Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-02-04
OPENING GUN IN
THE FIGHT To
RETAIN CAPITAL
Citizens Committee of Bismarck
Issues First Statement to the >
People.
OBJECTIONS TO REMOVAL
ARE MANY AND OBVIOUS
Demand for Transfer Is Unfair
and Artificial and Is a Back
ward Step.

t1lSNldFck has UPSun us uSHl "
retain the state capital and well de-
fined plans to combat New Rockford's
contention have been formulated.
The following statement has just
been issued By the Bismarck Citi-
zens committee:
"There are many obvious objec-
tions to capital removal. 1t is back
ward step: it gives the state bad
name, waged as it is by New Rock
ford upon the theory that the west
portion of the state is inferior to the
eastern half Of the state.
There is no necessity or demand
for the removal only such as has
been artiticially stimulated by the un-
fair publicity circulated from New
Rockford.
"rhe state of North Dakota Is 4
large real estate owner, from which
the educational institutions, all Of
which but four are located in the
eastern tier OF counties, draw consid-
erahle of their income. Most OF this
land is situated in the Missouri river
slope, in a district that would be Vi
tally affected by capital removal. 1t
is hard to estimate the damage to the
state in land values were the capital
removed, but land experts contend
that it would reach the millions.
"The S!ope country has been grow
ing rapidly in wealth and population.
This would naturally be retarded and
state institutions would have their
s'ich legacy impaired to an extent
that no one now can estimate. 1t is
sufficient however, to call attention
to possible depreciation in value OF
state lands il the voters of the state
endorse New Rockford's position that
the Slope country is an unfit place for
the seat Of state government.
in view, then, of the vast interests
which the state owns in the western
portion Of the state, it is certainly not
good business judgment for North
Dakota to adopt policy calculated to
injure it's own interests. The New
Rockford agitation has engendered
bitterness and sectionalism in North
Dakota. Family quarrels are neither
ed among the family of units that go
to make up this great and glorious
state
Largely through the energy and
money subscribed by Bismarck citi-
Zens, the capital was moved here in
territorial days. Thousands of dol
lars We're publicly subscribed and
many acres Of land donated to the
state for capital purposes. The con-
stitutional convention in 1889 recog-
nized the moral obligation toward
Bismarck because, of, it's efforts in
1882 and 1889 and there was never
a voice raised against fixing the cap
ital here permanently by!3constitll-
tional mandate. t..a nan4., aH
''New Rockford has, no neral, right
or any other kind of a right to take
the capital from Bismarck or to force
Bismarck to spend her resources and
energies in another capital fight
Bismarck is nearer the geographic
cal center Of the state than New
Rockford. lit possesses better hotel
and railroad facilities. 1t has been
more than 80 years in perfecting it's
facilities to care for the business of
a state capital. No valid argument
can be advanced why the voters of
North Dakota should transfer their
seat of government from city of
more than 1000 persons to the small
county seat of Eddy county, where
accommodations are inadequate and
where it will take almost a genera
ton, and probably several, to build
up city of the size and commercial
Importance of Bismarck.
Central and western North Da-
kota do not begrudge eastern North
Dakota the University, the College of
Mines, the State Agricultural col
lege, the State Scientific School, it's
two Normals, its Insane Asylum, it's
School for the. Blind and it's Institu-
tion for the Deaf and Predetermined
and its Soldiers Home. With all but
four state institutions situated in the
eastern portion OF the state, the west
believes that section has been treated
generously by the voters OF the state.
"This committee also sees a dan
gerous precedent being established
by New Rockford. IT means placing
wheels under every state institution
and creating a breach between the
east and west that can never be
bridged.
New Rockford has attempted to
enlist the prohibition forces on the
ground that Bismarck is not clean
city morally and that the sale of Ii
auor is carried on in defiance of law.
This statement is unsupported by
facts The Citizens committee chal-
lenges New Rockford to bring for
ward her proof An actual canvass
Of the situation shows that Bismarck
is as clean as any city in the state
and there is practically little illegal
lCont;nnoA an Ilnrrn Tl,,,t,l