Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1908-10-22
GOVERNOR BURKE
His Record on Railroad Assessments In
the Board of Equalization -Ante-Elec-
tion Promises UnfuIfI|Ied.

variest novice in politics, viz: to COW
er as far as possible his absolute fall
ure to make that stand in support Of
his prediction claim that the rail-
roads were being too lenient]y dealt
with. Other too jealous and indis-
Greet friends of Governor Burke have
also endeavored to excuse him on the
grounds that as presiding officer OF
the board he could not vote, futile
plea which the governor himself has
knocked out OF court by his request
to be recorded as mot voting.''
Will the voters of North Dakota
deem that Governor Burke did his
duty in this matter? viii they be-
lieve that he acted as a man sus-
tained by the courage of his own con-
victions, one who was fighting for a
principle and who was prepared in
the interests of that principle to
fight to the last ditch, no matter
what the odds? Or will they contrast
his supine inaction in the only op-
portunity offered to him to declare
his belief of what he considered
right, with that of others in SINH
lar position and pronoun ce him to be
that which his own acts brand him,
a man who seeks under the specious
cloke of expediency to hide his own
moral cowardice? What would the
people of the state think were all the
members Of this most important
board actuated by the same ideas Of
self effacementI as Governor Burke
and refuse to vote yes or no? Would
not the board proceedings be farce.
and it's members a laughing stock?
Yet Governor Burke asks for credit
to be given him for asking that fur
ther time be taken in considering the
railroad assessment in 1907, when he
failed to make any motion or state
any reason for such request and de-
failed to express his alleged
by an honest mo"
Contrast his action at this meeting
with that of Governor White in 1903,
when under exactly. similar condi-
tions and with full knowledge of the
fact that the majority of the board
was not of his own way of thinking,
he nevertheless offered the following
resolution, which is quoted at length
from the official report for the reason
that it not only proves that on other
occasions governor Of the state had
the courage of his convictions but al.
so because it refutes other claims
made by Governor Burke and his
friends that republicans only raise
railway assessment under the stress
of political pressure. 1908 being an
"off'' year:
FORENOON SESSION.
8 O'Clock a. m. Thursday, August 9th.
The State Board of Equalization
met pursuant to adjournment.
Governor White presiding. Men,
bers present: White, Turner, Erich,
Mcmillan, Holmes.
Governor White offered the follow
ing resolution:
Wehreas, The assessment of rail-
roads made by this board at the az
ternoon session of August 5th, raised
the branch lines of the Chicago, Mil
waukee g. St. Paul Railway, the
branch lines of the Minneapolis, st.
Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway and
the Chicago & Northwestern Railway
80 per cent and the Bismarck, WASH
burn & Great Falls Railway 240 per
cent above the assessment of 1902
without any corresponding raise in
the valuation of like property in the
state, and it is my belief that these
roads are assessed relatively higher
than like property in the state, and
for the purpose of amending the as
sessment Of the Northern Pacific
Railway and the Great Northern
Railway by raising such assessment
such per cent as will bring the as
sessment Of those roads up to what l
believe to be relative value and for
the purpose of amending the assess
ment Of the Bismarck, Washburn &
Great Falls Railway by lowering the
assessment to bring its assessment to
what I believe to be a relative value,
I therefore move that the vote by
which such assessment was made be
reconsidered. 5s
Turner, Mcmillan, Erich and
Continued on Page u.