The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1909-05-06

common to all. If the railroads give
ME passes and make you pay they give
me a special privilege that is denied
YOU. The railroads cannot afford to
| carry anyone for nothing, and II they
do it is done either at the expense
of the general travelling public or for
| return of favors. In either case it is
pernicious system
The Historical Minot Convention.
The above platform was read by
that brilliant statesman and philoso-
Dher from Stark county, Hon. Leslie
Simpson. l am not SO sure that he
really wanted to read it, but the ex-
iRencies of the case at that never-to-
be-forgotten Minot Convention fore
ed the Stalwart faction to point
where they had to either root hog or
die" This convention everybody
knows was one that was bought, sold,
and delivered to Mckenzie by the
lavish use of free transportation pass
es to tile officers of the line and thou
sand mile-books by the bushel to the
rank aid file. These books had the
bosses trade mark down the center OF
each page, and that trade mark every
where stands today as badge OF SER
vitude both cowardly and humiliating.
A servitude as a5ject as were the
negroes on the plantations of Virginia
in 1860, who whined and groveled un-
der the lash Of their masters. The
Anti-Pass clause of the platform
1 was placed therein by the progressive
| wing of the Republican party, and
after one of the most bitter contests
ever witnessed at a political gather
ling in this state.
The Midnight Conspiracy.
! The White Anti-Pass Bill was a
progressive measure prepared by
poceressive and passed by the House
by d Progressive organization. Jhe
bill was admittedly fair, just and
satisfactory one, and sent to the SEN
ate with every belief that it would
pass, but they were playing a shell
game" in tnat body and when you
thought you had it YOU didn't. In the
senate it was sent ito the committee
on railroads, and there it was kept
snus1y tucked away not again to see
the light of day if its enemies on tnat
! committee and out OF it could sing
the Lullaby sleep song to the end OF
the session. Think of Senators Pur-
cell, Pierce, Duis and LaMou1e doing
"Go to Sleep My Baby" act They
couldn't, and didn't. Discord at the
| first note. Baby woke UP, more
yelled, then there was CONSERVATION
and hur1ying to and fro, lots of Whis-
pering in the corridors Senator Plaine
of Cavalier county got busy and the
stuff was off. Talis incident took
place nigh onto midnight on the
ffty-ninth day of the session in the
year 1909 A. D. I quote here the
Journal of the Senate. Cut it out; 1t
will be good reading during the good
old summer time in the year 1910 4
D. e.. .-
"Mr, Ilaine moved that the rules be
suspended and the chairman OF the
Railroad committee return House Bill
number 7G (Anti-Pass BilD and that
n oYior
Roll cali demanded:
The question being OH motion to re
call: g..
The roll was called and there were
Ayes Is; Nays 26; Absent and ros vot-
ing 3.
Those who voted in the affirmative
were: Messrs: -.t ~
Bessen, Koffal, Ramsett, Strom,
Cashal, Macarthur, Steele OF Stutsman'
syyerton, Gilbert, Plaine, Steele OF
Ward, Wallen, Kennedy, Rice, Davis,
Overson, Turner.
Those who voted in the negative
were: Messrs.
Albrecht, Crane, Erwin, LaMoure'
Mclean, Palmer, Simpson, MoVious'
Kelley. Duis, Wahilcher, Talcott'
Louitz, Gunderson, Anderson, Walton,
Purcell, Baker, Whelox, Stevens, Neil,
Welsch, Trimble, Pierce, Martin John
son. C.
Absent and not voting, Messrs
Grauvold, Halliday, Sharpe.
Stevens explained his vote. So the
motion was lost. Senator Steele and
Wallen kept faith and delivered the
goods, but Martin Anderson was on
tho wrong side when the lights went
out