The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-04-19

of our public men are getting higher
instead of lower; that the standard
of public morals is becoming higher in
stead of lower, and that today the
standard Of public morals in this coun-
try is higher than in any other country
under the sum-"
OF course there are men with griev-
ances The men with real grievances
have the first claim for pity and con-
sideration of good men. They may be
mistaken in their views and in their
conclusions, and may have gone clean
daft. They deserve our pity rather
than our contempt. You speak of Edi-
tor Falkenstein, for instance, as having
an incurable grievance against Colonel
Lounsberry. l do not think SO. His
grievance is real and therefore may
be cured. 1t is the man like that man
at Devils Lake who imagines things
and magnifies them, and sees COLLINS,
that is incurable. Falkenstein has
real grievance and it will do him good
to fret and fume and growl and snarl
and bite his thighs or anything else
that a mad dog would do. He was like
the guest hidden to the feast and could
not come because he had married
wife. FalkenStein wanted claim and
proved up on it but could not live ON
it according to the law and to the al
legations in the proof" He had mar
ried wife and could not live on his
claim and in the course of his duties
Lounsberry protested it and he lost.
He had right to disregard the oft
published warnings as to the duties of
settlers, and take his chances on get
ting through, and to squeal and kick
as loud as he pleases because he got
blocked.
There is another Bottineau county
editor who also lost his claim. From
every standpoint he is one of the most
able bodied kickers in the state, but
he has some horse sense, and realized
that the special agent was in the coun-
try to follow his instructions and pro-
tect the public domain from the depre-
dations of those seeking to gather it up
for speculation rather than for homes.
There were great many others at Bot
tineau who had reason to kick but some
of them had sense enought to see what
the law required and do it.
There is another editor at Bottineau
who has had bad attack of Louns-
berry on the brain for two years or
more. He thinks it is democratic to
denounce the officers of the dominant
party. Though an Englishman he must
have imbibed or absorbed or acquired,
perhaps by poaching, the Irish habit of
being agin the government. Even
that excuse is a good one. 1t is the
little ours that bark because some
other little cur bowls that l have con-
tempt for.
Senator Hansbrough has or is about
to introduce amendment to the rail-
way rate bill prohibiting public officers
and employees of all classes from ask
ing or receiving free railroad transport
tation on any interstate railroad. 1t is
good thing and it is to be hoped that
the state legislatures will take up the
thought and check the evil at home.
There is no good reason why judges
and legislators and agents travelling
free transportation. Nor any person
why a lot of Statesmen" should find
their way to the capital to influence
state legislatures on free transporta-
ton. That is one of the evils of public
life that might we'll be corrected. and
l believe will be corrected as result
of present agitation.
Senator McCumber's speech on the
railway rate bill is one of the great
speeches of the session. 1t has receiv-
ed many, very many. warm commenda-
tons.
There is scheme on foot to gobble
up the coal mines of Alaska and a
strong push for legislation in that di-
rection. 1t will give some of the re
formers nervous prostratiOn to know
that our North Dakota men are not in