Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1898-11-04
GOOD CI1rlz ENSHlP.

@i nv and Party second.
Would 1t not be wiser for citizens to
regard the coming election as an OPP
portunity to give expression for an
honest and economical administration
Of the affairs Of our state, than that OF
d party victory for either party? The
Interest Of a good citizen is not that of
party supremacy, but that Of good gov
eminent; how far short Of this the
Republican party has come in this
state this year can best be shown from
recent letter Of Mr.. Phalen, the Re
publican secretary Of the railroad
commissioners, in the Grand Forks
! Herald, who says: But have been
trying to fathom the political situation
in the state, and sorry to conclude that,
so far as North Dakota is concerned,
from Republican standpoint, it has
been q year for the fools In politics" y
Starting at tie Fargo convention, we
find Republican chances badly dam
aged by old JuG, working in harmony
with Hans and Patrick II. O'Rourke,
assisted by the political department OF
one railroad at New York and the Col.
Dodge branch Of the G.. n. legal de-
partment at home.
After Judge Corliss was killed on
aud the chairman Of the railroad COM
luissioners- the most ardent plank IN
the unwritten platform of Hans u 60.
was: Anything to beat Johnson.
The Republican machine is known to
l,e favorable to q gross-earnings sys-
TEN OF taxation, under which the roads
would pay much smaller tax, and. il
elected, they will assist the railroads
in the passage of such bill.
Most positive proof was furnished
that they are not sincere in their en-
dcavors to enforce the lower freight
rate bill. Nearly two years have been
consumed in taking testimony. and no
decision is yet in sight-the case hav'
Ing been put over until after election.
The men upon the board of railroad
commissioners who have been earnest
" trying to enforce the law. were
turned down In the state convention
and new candidates taken, probably
knowing that they would let the. rate
case alone, and not try to enforce
law which the party bosses never In
tended should be enforced.
The gang further insults the intel
ligence Of its supporters by a strong
prohibition enforcement plank in it's
platform, and then by nominating Mr..
Cowan for attorney general gentle
man who, for the past four yenrs. has
made no effort to enforce the law.
The people Of the state have been led
to believe that the state by careful
management Of its fiscal affairs. was
in good shape, that the railroads had
been made to pay their just proportion
of taxes, and that expenditures and
taxation had been kept down to the
lowest amount.
1t is now shown that this Is mere
humbug. That in reality. taxes have In
creased to the general revenue fund Of
the state about $4,000 in the past
four years. and that the state will be
i fully $4,000 behind In its current ex-
Aenses by Dec. 81, 1898. Most person,
property assessment has been given
4 greater increase than the railroads.
The Republican party has had al'so.
lutte contro! Of affairs in this state from
the first, with the exception of the two
years that the Independents controlled
the executive offices. They have car
rled the state by large majorities. con-
sidering the small vote.
Would not any party become corrupt
and be controlled by selfish ring in
their own interests under those cir
cumstances? Most certainly. Such
things are not confined to any particu-
lar party-it is found in human nature.
When you find the party of your par
ticular choosing has barnacles Of this
sort clinging to it, 1t becomes your duty
as good citizens to get rid of them, and
II you cannot do so any other way
than by voting against them and tenn
porarily defeating your own party, it
IL your duty to do so.
The interest of the state is above
that Of party. and no man can afford
to vote against HIS individual interests
There is more business than politics
involved in the coming election.
THE ~sGAcHINE, WORKING OVER
TINE. '&
That the machine leaders are in con-
troll of the Republican party in this
state IL evident to anyone who has
watched the political evolutions Of the
past few months. In the first place.
Mai. Edwards. who was seeking the
Republican nomination upon the basis
of equal rights and equal taxation"
was turned down. Then there was Col.
Winship, the strongest candidate of
the party and man whose methods
Of the people as viewed from his stand
point, done up by the machine, not
withdrawing that he probably had
majority OF the delegates in the Re-
publican state convention. yet they
were out-maneuvered by a thoroughly.
organized and smoothly-run machine.
Why were those members Of the rail-
road commission who were trying to
have the freight-rate law enforced, not
renominated?
Why was Judge Corliss turned down,
and Judge Young. who had left the
state and was a resident Of Minneapo-
lis, given the place? Did not Jud La
MOure and Col. Dodge have hand in
this, in the interest Of the Great North
ern railroad? IL it not evident on ev-