The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-16
JOHN BURKE DEMOCRAT, AND THE FIGHT FOR HOME RULE
THAT MADE HIM GOVERNOR-ELECT OF NORTH DAKOTA


contributed its quota to the disturbed
condition. It is difficult even now to
get fairly satisfactory characterize
ton OF Governor Sarles from his own
people. Some will tell you that his
defeat was due, not to himself, but to
the gang. Others will tell you with
equal emphasis that he was too heavy
load on the organization. Some say
has improved the methods Of doing
business and was not Judged upon his
administration, but on personal charac-
teristics, not necessarily related to his
honesty or ability. Others declare that
his administration carried him down,
that the capitol job which he approved
and which the supreme court threw out
made his defeat imperative, that his
given if there were not graver blem-
ishes on him as a public servant. This
much is admitted by all, that Sarles
was a product of the "system,' that
he got his first nomination from the
Merchants hotel iunta and that he
never did anything for the state Of
North Dakota to differentiate him from
the ordinary routine governor. He
seized none Of the opportunities which
come to an executive to probe the state
institutions, nor to wake up the state
railroad commission to it's duties, nor
to give bad quarter Of an hour to a
somnolent state board of equalization.
The situation at the close Of the
convention was that there were mutter-
ings of discomfort all over the state.
The bosses heard them, but laughed
assured, would not bolt; the democrats
were innocuous; the lawyers would not
make any Roadway in their fight, be-
cause the people would not hear law
yers. Sarles, in 1904, had carried
every county in the state and had
total Of $4,000 majority in vote of
about 50, 1000. Here was a safe margin
on which to gamble. So Mckenzie
went into the campaign, corklike and
pass over before. =;
John Burke Is Named.
But the democrats were not innoc-
uous. They had man, in fact they
had two men, one with the brains and
the heart which appeal, another with
the brains and tenacity which organize
They named John Burke for governor
and Senator Cashel to manage the cam
paign: At the democratic convention
at Minot every delegate paid his way
and went down to nominate John Burke.
John Burke also paid his way and went
John Burke IS nomination. "When t
got down there,' he said, II found I
could neither head it off nor could I
get out of the way.
~ had been trying to keep out Of
politics. I had built up good law
practice and I was interested in my
work. When this nomination came
upon me, l was to some extent out of
touch with affairs and had to look them
up again.
Mr.. Burke evidently looked things up
to good effect, as when the votes were
counted hes had madeya il change of
81 600 from the vote: Of the previous
election. From a minority Of $4,000
the democrats had become majority
OF 5000 in the state.
Three Railroad Facts
It was done simply by calling the
attention of the people to some facts,
First, that the state of North Dakota
had a state railroad commission en-
powered by law to fix maximum freight
and passenger rates and that this com
mission never fixed anything but it's
person in easy chairs. Only one at
tempt had been made, under the admin
istration of Attorney General Cowan,
and this had winked out somewhere in
the federal courts in the year of our
Lord 1898.
Second, that North Dakota had law