The Washburn leader., 1916-02-25
New Rockford Man
Opposes Removal
Says There is No Good Reasor
fcr Changing and Breaks al
Their Bubbles
APPLY THE GOLDEN RULE
Farmers and all Will Have Ed
Pay the Higher Taxes That
Removal Cost
BY Rev. j. IN. Mahin

By Rev. j. IN. Mahin
Nearly thirty-three years ago,
[ took up my residence in the
then territory Of Dakota. The
first vote l cast in Dakota Ter
ritory was in the election Of
delegates to attend a convention
at Yankton. 1t was generally un
derstood that the principal er-
rand Of our delegates was to
make arrangements to estab-
lish the capito1 at Bismarck,
which they did.
BUT now "a Juror is raised to
remove the. capitol to the town
fof New Rockford, and New Rock
ford is all agog over the ex-
pected COUP l am a resident Of
New Rockford; therefore, why
should l not be a rainbow
chaser" with the rest? Well,
because that, having analy7ed
the alleged reasons for removal
1 find they all disolve into very
thin air. 1t is said by friends Of
tire removal scheme "New Rock
ford is more centrally!lDchted."
AS a matter Of fact, the two
towns are SO nearly the same
distance from the geographical
center Of the state that this
l4oint is absolutely nil as "a fac
tor in the case. The claim is
also made thai New Rockford
has the best railroad facilities.
But just take q recent map OF
the state and study it little
and all that falls to the ground.
And the railroads, if they come,
that are believed to be headed
for New Rockford, will still
make Bismarck more accessible.
Then too, they say, "RemOWe
the capital from Bismarck be-
cause it is such a lawless town.
Well let us hasten to confess
that Bismarck has it's share Of
the lawless element, but let US
not forget that large part Of
this lawless element is there
because tn capitol is there, and
that were the capitol removed
to some other town, that same
lawless element would surely fol-
low it, or beat it there.
Also, let us not forget that
Nenv Rhck,fnrd connd well NIGH
give Bis marck pointers on the
subject Of lawlessness.
Also, Mr.. Farmer, note the
fine sweet talk going the rounds,
and emanating from the CAPT
tol Removal Club" Of New Rock
ford, that the removal Of the
capitol from Bismarck to New
Rockford ''aim't going to cost
nobody nothin"
But every thoughtful farmer
lin the state should know that
il the remoNaB is made, every
farmer and every other poor
folks in the state will be .digg-
ing up coin u the next twenty7
five years II 0py for it. j
This whole capitol removal
campaign resounds with the rum
BILE, Of commissary carts on the
'slPlains Of Armageddon." 1t is
in its last analysis purely, sell
fish. It lis an exploitation Of
the baser forces. Not once, In
all the scores Of articles | have
scanned, have seen so much %
a microscopic hint that this
question might be submitted to
the arbitrament Of the forty
principles Of right. l have one
word more to say: l am, IN
common with tens Of thousands
of the peorle a professed be-
liever in Jesus Christ, the Saw
|ior Of the World. He impressed
upon his followers the highest
law that ever found a place IN
the annals Of this world-"W What.
soever ye would that men should
do to you, do ye even 60 to
Them Can any Christian sup
port this removal plan without
repqsdiating "Him who sphke -
never man srake." ! can not.
To do SO would be to do to
others what we would not wish
they should do to us.
Finally, Bismarck was made
the capitol city by those who
came to the then il1hospttable