Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1912-08-22
BURDICK FOR
STATE TICKET
WILL SUPPORT ENTIRE STATE
TICKET AS THINKS ALL RE-
PJRiICANS SHOULD


Burdick is caused by the publication
of an article right after the meeting
of the county central committee July
II in the Herald which stated that Mr..
Burdick, in an address before the conn
mittee, declared himself for Wilson
for president, and that he would
support him with all his power
While Mr.. Burdick does not, in this
article touch on this point strongly,
we wish to say that he did not make
any such statement before the COM
mittee and that he was evidently mis-
quoted in the article mentioned. MI
Burdick's communication follows:
Recently have noticed several ar
ticles in the newspapers of this state
claiming that have joined the DEM
ocratic party. This is untrue. Since
cast my first vote ! have bean .
Republican, and before deciding which
party to affiliate with, studied the
history of the two great parties and
concluded that the party Of which
Abraham Lincoln was the immediate
founder, and which believed in the
principle of protection to encourage
our home manufacturers and favor
our laborers, was the most representa-
tive of our needs as q nation. But
as time went on and the party be-
came blinded by repeated victories
it became evident that certain leaders
in the party were using it's power and
prestige to shape legislation and ap-
pointments and even Court decisions
in the interests of great special prlvl-
lege seeking industries. The COM
mon people were forgottenI The
tariff had out-grown much Of its ori-
ginal usefulness. Protected indus
tries, especially those dealing in the
necessities of life had become real
monopolies; for example-the steel
trust; the Lumber Trust; the Sugar
Trust; the Oil Trust; the Beef Trust;
and a score of others,-a made pos
sible by a tariff wall. The people
clamored for reductions but the spe-
cial interests controlled elections, con-
trolled representatives in Congress,
and even showed their powerful hand
in state elections. To an original LIN
coin Republican this sort of thing was
not Republican.
The Progressive movement was
organized for the purpose Of driving,
special legislation out of politics.
Joined the very first movement OF
this sort in this state and have
never deviated a particle from this
stand. In office and out of office \
have done everything in my power to
make our. party what it was once
party Of the people, by the people
and for the people.
The party in this state today has
the confidence of the people. Two
wears ago it adopted a Progressive
platform and Progressive House in
Senate made eve Y promise good, -
something that had not been done be-
fore in the history G: his state. The
party is now progressive ard I
think we may look forward with con-
idence in the next Kepublicao Legis-
lature. We will see the Initiative
Referendum and Recall and other
progressive measures passed, includ-
ing bill providing for the physical
value of railroads in this state. The
movement within the Republican
party in this state to make the party
what it originally was has indeed
been successful. This being true,
there is in my opinion no need for
third party ticket in this state, and
while I favor much Of the platform
recently adopted at Chicago by the
new party, l am unwilling at this
time to subscribe to any plan of .
third party ticket. We can l think
accomplish more by staying in the
party and doing nationally what we
have done in this state. A few more
senators like LaFollette, Bourne,
Borah, Cummins, Gronna and others
will re-establish the Republican party
of Lincoln. In this state party is
progressive and nearly every man
=
upon our state ticket is progressive,
from L. b. Hanna down and their
nominations have .een obtaiLed by
q direct vote Of tke people and they
should, therefore, receive the support
of the people, and we can not as Pro-
gressives throw away all we have
gained by quitting the party. but 70
remain true Republican does not
mean tha. we shall blindly accept
every nomination as binding upon us.
A stolen nomination or one obtained