Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-02-23
1WITCHELL'
PLATFORM
Candidate for Governor Tells
Where He Is At...of
Will Be


| am candidate for nomination, sub
iect to your approval at the June pri-
maries, for the office of Governor, on the
Republican ticket.
] am and always have been Republic
ean.
Personally, l am what is here known
as an "insurgent,' or Progressive Re-
publican; an advocate of Roosevelt Re-
publicanism.
To my mind, an Insurgent Republi-
can in North Dakota, is one who be-
lieves that outside corporate influence
has too largely dominated our party in
the state and complains of the same, and
is doing his best according to his light,
to eliminate that influence and bring
about political conditions wherein the
party will be the agent Of Republican
sentiment-the officers the servants of
the people, answerable only to the people
and to educate those seeking political
preferment to look to the voters for
their strength and support and not to
the favor Of, corporations or the per-
sonal friendship Of those persons who
act as their political agents
| believe there must be new and bet
ter standard for political councils and
partv coiidmct tass
That expediency, and the belief that
voters fail to understand, or understand
ing, will forgive and forget, must give
way to the application Of the old-fash-
Toned rule of right and wrong; that We
must get back to Daniel Webster's def
milton of our government, "The peoples
government; made for the people, made
by the people and answerable to the
people" ia @
| 1 believe that outside corporate iri-
terests have invaded our politics for the
purpose of controlling our party ma
chinery, debating our congressional dele
CATION for US, keeping down taxes on
their ipir property and maintaining high
rates of transportation on our moving
commodities
l believe these corporations have been
led to believe they must maintain polit-
ical emissaries in our state, to protect
their property interests against the un-
/ reasonableness and viciousness of our
citizens.
i believe they have been purposely
misled-, | believe our people are ready
and willing to exhibit that spirit of con-
sideration and understanding, without
retaliation or con6scation, that must ex-
list to successfully solve and settle the
changed conditions and obligations that
must be maintained betwenn great cor
porations and the people, the adjust
ment of which is inevitable and when
settled will make for more permanent
prosperity to the servant and the sery-
ed; establish stability to securities.
necessitate honest management of cor
porations, fairmindedness on the part
of the legislative bodies, confidence in
the minds of the people, and eliminate
the baneful and corrupting policies pur-
| sued by the corporations in politics.
believe the corporations need no
greater protection than our peoples in
telligence fairness and broad minded
ness, and the protection against unfair
ness Or mistaken Judgment, than our
courts afford
I believe the railroads, express COM
panies, sleeping car companies tele-
graph and telephone companies,
are not paying their just share
OF the taxes and would use my influence
as governor, and my vote as member
OF the State Board of Equalization, to
put them on an exact level with the in
dividual taxpayers of the state, and no
higher.
/ believe that the state should ascertain
the actual value of all railroad property,
and the value of all other pEoerty of
common carriers, for the purpose of CIV
accurate information, so that they can
assess such property on a basis as will
compare equitably with the assessed val
uation OF all other property, and to furn-
ish a basis for the establishment of
transportation rates and charges.
believe the people of the state
(whether producer or consumer) would
be more largely benefited by the estab-
lishment of reasonable maximum
schedule OF freight and express charges,
than by further reduction of our pas
senger rates. The earnings from both
sources, must in the aggregate, leave
reasonable return out of which to pay
dividends to stockholders.
would endeavor to show every cor
poration now doing business in the state
or desiring to enter, that North Dakota
is an inviting field for extension and
investment to every corporation that is
willing to pay its fair share of the
taxes. obey its laws and treat its citi-
zens fairly and allow the voters to run
the politics.
| am in favor of increased pay for our
Railroad Commissioners and an insis-
lance that they carry out the provisions
OF our railroad law, including the es-
Enlistment of reasonable rates.
| am in favor of the legal adjustment
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