The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1906-05-24
The Major Grows Weary Of the
Same Old Cry-.He is Looking
For no Office and no Favor.
The Gang Throws Dust in
Voters Eyes.

VVSSA0 ~ SSs
The following letter written by
Major J. S. Murphy to the Minot
Optic, the State Machine organ
in Ward county, we take pleas
ure in reprinting for the infor-
nation it conveys to our readers:
1--WE are growing tired of the
cry "Murphyism" by the Ma
chine followers. It is simply
done to throw dust in the peo.
ple's eyes. They know as we'll
as we do that Major Murphy is
not an issue in this campaign.
In order to make any man an is
sue it must be conclusively shown
that that man has a selfish inte-
rest. He is not nor has he been
for ten years candidate for Of
fee. AS he says in his letter,
there is no office he could afford
to accept. Everyone knows the
Major has fought the machine
for years and that the machine
has tried to compromise with him
and bribe him with Office. The
State Machine, of which the
local is a very crooked leg, both
fears him and hates him. They
would spend thousands of dollars
and time and energy to get rid
Of him.
1.-TWO years ago the Hans
brough-M Mckenzie machine openly
boasted long before the County
Convention that they would send
contesting delegation to the
State Convention and that Hans
brough had promised to have
their delegation seated. Hans
brough did that very thing, high
handed and wrong as it was.
Was this done to purify the poll
tics of Ward county-to get more
honest, more efficient and better
officers for the county? If SO in
the name decency and good gov
ernment what did we get?
Without a single exception in
it's history Ward county has today
taken as a whole, the most inef-
ficient, extravagant, incompetent
and all around useless set of Of
ficers It ever had. True, there
are exceptions, Gunder Reishusis
a good Register of Deeds and
E. G. Warren is a good Superin-
tendent, but they are the excep-
tions. Compare the present set
Of officers with those who went
out when the present officers
came in. You know reader, the
comparison is nQ'~favorable to
the present officers.
The meaning of Murphyism,
as defined by the, State Machine
followers, is that Murphy was
Boss" and named the elective
and appointive officers.
Eve, Of course, know this is
not true, but granting, for the
argument sake that it is. Then
the point comes up were good
officers selected. We answered
emphatically YES"
eve again ask you to consider
the careful, painstaking. compe-
tent, honest officers of this county
in years gone by with the present
regime and see which way the
weight of efficiency goes.
/" I'VE have no fight to make for
Major Murphy. He will probably
take care of himself. The cry of
Murphyism is both silly and dis
honest.
Don't be deceived by it.
Minot, N. D., May II, 1906.
10 the Editor of the Optic:
In your issue of this evening you
have an editorial bearing the caption
THE Issue in Ward County in which
editorial occurs the following: 1T Is
question of the re-organizers against
Murphyism. The friends OF Major ].
s. Murphy are trying hard to con-
vince the people that ne is not at
the head Of the movement against
are being fooled. The Major is the
guiding spirit in the so-called reform
movement in Ward county, and If that
faction wins, the Major will head the
delegation to the state convention"
In common with the majority OF
my fellow citizens, I had hoped that
under the ownership and management
OF Messrs. Smart and Davis the OPP
tic would have a greater degree Of
decency and respectability than it
has shown in the past two years. Now
understand do not claim that this
editorial in itself is indicative OF the
continued degeneration Of the Optic.
but it does indicate that you do not
know what you are writing about.
That your utterance must, per Sc, be
'pspired. and that the Optic is still
omebody's organ instead OF being in