The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-07-20
FALSE in ONE;
FALSE in ALL

Bismarck, N. D., July Ito The
Forum: In the recent issue of your
paper dated July 10 Attorney General
Miller in an article entitled MILLER
Talks on Commission Law" that gen
tleman Is reported to have said:
During the 1907 session of the state
legislature ! was residing at Bismarck
with my family. AT that time the city
Of Bismarck was $4,000 in the hole.
There were bonds out for that amount
and there was nothing to show for
them. l don't claim there was any
graft in this case-the council simply
ran behind. Bankruptcy was newt
able"
AS resident of the city of Bismarck
for upwards of twelve years, and as
one In position to know whereof he
speaks, / desire to brand this state
ment as absolutely and unqualifiedIy
false, and l believe wilfully so. In
support of this assertion | desire to
refer any one interested in knowing the
truth about the matter to the city rec
ords which are open to the inspection
of all in the city auditors office, to the
records of the city treasurer and to
the published semi-annual statements
of the city auditor made both prior
to and subsequent to the period of
which Mr. Miller pretends to have
knowledge. Such an examination
would disclose the fact that the
amount of alleged bonded indebtedness
Is misstated by Mr. Miller, that the
bond issue was made in order to take
up outstanding warrants which had
been issued In years prior to 1894 for
the usual expenses incidental to muni-
cipal government and for which che
city had received full and ample serv-
ice or merchandise. Further examina-
tion would show that the sinking fund
established coineident with the issu-
ance of these bonds was, at the time
when Mr.. Miller asserts that the city
was facing bankruptcy, in a healthy.
fourishing and intact condition and
up to the minute in the legal amount
required under the ordinance author
izing the bond issue. Further examin-
alton would disclose that the auditors
statements showing the financial con-
dition of the city of Bismarck on
Sept. /. 1906, and March /, 1907, which
intervening period includes the time
referred to by Mr. Miller, both showed
at any previous time in its financial
history. At the time that Mr.. Miller
alleges that bankruptcy was inevita-
BILE" to-wit, during the 1907 session
Of the legislature, the 1906 taxes were
in process of collection by the county
treasurer and were subsequently turn
ed over at the end Of February to the
city treasurer in an amount exception
ally large. From 1901, the time that
the funding Issue of bonds was
fioated, down to the commencement Of
the present commission system. the
debt OF the city Of Bismarck has stead
lily decreased and never, during that
period, has the city been in the re-
motest danger of bankruptcy, Mr.. Mill
Ter to the contrary Notwithstanding.
The writer challenges Mr.. Miller to
prove his assertions and, per contra.
refers him or any one else to the rec
ords mentioned above for ample proof
Of the untruth of his own statements.
Now but one Of two conclusions is
possible from the above premises.
Either Mr.. Miller Is so woefully ignor
ant OF the true financial conditions OBJ
tanning in Bismarck as to render his
conclusions and assertions on this or
any other subject worthless ridicu-
lous and unworthy of belief. or else
he falsifled for the purpose of deeeiv-
ing the people of Fargo by d statement
which liz rottenly false
All the avenues OF information which
the writer has mentioned have been
open to Mr.. Miller and yet he does nor
appear to have thought II worth his
while to properly inform himself or to
tell the truth IL he did So
It Is remembered that mr.. Miller
INDUCED In the same statement 1T d
meeting held In the city Of Bismarck
and called together for the purpose OF
discussing the commission system.
Execution was taken to his statements