Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-11-28
selves to the wild dances and exciting
actions of the moment. Let interference
be made into the free exercise of their
frenzy and serious results are sure to fol-


THE BURLEIGH COUNTY CONTESTS.
The contests for seats in the legislature
begun by Messrs. Philbrick and Hare
against Messrs. Yegen and Ward will re.
! dound neither to the credit of the con-
t~estants nor the citizens generally of
Burleigh county. All four of the gentle
men directly interested in this contest
are good citizens and so far as the mate
rial interests of the people of this county
are concerned, one would be no more
sincere and honest in serving them than
another. The cause of this contest is
the fact that a United States senator is
to be chosen at this session of the legis-
lature and the Importance of this event
has been magnifiea until it seems to
overshadow every other interest in Bur-
leigh county-and not only in Burleigh
county, but in nearly every other section
of the state. Numerous contests are
therefore being brought in the interest
of n candidate or another all over
North Dakota. Contests are democrat
izing, generally dishonest and productive
of very little real good to the people.
The citizens of North Dakota have some
thing else at stake besides the gratifca-
ton Of senatorial ambitions. The TR1B-
N doesn't know very much about the
condition in other sections where con-
tests have been brought, and is not par
~ticularly we'll informed as to details in
the proposed contests in Burleigh coun-
ty, but from what it can gather it be-
lieves the result will be the washing of a
great deal of dirty linen with very little
satisfaction to either side. The TRIBUNE
is in a position to speak plainly on this
subject for, having kept it's own linen
clean and belonging to no faction, it pro-
poses to deal with this matter, not from
a partisan standpoint, but from the
standpoint of decency, consistency and
fairness. The recent election in Bur-
leigh county was not a pure one, by any
means, and if the contestants admit that
the contest is to determine simply which
side in the controversy was the most cor
rupt, then there is but little virtue in the
strife and the result must be disastroust to
both factions. By factions The TRIBUNE
means Senator Pierce as represented by
contestant Philbrick on one side, and
the anti-Pierce men, as represented by
contestant Hare On the other side.
The absurdity of this contest is best
shown by the wording of the notices of
contest as served upon Messrs. Yegen
and Ward by the contestants.
Mr.. Philbrick's complaint alleges the
casting of fifty or more illegal votes for
Yegen and makes the further and more
serious charge that Messrs. Marshall,
Webb and Bowers, constituting the cleo
ton judges in one precinct, deliberately
after closing the polls-threw out and
destroyed at least fifty ballots cast for J.
f. Phllbrick and substituted therefor the
same number of ballots containing the
name of John Yegen. A direct charge
of ballot box stnffing of the most fla
grant sort. Now let us be honest-waive
all prejudices or preferences regarding
senatorship-does any citizen of Bur-
leigh county believe or even suspect for
one moment that James H. Marshall, one
of the oldest and best known business
men IN Bismarck, would be guilty of
such an overt act? Does any one who
knows Messrs. Webb and Bowers-the
other judges-believe that they would be
guilty of such a thing? And then there
were Messrs. Moorhouse and Newcomer,
the latter an old and honorably discharg-
ed soldier, who acted as clerks-mustn't
they have been guilty also? Even Mr..
Phllbrick, who makes this complaint,
would not dare to go on the stand and
swear to such a charge.
On the other side, contestant Hare
charges Oscar Ward with having OBJ
tanned 300 illegal votes out of a to-
tai of 554: charges that a
hundred or more votes distributed
among all the precincts of the county
were actually bought with money for
Ward and that bribery and corruption
were rampant. Does anyone believe that
Oscar Ward, the highly respected farmer
and citizen-the milkman against whom
even the mild charge of watering milk
has not been made-does anyone believe
him guilty of having gone around the
county buying votes? If the people who
read these charges and counter charges
of bribery and corruption will only stop
and consider, how ridiculous will these
contests appear.
If the TRIBUNE were to tell the truth
and that is just what it intends to dot
would say that there was enough corrup-
ton and illegal proceedings on both
sides'to Justify the counting of the strict
est silence or both sides. It is a case of
crying "stop thief in concert. The
TRIBUNE believes every political battle