity of sniclde they are nor the less
murderers. Shakespeare attempted to
describe the work of scandal mongers in
the following words: ISLANDER, whose
edge is sharper than the sword; whose
tongue ontvenoms all the worms Of the
Nile.'' This kind of slanderer is scourge
and pestllence wherever he or she may
be. No offender against woman can do
her 80 much injury as the one who by in
uendo or otherwise lnsldlously under
mines her reputation and with the blight
ing breath OF calumny destroys her good
name
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1885-02-05
''Where Ignorance is Bliss 'Tis Folly
to be WiSe.''

Some self-appointed conservator of
the interests of the "dear people, of this
city and county airs bis ignorance and
dlscloses his clovcn hoof by assailing the
ex- county treasurer, his successor, the
city treasurer and board of county com.
missioners of this county IN an article
published III the jamestown department
Of the Argus over the comprehensive nom
de plume Of "Taxpayer," on account OF
mismanagemento of the county and city
funds and manner of conducting the office
Of county treasurer. The article ls such
conglomerat,on OF Misrepresentation,
exaggcration and ignorance of the sub
ject which the writer pretends to eluci-
date that the persons assallcd and their
friends feel justly indignant. The writer
shows lack of the courage of convic-
ton" by sneaking behind and hiding his
identity in an anonymous signature If
he had possessed the manhood and had
been near enough without sin to cast the
first stone to sign his maize to the article
he might have secured its publication
without sending it hundred miles from
home.
The facts are that cX.trcasurer Mans
fed did make efforts to withdraw the
county funds from the FIRST National
banklor some time before it suspended
and sue ceeded in reducing the amount
from SIS 900 to less than SO, 900; that our
buslress men did not all withdraw their
deposits; that one of the members of the
board Of county commissioners had o
large amaunt lf money IN the bank when
it suspended: that the government bank
examiner reported the bank sound and all
right IN July, only short time before 1t
suspended, and that Mr.. Mansfield used
due diligence in trying to save and Sc
cure the county deposits. The conf
dence of the people in Mr.. Mansfleld's in
tegrity aud prudence was attested in his
reelection by the people of this county
without opposition and after these facts
were we'll known to the public, and this
confidence has been properly supplement-
ed by Mr.. Webster, the present treasurer,
in the appointment of Mr.. Mansfield as
his deputy. 1t might be we'll TO inform
this reformer that the county commits
sioners have no authority whatever in
the appointment or dismissal of deputy
in the treasurer office. Mr.. Webster Is
ASSpoaSioiS " VIC poaiu Api iuc dCtS VI
his deputy and he is satisfied with his ap-
polntment TO that position. Whether
Mr.. Webster pays a large or small tax
has nothing to do with his official stand
ing. His business capacity and personal
integrity are attested by the financial
standing and character Of his bondsmen,
one of whom has known him from youth
up. Now If this Taxpayer" will give
his name to the public he can have the
opportunity of comparing his own record
for business capacity and integrity with
that of any of the parties he has assalled.
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1885-02-05
A RAID ON THE TREASURY.

