The Devils Lake world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1911, 1911-03-03
THE COST NO OBJECT.


house and the final decision that in
order to satisfy the demands that
have been made throughout the state
for first hand information as to the
real merits of the case. it will be
tried in the senate, it is shown that
the mere handful in the city of Dew
lis Lake who started and pushed the
proceedings have determined to gain
their end no matter what procedure
they may use or how it may effect
their home city.
The World throughout the commit
tees session maintained dignified
silence. In common with the other
papers in the state we received ru-
mors of what was being testified to
though unlike a number of the dailies
we received no offer of gratituous
correspondence during the progress
Of the hearing. We knew many of
the reports being circulated in the
papers to be lies. We knew others to
be gross exaggerations, but we also
knew that the committee would have
their decision to make solely on what
came before them, making comment
unnecessary and not in accordance
with newspaper ethics or practice.
With the case now to appear before
the senate it would not be out of
place for The World to comment on
the methods used by those backing
the prosecution. the attempt to black
Ell the character Of fellow citizen,
the distribution of damaging affida-
Wits that had not been presented as
evidence, the free correspondence
highly colored and sensational sent
by local men at Bismarck to the
daily papers as actual evidence and
the stirring up of towns outside the
district with political strings.
We do not however believe in maxi
ing these fractional local fights state
wide affairs. While disgruntled liti-
giants stirred their forces in the west
ern part OF the state, in Grand Forks
and Fargo, there was not a word of
protest from the Second judicial dis
trict where the harm it there had
been any would have been the great
est. No lists of ''aggrieved citizens"
were wired to Bismarck signed by
any Tom, Dick and Harry, no meet
ings addressed by political warehouses;
were held but the people who for
years had been dealing with Judge
Cowan in their daily life, upon the
return of the committees report, adj
mitted the wisdom and started to
work to repair if possible the damage
to their community that the muck
raking methods had inflicted
In Devils Lake there is more
chance of an indignation meeting to-
day than at any time during the pro-
cedure. Here where a systematic
course of publicity was to have been
started, whe the coming of new
railroad was to have been heralded,
where for the first time in years the
business men appeared to have got
ten into the harness and were pull
ing together and where there were
prospects for a busy and profitable
summer, there is real indignation
felt. Today Devils Lake has been
advertised throughout the country as
a hellhole of rottenness, a stinkpot
of graft, and place where to use
the words of an alleged reputable
lawyer, Justice is a farce and the
enforcement of law comedy" The
old factional fight that last summer
gave Devils Lake black eye through
out the state seems hard to down and
though the majority of those inter-
ested last year have realized that
such internal squabbles should and
can be settled in a dignified manner,
there are a few, whose enmity to
Judge Cowan can be traced directly
to personal and political grievances,
who hold the satisfaction of revenge
far above the progress of their town.
The World has the interests of
Devils Lake and Ramsey county at
heart. 1t was started for the ex-
purpose of boosting the possibilities
of this section of the state and it does
not intend to turn to yellow journal
ism while still in it's infancy. It
would be interesting and would prob
ably afford some satisfaction to turn
the limelight Of publicity upon those
who have posed with an "holier than
thou attitude for so many years but
it's effect on the community would be
demoralizing.
The World deplores the continu-
ance of the Cowan investigation not
alone because of the jurist's family
who will again suffer the attacks of
the undertaking journals of the state,
not alone because it is contrary to
the wishes of the vast majority of
the people in the Second district but
rather because of the effect it will
have on the growth of the city. With
the prospects so good, the facilities
for their advertisement so many it is
indeed matter for deep regret that
Devils Lake should be kept against
her will in the limelight and suffer
at the hands of few disappointed
politicians who are seeking to vent
their. personal spleen at the expense