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

AOV ~ D1s
Bentley with having Intentionally wrong
ed the state out of this property but do
say if DR.. Bentley had exercised the
same precautions in protecting and
caring for the property of the First
Regiment that Captain Smith did, that
belonging to Battery A, the accouter-
ments, tents etc. belonging to the First
Regiment would have been saved to the
state of North Dakota. When in 1892
the republican party of Burleigh county
nominated and elected DR.. Bentley a rep.
resentative of the capital district, it was
with the solemn understanding that his
every effort should be devoted to such
legislation as would be most beneficial
to the people of North Dakota and par
ticularly Of the Missouri slope and
Burleigh county.
Every man who knows anything about
the organization of a legislature, knows
combinations are made in the election
of speaker, which gives to other parts of
the state than that in which the speak
or resides, chairmanships OF important
committees, and that the honor Of hav.
ing had the speaker Of the house is con.
sldered about all necessary to be be-
slowed upon the particular district from
which the speaker comes DR.. Bentley
knew that the vital question to the Mis-
souri, slope, of the removing of the CAPT.
tai would be presented to the legislature
that winter. He knew that the question
of building a south wing to the capitol
would be presented, and was liable to
meet with stubborn opposition from the
eastern part of the state; and yet, know
ing this, he hazarded the chances of both
and became a candidate for speaker
against the advice and, 1 might say, pro-
test of republicans who had aided him
in procuring every position he has ever
held, and when defeated for the posi-.
ton of speaker, he became morose and
surly, and from that minute began the
disintegration of his political convection
which has now rlpened into the disease
unknown to medical science, but which
may appropriately be termed in politic-
al parlance, ''popism." How we'll he
conserved his constituents, and the
people of the state, while a member of
the legislature, the records themselves
show, and we are prepared to substanti-
ate everything we say in relation to that
record.
Populist orators have condemned the
last republican legislature for the ex-
~travagance Of the appropriations made,
and claimed it was sole]yo on this account
that the financial condition of the state
was at it's present low ebb. DR.. Bentley
became chairman on the organization of
that legislature Of the committee on ap-
preparations, and reported to the house
for favorable passage each of those APP
preparations which are now condemned
by the populist orator. He had a right.
in case the committee passed upon any
appropriation that was exorbitant or
unjust, to have made a minority report,
showing the extravaganza of the appro.
priation agreed to by the committee. I
fail to find in the House Journal of that
session a single minority report or pro.
test to the making of an appropriation
by the chairman of the committee, DR..
Bentley. At the Doctors request his
son, Charles Bentley, was appointed as
clerk OF his committee, and received
therefor from the treasury of the state
OF North Dakota -. I challenge and
defy the Doctor or any of his supporters
to prove ten days actual service per-
formed by his clerk. A majority, if not
all, of the duties performed for the
clerk of that committee was performed
by William A. Falconer, the doctors
%son-in-law, and not by his son, who re-
ceived the pay as clerk. And, in saying
this. l do not mean to in any manner
criticise his son, but simply to show the
action of DR.. Bentley as chairman of
that committee.
Chapter SO of the laws of 1893. is a
bill for an act granting the right of way
to railroad companies through public
lands, and was passed through that legis-
lature SO that certain railroads might
steal, or as they termed it, buy at a
minimum cost, valuable lands on which
they had located ~townsites and which
belonged to the state OF North Dakota.
1t was purely and solely a bill in the
interest of the railroads in North Dakota
and against the interest of every tax
payer, and yet on this measure for the
benefit Of corporations, which DR.. Bent
ley says should be operated by the
United States, he voted away valuable
franchises belonging to the people. On
page 69l of House Journal is recorded
the vote of the legislature on House Bill
No. 22O, being San act requiring school
district %treasurers to deposit district
funds in designated repositories" Some
thing every taxpayer and particularly
every farmer is interested in having
enacted into a law. The record, found
on fhof rorn ehoro ALoL.n-an 80. .as