The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1909-05-06
Legislators Fail to Keep
Pledges to the People
ndependent Republican Tells of the Light Form Of Graft
INDUCED in by Some Of Our Legislators-Ihe
Observatiou Car5In the Rear-Ihis
Is Good Reading

The eleventh session of the North
Dakota Legislators has quit business
and gone home-hOme to the bosom OF
their families, and the greetings of
their constituents. l believe l am
wholly within the truth when say
that no legislature in the state ever
convened with duties more clearly
defined or had the will of the people
more definitely expressed as to GER
tain needed and universally desired
legislation than the legislature just
closed, and yet in spite Of this fact
no legislature has SO completely failed
in its known obligation to the people
as this one. I might add b. way of
explanation in this connection that
the whole burden of the failure was
with the senate, and not with the
House. "These sorc-healed, office
seeking bunch of progressives' terms
which a certain promlnent statesman
applied to them, at least had the vir-
tue to remember their promises and
keep their pledges to the people. That
the senate was largely composed of
old and experienced members only
makes the failure of that body to
meet it's obligation more glaring and
mere humiliating.
An Anti-Pass law has long been
desired by the people OF this state and
the campaign of 1908 chrystalized that
sentiment to one of universal demand
One could scarcely read the platform
of individual candidates for either the
House or the senate that did not make
prominent the fact that if elected he
would do his ;durndest to secure an
Anti-Pass measure, and his too in
nocent and loving constituency be-
lieved every word II. said. This was
not only true of Republicans, but
the tones were even more sonorous
and far reaching when the Democrats
talked about '"This great and no long
Ter to be endured wrong" Governor
John Burke, with stern campaign face
and impassioned tones tore the Re-
publican party to tatters when he
reached the Anti-Pass station in his
Addresses delivered from the section
corners of the state. John was evil
IDENTIFY sincere. at least we hope so,
but be certainly lost his "toehold" on
bis Democratic comrades in the seI-
ate. Can it be possible that Doc Pur-
cell and George Duis, one tentative
candidate for che United States SEN
ate and the other receptive candi-
date for the goverlfor of the ta,could
have forgotten those hot-blast sayings
and pleadings OF honest John Burke?
No! No! Perish the thought. If they
would have only explained as Stevens
did that would have been a source of
great consolation to their friends
but they did not no they did not.
The Republican Party and Gov.
Burke's Message.
Let me quote here "a portion Of the
Republican platform and also a few
paragraphs from Governor John
.Burke's last message. Note the Sen
:ate's action in its vote on Corporate
measures and this quotation from the
Republican state platform on the sub
iect:
''We believe that there should be
10 domination Of our politics by pre-
datory wealth or special interests. but
the privileges conferred by the govern
Inent should be equal under the law
And the leaders of the party still con-
tinue to ride on their free passes.
Again let me quote I'VE declare that
the most baneful influence in the poll
tical life of the Republican party of
this state is that of public service
corporations, and We demand the alb
solute elimination of the public ser
vice corporation from participation IT,
the political affairs of the state" Just
think of that and then the senate kill
ing, practically every possible corpor-
alton measure that the House passed
which had for its purpose the desire |
to carry out to the letter the spirit OF
the state Republican platform. For the
good Of the deserting and lodging
Democratic Senators quote here
from the message Of Governor John |
Rxhe: "You have been elected to
this legislative assembly upon plat !
form which pledges Anti-Pass legis- |
latiOD If the railroads are for the
use of the public they are for the use
Of the whole public. aud no person is
entitled y any special privilege not