The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1906-10-18

| Believing that you are in favor OF
government by the people instead OF
by political bosses, and that you are
in favor of an honest and economical
| administration of state affairs regard
| less of party affiliations, we respect
! fully invite your consideration of the
! following facts:
1t is notorious fact, Con account
of which every decent and self re-
speeding republican bushes with
shame) that the republican party of
the state is and has been for many
years past controlled and dominated
by few self constituted political bos-
ses who are in fact the paid agents
and representatives of the railway
corporations. 1t is we'll known that
these bosses, chief among whom is
Alexander Mckenzie, known through
out the land as the 'uncrowned Gar
of North Dakota" assemble at the
Merchants hotel in st. Paul bran
nually, and there choose the officials
of the state and formulate party poll
tics in accordance with the wishes of
the railway corporations; and it is a
lamentable fact that they have sue
ceeded thus far in having their ac-
tons ratified by the rank and file of
the republican party in this state. No
fair minded and intelligent citizen
can deny that, from the Office of gov
ernor down no candidate has been
n Ia 70 p1TSyo1i q h
surrendered his political manhood
and self respect, and pledged himself
to uphold and ad vance the interests
of these bosses and the sordid inter-
ests of their masters. A noticeable in
stance of this is our present state ex-
ecutive, it being an open secret that
in order to- secure his nomination at
the hands of these bosses, he was re-
CURED to and did delegate to them
the the naming Of every appointive
officer-even to his private secretary.
All this is done in the name of Re-
publicanism and the great state Of
North Dakota. The system of govern
ment which now prevails in this state
has rightfully been stigmatized as
gang rule. This system rules with
relentless party despotism its i'm
perils the purity of the judiciary; it
lessons the economy and efficiency of
our administration, and it destroys all
faith in popular government by par
ties. The Mckenzie political code
considers politics a game of which
the prizes are free passes on the rail-
roads and the emoluments of the Of
fee 1t holds party fealty to be the
sole virtue Of the politician; it places
men in office as a reward for services
aims to keep efficient men down and
inefficient men up. Our young men,
upon assuming the duties of citizen
ship, are constantly subjected to these
degrading influences. Voters! how
long are you willing that these con-
dtions shall exist? Do you want the
railroads to rule our state or do you
want the people to do so? You will
have an opportunity to answer this
question at the polls in November.
Remember that a vote for the repub-
lican ticket is a vote in favor of
continuation of bossism and railroad
domination. Will you indorse by
your ballot the action at the James,
town convention of these paid hire
lings, and thereby strengthen their
state, or will you unite with us in an
effort to- rid the politics Of this state
of this band of machine politicians
and to restore to the people that Of
which they have been so long depriv-
ed-the inalienable right of self-gov-
North Dakota, to carefully contrast
the ticket nominated at jamestown
with the ticket placed in nomination
by the democratic convention at Mi
not, and the methods by which these
ticket were nominated, also contrast
the platforms adopted at said conven-
tons, and then decide for yourselves
which candidates, if successful at the
polls, will best serve the interests Of
the people. We believe that the great
majority Of the republicans of the
state are opposed to the methods
adopted at jamestown, and at pre-
vious republican conventions, but
their wishes have been and will con-
tinue to be ignored So long as the
powerful Jim Hill-McKenzie machine
is successful in electing its ticket.
We are not favored with campaign
contributions from the railways and
other corporations, nor have we a
subsidized press to aid us in reaching
the voters, hence, we take this meth
Cd Of appealing to- you, as fair mind
ed and intelligent citizens, to aid us
in redeeming our fair state from the
grasp of this hydra-heade monster.
The Democratic nominees are men
on known character and ability, and
they are pledged to a faithful adher-
ence to the platform Of principles
adopted at their state convention.
1t is a noticeable fact that in the
Democratic platform old party lines
are ignored. 1t stands for reform, for
clean government, for the people as