Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1908-10-22

Almost continuously for the past
two months Governor Burke has been
travelling around the state in support
of his candidacy for re election. So
far as can be learned from the reports
of his speeches he has taken every
opportunity to comment unfa vorably
on the conduct of his brother men,
bers Of the State Board of Equaliza-
tion and by inference and assertion,
to justify his own acts as member
of the board. Briefly stated his
claims are, first, that at the 1907
session his motion that the consider
alton. of the railroad assessments be
deferred was turned down and this
important matter disposed of in too
summary manner, and that realiz-
ing the fact that four was majority
of five, he refrained from voting or
otherwise expressing his opinion, and
that in consequence of there being
no detailed stenographict report of
the remarks of individual members,
he had been misrepresented.
Second, that at the 1908 session and
fearing a repetition of these misrep-
resentations he introduced resolu-
tion providing for full stenographic
report of all that was said by any of
the members.
Third, that he introduced a motion
to raise the railway assessment $500
per mile, which was turned down, s
Fourth, that tile final raise of $1,000
per mile would have never been
adopted but for his initiative and
because of its value as campaign ma
terial. -. q.
These are serious charges to prefer
against high state officials, equally
with himself bound to serve the state
In its best interests and to conscien-
tiously perform their sworn duties,
and it is no more than an act of COM
mon justice to analyze the truth Of
the governors statements and to as
certain by record and fact how near
ly they conform to the truth in the
premises and how far they are made
in the behalf Of a personal exploita-
tion and for purely vote getting pur-
poses.
It will be remembered by all who
heard Governor Burke's speeches,
prior to his election in 1906, that one
of his favorite themes and planks on
which he urged his own election was
that of the raising of railroad assess
ment and that one of his most often
repeated comparisons was that in the
state of Montana, the mai n
lines of transcontinental railroads
were assessed at sl4, 900 per mile and
that the valuation should be at least
the same in this state. He also
pledged himself to use his every effort
to secure this raise should he be
elected.
How did he fulfill this pledge?
BY his own admission the only mo-
tion made by him in 1907 was that
further time should be taken in the
consideration of railroad assessment.
He made no motion whatever having
for an object raise in railroad val
ues, thus completely ignoring his
reelection promise. to use his best
endeavors to secure amuch larger in
crease in the assessment Of railroads
operating in this state. AS the re-
cords ..of the Board of Equalization
now stand, Governor. Burke IS record
ed as" Not voting"in 1907, thus in a
measure substantiating this state
ment, facetiously made at Bismarck a
few days ago, that he was firmly con-
vinced that s'four is majority OF
dve.' 2 But there are other facts con-
nected with this record Of the vote
/ IN 1907 which are capable Of proof
land which can be amply proven by
the testimony Of the other members
OF the board and the records, and
these are, that the vote on these oc-
casions was not by roll call but viva
voce, and the original record Of the
proceedings showed all members vot-
ling ssAye'' and no 'sNays" and that
the governor, upon being criticized
for his failure to redeem pledges BY
his own democratic supporters, some
few days after the record Of the pro
ceedines became public, went to the
state auditor and requested that he
be recorded fas .snot voting The
object Of this must be plain to the