The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1916-08-25
PEMB1NA AUGUST 25 1916

!, FEMBlNA COUNTY,, NJ
Personally thsy were very much liz
sthef human beinSs. In fact their
tsfity now living 10 this state show ~
p1sal human characteristics. 4omsSl
thsss men dssnk whisksy. Yos niglt
sssember u thin connection that Prs6i.
dent Lncola wished that he knew Wfllt
dsand % whiGksy 0ensfal Grant ds11k
% that he night present some ~ ab
othsr seustals. Some Of tAese
played cards. sofne would swear wAgA
tAiass did sot please them. They WesS
Avtag ansag environments that Apptt.
tain = an new countries. They lived IN
the Wild end woody west.
"8y ehsar works ye shall know them.s
Grant that these men were as bad y
the ter0 ''old gang" insinuates; grant q
We mast that these men II those early
years controlled the destiaies OF thie
young state; grant as is oertain th1t
these gangsters and gamblers and whis.
key drinkers started and saeered THU
ship p'of.state. then We must also grant
that the present state of North Dakota
was begun by them. We must grant
that these gangsters LAID theioundations
and helped to build this great state. ~
Ut was therefore these 'whiskey drink.
ers" that gave this state at it's very on
Set. the best and strictest prohibition
dsw that exists on the statutes of any
state in the union. It was these ..gam.
blers' that SO planned and protected the
school land funds that in a few years 10
other state will have 90 great an interest
bearing fund for the support of schools
as the state Of North Dakota. Educa,
tionally their only mistake was the es.
Establishment Of too many schools of high.
|er learning at the beginning, and it took
careful financing to keep these schools
running, and as matter of fact they
went down into their own pockets to
out or some of the schools would
have had to close.
These ''profane gaaesters" were the
men who helped to build the churches,
these ''lawless ones" made the statutes
which are now kept 50 we'll that crimi-
lnality is less than in almost any other
state in the union.
But we cannot longer specify. II
these men, "the gang" ran things IN
those early days then the verdict must
be when We look at tho present North
Dakota, that they did we'll. And hit
we're true that these men were as bad %
'nsinuated, that they did so we'll is some.
thing of paradox. 1'Can any good
come out of Nazarath?" II these bad
men did SO much good then they cer-
tainly deserve just so much moro credit.
But these men were not bad men. As
we said they we're human They had
their faults. But they were great big
hearted fellows, always ready to help a
friend, just as they were always ready
to fight political enemy. They were
liberal to fault. They played politics
just as they would play q game. They
had their rules of honor, they would
give and take and lose without a kick;
but in no case has the word "grafter"
ever been applied to any one Of them.
AS we said most of these are dead
Their work lives after them. AS they
lie peacefully in their graves over them
rises the great state of North Dakota.
No men, no set of men have greater
monument. This great building whose
first stories are just completed and
whose future extensions will form an edi-
fee so broad and so high that it will
equal that Of any sister state-is built
on the foundations laid by that bad
"gang."
Sometime this state will honor the
men whom the thoughtless sometimes
call the gang" and history will tell the
truth about the men who laid these
foundations so broad and deep.
AAiS WGitoE was uoVeI ouo VI tue SduS.
He never had the brains or the power to
be political leader. He has no share
in the beginning of things in this state
except as the editor of local weekly
paper, but as humble helper he was
and is glad that he was connected with
the "gang" that started things right, in
this glorious Estate of opportunities"
good old (new) North Dakota. -