Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-09-20

marck and that suitable capitol
\ building would not cost the territory a
cent. To make this pledge good Nc
Kenzie and two or three friends gave
up their little farms, saw them cut up
into town lots and sold, not for the
purpose of enriching Mckenzie and
his farmer friends, but for the purpose
of making every pledge good. And so
the first capitol building never cost the
territory or state of North Dakota a.
dollar. a, s &.f#' "
The division of the territory and the
creation of the state of North Dakota
soon followed. ~ ~ 81
We next find Mckenzie in Wash
ington fighting to secure thousands of
acres Of government land for the state.
He won and North Dakota got the
land and it is from the proceeds Of this
land that it is proposed to erect a mil
lion dollars capitol building without
one dollar expense to the tax payers
of the state.
Before the new capitol building
can be constructed the lands decided
by the government to the state have
to be appraised and sold. In order to
accomplish this, the late legislature
deemed it wise to place the DISPOSE
ton of the lands and the construction
of the proposed capitol building into
the hands Of a committee to be known
as the capitol commission"
This commission, of which Hon.
VIM. Bulge Of Grand Forks, Is chair
man, has already caused an adver-
tisement to be placed in several lead
Ing newspapers throughout the state,
calling for plans for a new capitol
building. The result has been to
draw the fire of a small army of DO
littcal bushwhackers whose chief aim
Is to cause dissension among the peo-
pie with a hope of securing the cap
tadncy of the ship Of state for them
selves. Many of these political pirates
have been almost lifelong benefciar-
les of the republican party of North
Dakota and for years have enjoyed
the fruits of distinction dealt out by
the very hand they now, in a fit of
jealous rage, seek to smite.
Alexander Mckenzie has never
showed the first symptoms of being a
ooss, or desiring to be. If he has ever
ruled 1t has been with the rod of kind.
| ness. ," ~ Z.
1t should be understood that the
construction OF million dollar CAP
ftol building without costing the tax
payers Of the state a cent, is no small
undertaking, and that is what Alex
ander Mckenzie has undertaken to do.
That and nothing more constitutes Nc
kenze's life's dream and there should
not be found in all the state of North
Dakota a single man, woman or child
who would knowingly throw stray in
the way Of practical realization OF
| the same.
Mr.. McKenzie's prominence in state
politics Is only the natural result OF
the prominent position he occupies In
national politics-that of being mem
Der of the republican national commit
tee. 1t Is his official business to look
after the political interests or the state
and If he did not attempt to do so he
would prove worthless as an national
committeeman. The present manage
ment of the Optic will not be a party
to condemning the efforts of Mckenzie
or any other man who has devoted al
most life time to the betterment of
not only the political, but commercial
conditions of our rapidly growing
commonwealth.
We take 1t that every hive has to
have king bee and if this be true.
how much more money can the public
lay up by killing off the one now on
the throne. There has got to be one
or no honey.
So far as the building Of the capitol
is concerned, Mdnot, Ward county, and
all adjacent counties halls with de-
| light the probability of its early con-
struchon. For It means to this sec
ton direct connections between Minot
and Bismarck. This part OF the state
has no kick to make, no matter what
i the building costs, or who builds IT..
The work Of the capitol commission
should not be hindered by few timtd
| contractors who have not been In the
habit Of bidding on large jobs.
g ~ rs . ri 5st{ KIP 81 tttS