s nc 1lclG SuSScSICu lCN Oa1S oSo
that the object of securing the passage OF
q bill by the legislature providing fer a
constitutional convention for South Da-
kota was to grab the expenses of that
colossal farce from the territorial treas
ury, and now bill has been introduced
In the council by Mr.. Washabaugh, OF
sshe Black Hills country, providing for
such a convention and also for paying
the expense out Of the territorial treasury.
1t provides for the election Of one hun
dred ar d eleven delegates from the va.
rlous parts of Dakota south OF the 4Gth
parallel, the election. mileage and sitting
of whom together with the election upon
the adoption of the constitution after it
is formulated, will incur an expense of
perhaps $780, 900, as such bodies are usual.
y extremely dlliberative, especially
when the per diem amounts to little
more than the cash equivalent for the
time occupied in such dclibcratlon.
What the object can be in making the
representation in this convention nearly
three times that OF the representation of
that section IN the legislature does not
appear, unless 1t be on the hypothesis
that Gin the multitude of counsel there
is WISDOM which will hardly apply in
this case.
The people OF North Dakota have no
more interest in, and will derive no more
benefit from, the formation Of Il constltu
ton for South Dakota than the states of
Nebraska and Minnesota, and there is 10
more reason for requiring the people of
North Dakota to contribute from their
tax treasury TO help pay the expense than
there would &c III drawing upon those
contiguous states for the same purpose
The unreasonably large number of dele
gates provided for shows it upon It's face
TO be stupendous raid upon the terrific
rial treasury which the people. of all parts
of the territory. both north unI south,
should protest against.
Even if the project was wise and legitl-
mate--which, IN view of the attitude OF
congress, 1t certainly is not-there wonld
still be no good reason for taking money
out Of the pockets of the people of Nortl
Dakota to pay the expense, and it is mucl
more unreasonable to appropriate money
from the peoples tax treasury TO pay fol
an egregious bluuder and ridiculous farce
such as this must necessarily be. A con
stitutlon formed by the proposed conven
.'aSs a:nil.d meet s'>,se~.,n{.i. .i..a-s.-.---
that formed at Sioux Falls In 1883. That
constitution was very good one, and II
was adopted by the people at an election
afterwards held. The proposed conven
ton would not be likely to better it, bu
rather the more likely 20 worst it, making
changes for the sake of change aud tc
show something for the money received
This semi-revolutionary movement OF
South Dakota in setting up a quasi gov
ernment within the jurisdiction OF the
government of the United States will
prove 4 hindrance to both division and ad
mission by its contempt of the powers OF
congress in the premises, and if carried
out the subject of division may as well be-
dismissed from mind and discussion for
several years to come.
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1885-02-05
VOL. Vino. 34.
MARSHALL MCCLURE. Proprietor
= q. wARNOCK, Editor

THE DesMolnes, Iowa, Leader says it
IS in favor of hanging JEFF. Davis, end
th,1ks ''he would look well hung UP be-.
side some of those republicans IN Dakota
who are threatening secession. - The
Leader man must have been absent from
the state when the last census was taken
else the per cent Of ignorance in Iowa
would not have averaged so low. When
an edltor's stock Of comparisons Is re-
duced SO low that he has to make such
breaks as this the best think he can do
for his paper is to take vacation and
leave the sc evil In editorial charge.
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1885-02-05

THE bill now pending in the lover
house of the legislature making the face
or policy Of insurance the legal liability
of the company III case of destruction OF
the property insured is one Of obvious IN m
justice as well as bad policy. The prin-
ciple Of adjustment upon the basis OF
value OF property At the time i, is do
stroyed is unquestionably, just and fair
to all parties concerned. TO make the
insurance companies liable for more than
the actual value of the property insured
ls to offer premium on carelessness If
not upon the crime of arson. Insurance
companies guard as far as possible against
over insurance. They aim to retain the
assured party in interest IN the preser-
vation of the property insured to the ex y
tent of third or one. hal: it's value
owing to the degree of hazord. If through
Misrepresentation Of the applicant or
venality on the part of the agent person
secures insurance for more than the prop
perty is worth it is fraud upon the in
surance company The moral influence
of such statute would be bad in that it
would encourage Spontaneous combus-
ton" IN over insured property, or at least
a careless indifference as to danger tom
fire. It wonld be bad policy as it would
tend to drive insurance Companies out Of
the territory or to increase their rates to
counterbalance the increase Of moral haz-
ard. Insurance companies as rule pay
their taxes and their losses promptly, and
and there is no reason why they should
be made victims of false principle in
equity.
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1885-02-05
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

