Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-12-04

John Burke is a progressive demo
crat, which nobody can deny. Likewise
he is a retrogressive democrat, which
denies successful contradiction. Where
fore John Burke is an all-around handy
man who takes what is coming and gets
what is going, John always knows
what his number is and when to change
cars"
Thus Sam. G. Blythe opens last weeks
i1stallment of "Who's Who and Why"
in The Saturday Evening Post, and
John Burke, democratic governor Of
North Dakota from 1907 to 1918, now
treasurer of the United States, is the
subject. Mr.. Blythe figures out his
progression and retrogression this way:
"John Burke progressed from a county
judgeship in North Dakota to the state
assembly, to the state senate, to the
observation-disclosures a word that has
plain governors m]accerated to a mulcu-
lent mush-to the ~gubernatorial chair.
So far, so good.
John Burke retrogressed from a can
didacy for the nomination for vice presi-
dent to a candidacy for the job of
treasurer of the United States. He
secured the latter. That, mayhap, was
the reason for the retrogression. You
never can tell! But whether or no, if
you will take a new 500 bill-a new one
from your well-tilled wallet-or, say,
a new 81 bill-new, mark you-you will
observe the bold signature of John
Burke on the southeast OF the same"
cit you haven't seen a I'll bill with
John Burke's name, you may have seen
his picture, the author suggests, in the
group of western governors who invaded
the east q couple of years ago in a
special train.
1.-The tall man with the fur o%vercoat
and the plug hat, standing at the ex-
IRENE right, is John Burke" writes
Blythe. Burke was governor of North
Dakota when Louis Hill pulled off his
advertising stunt for his railroad.
"To be sure, John had his picture
tsken, say, 765 times; but he was able to
Restrain himself on several occasions
When a man with a anne appeared.
Next time the western governors come
east it is MIR. Hills plans to have the
entire cad of the rear car open so they
a get easily to the platform to have
themselves photographed. AS it was,
several of the governors we're severely
bruised in the rushes to get through the
narrow door in time to pose.
"There we're moments on this trip
when John Burke spoke a few words for
North Dakota-moments. OF course
that was a revolutionary proceeding.
It requires but superficial consideration
to make it apparent that the main object
of & visit of western governors to the
east is not to advertise their state, but
to advertise the governors. The states
are permanent institutions and COVER
nors are transitory: but now and then
John forgot himself and spoke of North
Dakota. Governor Norris referred to
Montana also. The other governors
looked at them askance. Odd fish Ger
tainly!
"Along about that time, however, the
movement to nominate John Burke for
president on the democratic ticket took
form. 1t vas a neat compact movement.
rather local in extent. 1t did not ramify
much. Indeed, there was difficulty IN
combining the wild, tumultuous outburst
for John Burke for president to the
state of North Dakota; but there is this
much to be said: Differing from other
persons for whom there we're movements,
John Burke's movement had delegates
of Its own. He, at least, secured the
support of his W state. The ten dele
gates to Baltimore from North Dakota
we're instructed for John Burke in due
u of time
The writer then tells how the ten
Burke delegates helped nominate Will
son and how, after Burke had acumulat-
ed 1861 votes for vice president, his
friends made it unanimous for Marshall
and also "made it unanimous for John
Burke for a good job"
"The treasurer of the United States
gets $1,000 a year and has a nice tlme,"
he adds. "He is custodian of all our
funds, but never sees any of them unless
ne takes a visiting friend into the vaults
and takes a peek at the piles of money.
He is the keeper of millions and cannot
spend a nickel of it. All he has to do is
to custode, and the other capable per-
sons about the place attend to spending
It,"
The church fair and bazaar of st, AL
phonsus church, which opened Tues