The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-11-04
WILL THE
VERDICT BE?

The greatest jury ever impaneled, the entire American peo-.
pie, has been hearing evidence during the past four months on
the qualifications of men to be selected to administer public af-
fairs and listening to testimony touching the programmes these
men propose to carry out as chosen representatives. of the people.
The jury will return its verdict next Tuesday. Nov. 5.
The first evidence presented to the jury was in the form of
the national republican convention in Chicago, President William
FL. Taft and Expresident Theodore Roosevelt summoned their
witness. For President Taft, big interests represented by such
men as Senator Penrose, Senator Aldrich, former speaker of the
house of representatives Joe Cannon. Senator Lorimer who had
just been ousted from the senate the Reckefelers, the Morgans, the
Guggenheims, the trust magnates of great tariff protected textile
mills in New England where combined labor of children, mother
and father is necessary to exc out an existence, were called.
For Colonel Roosevelt, big interests represented by such men
as "Bil" Flynn, aspirant for the shoes OF the late Senator Quay;
George W. Perkins, organizer of the steel trust, the most colossal
of all dctatorial special privilege combines; George W. Perkins
of the international Harvester company, the farming machinery
and binder Irvine trust; the Morgans and associate financial
barons of Wall street; the Santa Fe railroad through its chosen
representative, Gov. Hiram johnson, Of California the trust that
prefer Control" to elimination.
The great republican steam roller, propelled by federal
patronage steam, was brought into evidence and ran over its
creator, Colonel Roosevelt.
Sen. Robert NJ. La Toilette, backed by witnesses from Wis
consin, his home state. and North Dakota, the pioneer progressive
state next to Wisconsin, came as witness for the people but was
denied a hearing by rulings of Taft and Roosevelt counsel.
BIG INTERESTS OUSTED~
The next great session of court was in Baltimore. Special
privilege corporations, money changers from Wall street and
branches of the same elements that are back of Taft and Roose-
welt, were all there to meet their common enemy, William j,
Bryan, the great commoner who has been blazing the path for the
American people for sixteen years. The vast jury of Americans
was keyed up to tense interest waiting for the evidence and testi-
mony. Bryan appeared, as he has always done, as leading wit
ness for the people. He introduced evidence to prove that spec
ial privilege corporations and syndicates of immense wealth were
trying to do in the democratic convention what they did in Chi
cago at both the second term and third term conventions. His
testimony was interrupted by other witnesses, voluntary witnesses
by the thousands, from all parts of the land who deluged their
representatives in that convention with messages from home.
BRYAN POINTS TO WILSON.
Mr.. Bryan was not t~estifying for himself. He was testify
ing for the American people, and he pointed to a man not many
as possessing proper qualifications to administer the affairs of
the public. Governor Wilson was chosen and a programme,
such as the people had dreamed of but dared not hope of ever
being adopted, struck the final blow at special privilege and
corporate dominion of the democratic party. 1t was free, free
as the great masses of American people are going to be after the
fourth of next March. Wal street, Ryan and Belmont were gone.
Now the jury is about to cast the ballot to determine which
of these candidates are free and unhampered to administer pub
lie affairs for the benefit of the people, about to cast the ballot
that will determine which programme is best suited to the inter
ets of the great masses who enjoy no special privilege but have
long been victims of special privileges.
NORTH DAKOTA JURY.
The North Dakota section of the big jury, like many other
sections, has also been listening to evidence and testimony con-
corning the qualifications of men to be selected to administer
affairs at home and touching a programme to be carried out at
home by the chosen representative Of the people.
The preponderanee of evidence the North Dakota jury has
been listening to is against Cong. I. B. Hanna, stalwart repub-
ican candidate for governor. What little testimony Mr.. Hanna
has introduced in his behalf has been broken down, either by
impeachment of his witnesses and proof of their incompetency,
or by certified proof that his evidence is fraudulent. In like man
o. Helstrom, democratic candidate for governor, been shattered
and scattered to the four winds. The complete dismantleing of
Mr.. Hanna's case has resulted in his counsel refusing to put him
on the witness stand in self defense. Mr.. Hanna has refused to
be scrutinized before the public by Mr.. Helstrom, refused to
submit to examination by Mr.. HeLsrom in person or by proxy.
LA FOLLETTES TESTIMONY.
Sen. Robert NJ. La Toilette, fought by big interests and
double crossed by Roosevelt, but, still fighting for the people,
bore witness that Mr.. Hanna betrayed the people he was sent to
represent in congress-betrayed them five times OF, his first day
in congress by voting for Cannon and C~annonism-betraye them
by voting for the Payne-Aldrch tariff bil-betrayed them re-
peatedly ad insistenty when called upon by big interests to do so.
Postmaster General Frank H, Hitchcock bore witness that
Mr.. Hanna violated the law in using his ranking privilege to
promote his personal campaign for the nomination of governor.
SENATOR BORAH TESTIFIES.
Sen. W.. E. Boral, of Idaho, testified over his signature.
that Mr.. Hanna was not the author Of the new three wear home
stead law, but on the contrary he himself was author OF the
measure, and the congressional record bears c~orroboratiye evidence
that Mr.. Hanna was not the author of the bill and that he had
nothing to do with its passage unless he might have voted for ii.
MI. Hanna in his behalf had testified that he was the author
of the bill and obtained his passage. The jury must decide be-
tween Mr.. Hannas boast and the signed letter of Senator Borah
and the written records of the United States senate and house
of representatives.
Mr.. BUCKS TESTIMONY.
Robert M. Buck, a special investigator, introduced records
of the state senate and house of representatives to prove that Mr.
Hanna, as a member of those Legislative bodies. ALWAYS stood
with special privilege interests the Alex Mckenzie machine,
and against the people.
Former political associates and running mates with Mr.
Hanna have borne witness that he double crossed them. traded
them off for votes for himself.
Copies of anonymous circulars sent to hotel men through
out the state urging them to support Mr.. Hanna have been intro
duced as prima facia evidence that Mr.. Hanna, in return for
votes, promises to change the hotel inspection programme Of
Gov. John Burke so as to nulify the hotel inspection law that
now nrotacts the thousands of hotel natronS