Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-06-03
With the Editors
eURDlck,s ATTACK ON HANNA.

eUR0iCk's ATTACK ON HANNA.
The address by Hon. U. L. Burdick'
candidate for the Republican nomina'
ton for governor, delivered in Man
dan Saturday, was an arraignment OF
Gov. Hanna's administration and in.
ferentially a promise that he, Burdick,
If elected, would right all the wrongs
with which the body polite is afflict-
ed. The great majority present were,
to say the least, disappointed in Bur-
dick. He had been heralded as an ex-
ceptional man, one from whom the
people might expect a really instruc.
tive address and an able argument on
the issues of the day. Instead, how.
ever, they were RECALLED with back
handed slaps at Gov. Hanna and a
studied effort all through to make 1t
appear that the governor was will
fully negligent or Indifferent to the
welfare of the great a of people.
He recited the i%nefficiency of our
laws to protect ~workingmen and to
provide proper compensation in case
of injury, and accused the governor
of being %insensible to the need of pro-
per laws on this matter. He arraign-
ed Hanna for his veto Of a bill to pro-
vide for the expenses of the state tax
commission and dwelt at length on the
matter OF taxation. Or the money de-
posted in banks, Mr.. Burdick said
only $3.50, 900 had been taxed last
year and hewould tax the deposits of
farmers and merchants and business
men who were so fortunate as to have
a bank balance.
OF the possibilities for good to the
state through a revision of the
method of taxation, the Pioneer is
aware, and Is hopeful that ONE good
may be brought out of the work Of
the state tax commission. But until
some greater change a be made in
the method of making appropriations
by the legislature, we are convinced
tina the modest taxpayer will not see
his taxes reduceu for though the rail-
roads and corporations and all other
forms of wealth paid double their
present tax, it would be but an incen.
tive as it has been in Wisconsin, for
the most extravagant expenditures by
the legislature.
Mr.. Burdick attempted to belittle
the work of the state auditing board
in retiring over 100000 of bonds not
yet due, thereby saving the state
thousands of dollars in interest. He
had a great deal to say about the
news papers of the state and constant
ly referred to "the governors news-
papers," This the free press of North
Dakota should resent. There is no
state in the union where the press is
so little under the influence of out
side political or financial interests and
when a newspaper elects to support
either Hanna or Burdick for governor,
Gronna or Miller for the senate, it is
ninety-nine times out of a hundred
the editor who is voicing his own in.
dependent views and preferences.
One of the rather unfortunate and
unpleasant things injected into Bur.
| dicks speech was his allusion to Gov.
Hanna's private income, and which
was so crudely presented that it stood
out as a barefaced attempt to dis.
credit the governor and win the en-
nifty of those less favorably fixed be-
cause he had been thrifty and sue
cessful in accommodating wealth. Per
haps we have men of Burdick's type
to thank for the enactment of laws
which make it almost impossible for
a man of moderate mean to run for
a state office without hazarding all
The has saved and even if successful,
of being broke before he gets out of
| office.
It is we'll for the state that a man
of wealth and probity will consent to
give his time to the state and ma.
ton. There is no temptation for
such to sell themselves and they find
their greatest pleasure in the hOnors
of office and the honest b%usiness-like
admins tration of it's affairs. No man
should be voted for because of what
he has or has not of this worlds goods
and it is pure demagogery to inject
this into q campaign.
These few instances will serve to
a%cquaint the readers of the Pioneer
who did not hear the address, Of the
campaign methods being used to de-
feat Hanna. We have heard the
statement made since the address
that "all is fair in politics." but is it?
Isn't the propaganda of those who
are supporting Burdick, cleaner poll
tics?"
Will the intelligent voters of North
Dakota be taken in by such clap.trap?
We think not.
The state is enjoying the %cleanest
most business-like administration in
its history and If reforms of taxation
methods, better protection for farm.
ers. merchants or plain citizens is not
forthcoming more rapidly, it is be-
cause of the cumbersome laws under
which, we are trying to the state
and not because of any act of omis-
sion or commission of the chief exc
cutive.
Lest we be accused of being subsi-
died as Mr.. Burdick ~inferentially5 &C.
cused other newspapers, it may not
be out of place to state here that Gov.
Hanna is not a stakeholder in the
Pioneer, nor has this paper or its
publisher ever received a dollar from
the governor outside of the price of
a subscription, nor has he even fav-
orded us with an order to run his po-
litical announcement. -Mandan Pho
neer. iii.
MOTHERS DAY PROCLAMATION.
In conformity with an Act of the
Legislative Assembly qf the State of
North Dakota, providing for the desig-
natinn Of Tho 6rcf Sunday in Iuno