The Dickinson press., 1910-03-12
ASKS FOR FAIR PLAY
FORUM REPORTS LlBEL0us
Bismarck, N. D.. March S, 1911

Bismarck, N. D.. March S, 1910.
Dear Sir:
l believe that you believe in fail
play. Certain vicious untrue and libe.
lous attacks have been made by the
Fargo Forum upon Gov. Burke and my
self charging US with e%ndeavoring to
cover up fraud in school land sales to
protect certain individuals. II is need
less to say that the CHARGES are abso.
lutely and basely false. However. my
mission in writing this note is not te
ask for any defense from your paper but
to request that you publish the facts.
This sale in Tower County was held in
October, 1901. approved December 5.
1901, by the Board of University and
School Lands with the following men,
bers present and voting: Gov. White,
Sec. E. F. Porter, Auditor A. N. Carl
blom. The other members of the board
were Atty. Gen. Comstock and Supt. ].
M. Devine. They were absent and not
voting. 1t is plain then from the record
that neither Gov. Burke nor myself can
be connected. with the approval of the
particular sale which is now in ques-
ton. Nothing more was heard of this
until late in 1907 when one, D. B.
Collins filed charges of fraud with ref
to the sale of a certain piece of
land in Tower county, These charges
were taken up al the April 3rd. 1908.
meeting of the board at which were
present Gov. Burke, Auditor Holmes and
Atty. Gen. McCue. The members
absent at this meeting were Sec. Blais
dell and Supt. Stockwell. A hearing
was set for these charges. April 80, 1908.
and notice sent to- all interested parties.
On April 30 a regular meeting was held
with the: following members present !:
Gov. Burke, Auditor Holmes. Atty.
Gen. McCue and Supt. Stockwell.
Absent, Sec: Raisdell. At this meet
ing appeared the complainant. D. B.
Collins and the persons who at that time
held the contracts to the land in Ques-
ton. to-wit: C. j. Lord and F. L.
Thompson The board proceeded to hear
the evidence, when the complainant
d B. Collins stated that he desired
10 withdraw his charges, stating that
he had been misinformed as to the
matter. The board was left with,
absolutely nothing upon which tt act
hence no further action was taken,
Nothing more was heard of this until
recently when Gov. Burke and L were
charged by the Forum with trying, to
cover up fraud.
To the fair minded man II might
seem strange why only two oui Of
five members of the Board Of University
and School Lands. are guilty and the
other three innocent unless it be that
the other three, Holmes, MeCue and
Blaisdell are stalwafts, while Gov.
Burke is a democrat and l am an in
sureent or progressive republican. AZ
l said. Gov. Burke and l are not asking
for defenders because l believe we are
capable of defending ourselves, still
we do desire that the real facts anG
parties in interest as we'll as the per
sonnet of the various Boards of Uni,
versity and School Lands which hav'
dealt with this sale, be known by tn.
public.
Yours very truly.
W. L. STOCKWELL
Gov. Burke has set March 31st as tn
day when the Forum will be given
chance to tell all it knows about thi
land deal. D. B. Collins appears to b
a repeater and has been Offering hi
troubles. real OF imaginary, as the cas-
may be. to various newspapers of tn
state, and it would seem that the afore
said Fargo paper seized the %opportunit,
to hit Burke and Stockwell. However
the official records do not appear to i'm
tplicate these gentlemen hence the hear
ing ordered by the. governor.