Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-11-02

myself, and which can be found begin
ming on page 518 of the Session Laws of
1880, which provided: 'That any per-
son who should be found guilty of tax
ing usury should forfeit both principal
and interest"
An attack was at once made upon the
const%itutionality of this law by an asso-
citation formed by certain bankers in the
state, and resulted in the supreme court
OF this state, of which Judge Bartholo-
new was then a member, declaring the
law valid and constitutional. In 1898
House Bill No. 1874 was introduced, being
a bill for san act defining usury and fix
ing the penalty for taking the same"
House Bill No. 1914 was a bill re-enaot-
ing certain portions of the act Of 1890,
and repeating certain portions of that
law. The part Of that law repealed was
the only part which was of vital interest
and Importance to the borrowing class
of citizens of the state of North Dakota.
The only part of that law which afforded
a protection to the borrowing classes
against the greed of the money toaner.
The only part of that law which pro-
vided an adequate remedy for the bor-
rover against the Shylock of the east,
who made a business of sending money
into the state and Ioaning 1t out here
through agents, who claimed it as their
own, at usurious rates. And yet, page
500 of the House Journal shows that DR.,
Bentley, by his vote, aided the ~organiza-
ton of bankers in the state who had
literally subscribed moneys to be used
IN the passage of this bill, which de-
feated the law FORGETTING principal where
usurlous interest had been taken on
loans. L say to the taxpayers Of Bur-
leigh county, and defy successful con-
tradiction that by the passage Of that
one repeating bill more injustice and
wrong has been done than there has
been good accomplished in the passage
OF every measure passed by the last state
legislature. And I say now, as I said in
1890 on the floor of the house of repre-
sentatives of this state, that the man
who aided a Shylock committed a crime
against the interest of his state. the well
fare of her people and the good of so.
ciety. The records show that during the
sixty days session of the legislature of
which DR.. Bentley was a member, he
was absent and not voting ffty-seven
times.
Every word I have said, and every ref
erence I have made to the record W. A
Bentley has made in Burleigh county is
susceptible Of proof from the records
themselves, and I have been particular
IN giving the places these records nay be
found so that any person who desires
may search them and ascertain the
truth Of the statements I have made.
Voters of Burleigh county, do you
longer desire totolerate the continuance
OF such a record. Do you longer desire
to jeopardize the chances of obtaining
justice from the Missouri slope by furth-
ering the ambitions of the man whose
party paper announces as a candidate
for the speaker of the house of repres-
entatives of the populist party of the
state. Can you as republicans say
to DR.. Bentley swell done good and
faithful servant" and verify your words
by his reelection. In this article we
have studiously avoided anything that
may be connected in any manner with
his personal conduct, the practices of
his profession or his obligations to
society as a man, and mentioned only
those things which are a part of his
public and recorded record as a servant
OF the people of North Dakota,
Burleigh county and the city of Bis
marck. Personally there has neve
been an unkind word spoken between
the doctor and myself, no act of his
life personal to myself has created in
any manner anthing but the best OF
feelings, and I urge nothing against
his reelection that in any manner re.
fleets upon his character or any act of
his life outside of the record he has
made and which can be found by the
references l have herein made.
You will notice that the amount Dr..
Bentley received as colouel of the First
regiment, the mount for office rent and
travelling expenses as adjutant general,
and the amount of salary lis son re-
ceived as clerk of the COMMITTEES on ap-
; preparations are left blank. This is done
because A. w. Porter, auditor of the
state of North Dakota, refused to give a
representative Of the Bismark TRIBUNE
from the records of his office these
amounts, and also refused to allow the
representative Of the TRIBUNE to exam
inc his records to ascertain what these
amounts were. The representative sent
to the auditors Office by the TRIBUNE
was Capt. Gregg, whose service in the
auditors Office under a former admins
t~ration, as deputy auditor, had enabled
him to ascertain with the least possible