Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-02-09
COMPANY IS
ORGANIZED IN BISMARCK

Laws Of 1911, that were not turned over
to the state treasurer according to the
provisions Of Section 379 of the Revised
Codes of 1906 plainly intending thereby
to lead the members Of the house of rep
resentatives and the public generally to
believe that Mr.. Norton, while secretary
of state, had received these fees into his
office and had failed and neglected to
turn them over to the proper officers
provided by laval the while knowing
that all of those fees, under the provi-
sions OF Section II of said Chapter 6,
should at the end Of every month be paid
into the county treasurers, and not to
the state treasurer. Mr.. Fox himself
being a member Of the legislature that
passed that law, and voted for the bill
as it reads; therefore, knew of his "
knowledge that the import of the state
ment was false and libelous; no claim
being made by him that all Of said fees
were not in fact turned over to the prop
er county treasurer, as under the law it
should be done.
Il. also appears that in the resolution
no officer is to be investigated except
such as belong either to the progressive
wing Of the republican party or is a
democrat. Two years 6 a similar res.
olution Of investigation was introduced
in the legislature, and under its provision
no officer was Investigated except those
who were known to be progressive re-
publicans-the office of no stalWart re-
publican was Investigated, and the. same
is true this year. | do not intend further
to rest without public protest against
such a condition. 1 am VIKING and an
xious to have the Investigation made
not only my office. but all the Offices
mentioned in the resolution. an. in the
interest Of fairne"y to the state and to
it's various officers, I demand that all
other officers of the state be put o n the
same plane AS myself. If | have in any
wise violated any law of the state in re-
spect to the administration of my office,
I am innocent Of that fact, and am per-
fectly willing to suffer the results and
consequences Of any such violation. but
I want the other state officers, put in the
same beat with me, n ! brand the res
olution now as introduced as false, and
that the person introducing it knew it
to be false in the particulars that | have
stated, and that it was introduced with
no other purpose than to satisfy the per-
}sonal: and politicar animosities that he
and the person who i%nstigated the same
held in relation to the officers they sought
to have Investigated. 4 could as truth
fully say, without n evidence before
me of the fact which / have none, that
it has been currently reported to me
that Mr.. Fox, while sheriff Of a county
in the state. of South Dakota, seriously
mismanaged the affairs of that office in
the collection and payment of the public
taxes, as he could. make the statements
made in his resolution, and l have no
knowledge whatever as to the truth of
such current reports; nor have I inves-
tigated them, nor know aught of the
truth of the report, and he had less
right, without any knowledge of the
facts himself or any investigation on his
part, to make the charges that he has
made in his resolution introduced in the
house of REPRESENTATIVES for the purpose
of having the same go on the public rec
ords Of the journal and in the public
press OF the state against the various Of
ficers OF the state charged, than l would
have to publish the unconfirned rumor
as to himself above mentioned without
any investigation, and indeed much less,
because should I publish such rumors as
facts, or allege them to be true, or in
any way give credence to them, l would
be liable in the criminal and civil courts,
but he as a member of the legislature
knew that he was immune from being
called to account either in the civil Or
criminal courts, and in a cowardly man.
ner took advantage of that immunity to
| slander men who have for years held the
confidence of the public, and zone of them
so far as known have ever failed to ac-
count either to the public or to private
individuals for. a single cent that they
owe.
$50 far as ] am concerned, I say let
the investigation go on: but let it go on
against all state officers; and If there
are any who have violated their trust
or the duties of their office, let the chips
fall where they may. do not propose
to let any member of the house of repre-
sentatives SANDER either me or my
friends without registering a most Wig
orous kick
The Forum seems to think the
grounding pulled his hole in after
L ~ 10" - -.