Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1910-02-10
POLITICAL REPRESEN-
TATI0N IN n. OAK,
RESIDENTS OF THE WESTERN
PART OF THE STATE START
ING MOVEMENT 10 sE
CURE PRIVILEGES
THAT HAVE BEEN
NEGLECTED

Since the scepter of Empire and
4 the tide of population have been NOV
ing westward the changing condi-
tions which this movement brings a.
bout have been the subject of OBJ
servation and discussion among all
classes of people. These changes are
varied and relate to the social, the
political, financial and other con-
Germs of the people. In North ,Da-
kota changes in population have been
specially great in the last few years,
but, for some reason, corresponding
changes of a political nature have
not gone hand in hand, with the tide
Of population. AS a consequence the
older settled portion of the state has
apparently, by force of habit, or pure
assumption of right and privilege,
secured practically all the represen-
tatives in our national capital, as we'll
as. the more important positions In
the state capital. Few residents of
the central and western part of North
Dakota realize to what an extent
they have surrendered the privilege
of selecting representatives to fill
seats in congress and to represent
them in the higher Offices of the
state administration. In CONVEX
sation on the subject, one of the
shrewd observers of events as they
transpire and have transpired, in this
state, Attorney r. N. Stevens of Bis
marck, gave some facts that are well
worth attention. He said:
"Since the birth of Christ when
wise men are said to haYe come from
the east, there has been constant
rivalry between the east and the
west in the upbuilding Of civil gov
ernment and social reform. The
west has patiently borne the domi-
nation of the east until it has be-
come so oppressive that political rev.
olution has resulted, and while the
east has held great majority of the
wealth, the reforms that spring up
from time to time in social progress
have come generally from the west;
This attempted domination of the
east is as true in North Dakota as 1t
has been in the country generally.
This is easily proven by q review OF
the political history of this state
since statehood.
"a bill was introduced in the last
legislature dividing the state into two
congressional districts, the counties
along the Red river and adjoining
counties being designated in the bill
as the First Congressional District
and the counties in the more west
ern part of the state being desig-
mated as the Second Congressional
District. In the counties designated
as the First Congressional District
there were cast for Taft at the last
election 1886 votes. and in the
counties designated as the Second
Congressional District there were
cast for Taft 29,304 votes. This bill
was defeated by combination of the
senator's and representatives of the
First Congressional District, aided it
is said, by an active lobby sent to
Bismarck by national senators and
representatives seeking the defeat
of the measure. And when we re-
view the political history Of the state
1t is easy to see why the eastern por-
tion of the state desired to defeat
this bill.
eve have so far elected nine gov
ernors. Eight of them have been
from the Red river valley and the
one outside of the Red river valley
was nominated because Of politi-
cal combination which was at that
called an unholy alliance. There
have up to this time been elected
eight judges Of the supreme court,
every one Of whom have come from
the Red river valley or counties em-.
braced within the First Congressional
District. We have elected six United
States senators, fve Of which have
been taken from the counties COM
prising the First Congressional Dis
trict. We have elected six different
/ persons as representatives in con-
gress, every one Of whom have been
taken from the counties embracing
the proposed First Congressional Dis
trict. The 1886 voters in the First
Congressional District have had ev-s
cry one Of these officers and which
the 29,304 voters n the Second Con
gressional District have helped TO q