The citizens Of YaDkton have sent up
to the legislature voluminous memorial
requesting the passage of an act author
izlng constitutional convention l1r
southern Dakota. 1t presents an array
of statistics and historical facts IN sup
port Of the proposition 10 form state
constitution without au enabling act and
independent of any act of congress in the
premises. The people of southern Dako.
ia, or any other part of the territory,
have constitutional right "peaceably to
assemble, and to petition the government
'vA ru1ess "a gries'an!.es, or ts.--f~-'.-E
state consultation, without an enabling
act from either congress or the legisla.
ture, but whether it would be policy to
do so or not is quite another question.
1t is not apparent why the legislature
should authorize the holding OF con-
vention to form constitution for south
Dakota, unless it be to pay the expenses
of such convention out of the territorial
treasury. An act of the legislature would
confer no validity upon the constitution
that might be formed at such corTcn-
ton but it would render the territory re-
sponsible for the expense, which is prob
ably the object of the request. The con-
stitutlon formed at Sioux Falls in Sep
tembcr, 1883, and afterwards ratified by
vote of the people, Is just as good now as
1t was then, and it is difficult to discover
what object there can be in this clamor
for another convention to form a consti.
tuition covering the same territory except
it be to give some constitution makers
job and make raid upon the peoples
common treasury. There is no sufficient
reason why the people of Northern Da-
kota should help pay the expense of such
convention in any event, much less
such boys play affair as this would nee
cssarily be.
In policy view of the case Its tenden
cy would be to defeat the object sought
to be obtained, as it would be menace
to and contempt for the prerogatives and
powers of congress in the premises. If
the people of south Dakota want to re-
enact the farce of 1883, by making a
constitution for an undivided portion of a
territory Of the United States, they will
have the consent and blessing of North
Dakota. but we insist that they keep their
hands out OF our pockets.
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1885-02-05

Of England, not the tract OF land of.tbat
name about the size Of Il Dakota county,
but paper of that name published IN
London, where dynamite explosions are
as common as roller skating rinks IN this
country. The paper contains letter
which is preceded 5v the following para
lying head lines: "By the Right Hon.
Sir Stafford Northcote, Bart. NJ. p" We
read the letter because 1t was marked.
supposedly by Staff. himself, Which, con-
siderlng his position in the legislative de-
partment of the British government cor
responding with the council in our terri
torial legislature, we accel as something
Of compliment. We borrowed step
ladder to rise to his plane of thought
and read the article carefully but were
unable to decide what it was all
about until at the verge Of despair we
again glanced at the head lines and
found the subject was, "England--Old
or Young We then thought it {: very
fine and forcible production.
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1885-02-05

THE Pioneer Press seems to think the
action Of the Dakota legislature in push
ing the Oliver bill through before the
committee sent down to confer with the
Minnesota legislature on the subject OF
joint legislation returns ls queer proceed
lngs. There are several features connect.
with this proposed legislation that arc
not easily explained from outside ap-
pearances. The fact of this bill being
hurried through In the absence of the
committee, and its endorsement by the
elevator monopoly against which it is
supposed to be directed, should arouse
suspicion enough to suggest the proprlc-
ty of little further and deeper ,nvestl-
cation into its scope and merits. The
farmers are elated with the idea that this
bill will be panacea for all the ills their
interests are heir to, and If it should
prove to be Judas they will be IN a
verse condition than before. 1t may be
all right, honest and straight, but there
will be nothing lost by ''making haste
slowly"
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1885-02-05

THE magazine Article written by Gen.
Grant, giving his view of the battle of
Shiloh, has stirred up something of a
military hornets nest. Gen. McCook is
in condition of temper called hot, and
accuses Gen. Grant of falslfying facts n
regard to him and he now threatens to
give the old general away, who, he says,
has been clipping his lau,els for twenty.
Two years. This conlab threatens 10 be-
come another Gen. Sherman and jeff Da-
Wis quarrel in which both will lose and
The people gain nothing but some infor
nation that will lower both the dispn-l
tants in the estimation of the public: