The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1918-11-02

T'hs proof Of this. Their quar-
ter page ad, IN The Forum Of
Wednesday evening containing
their pledge. Looks innocent and
all right, doesn't 1t? II you
signed the petition asking them
to run on this platform, did you
stop TO think what diff
ference there was in a Town
ley-Le Sueur North Dakota su-
preme court, conception Of whnt
constitutes a public utility, and
your conception thereof. Do
you know Of any public utility
within your definition that a
county or town (town means
township, not village) should
own or under any circumstances
have any need Of. Why are these
men so pledged to TOWNSHIP
and COUNTY public ownership?
For just one reason. To tie
them up to the entire Socialist
program wherein every business
is a public utility, and should be
publicly owned. These men were
asked to become candidates only
in event they pledged themselves
to this program. That was the
condition. For proof of this see
the letter to them, part OF the
advertisement above referred to.
They knew Mr.. Cole, knew he
was for their whole program,
was the man who led their fight
on the floor Of the House for the
passage of House Bill AZ, a So
cialist constitution. Mr.. iCole,
who, in reply to a. question by
Representative Mackoff as to
the limit of indebtedness pro-
posed by the measure, answer
ed: IF YOU WANT IT MADE
REAL PLAIN, LET THE BLUE
SKY BE THE LIMIT" The
proof of this. The stenograph-
er's minutes covering the debate
on House Bill AZ.
They were only sure Of Mr..
Blakemore on the single tax
proposition. He is a single tax
crank. Proof. Ask him, or let
him talk to you for ten minu-
tes. They had to get him sign
ed up for their whole program.
They got him.
The Townley-Le Sueur So
cialist sheet tells you that am
against municipal ownership Of
public utilities. In the Legis-
lative Session Of 1913, intro
duced and passed House Bill
1S0, amending Subdivision rs Of
the Revised Codes of 1905 relat-
ing to the power Of cities. AS
amended the measure reads, the
words capitalized being my
amendment:
Subdivision rs. To pur-
chase, erect, lease, rent,
manage, and maintain any
system or part Of system Of
water works, street sprink-
Iers, hydrants and supply OF
water, fire and POLICE
. signals, telephone and tele-
! phone lines, fire apparatus
that may be used in the pre-
vention of fire, ELECTRIC
hight AND POW Err
PLANTS OR GAS WORKS.
AND TO SUPPLY THE
SAME FOR MUNICIPAL
AND COMMERCIAL PUR=
POSES"
No person even suggested to
me that I pass such law, but
every time there was agitation
for O. municipality owned plant,
some learned lawyer would pub
lish his opinion that the city
could not legally build or main
tain a plant which furnished
light or power for commercial
purposes. I determined that If
we had not such right we would
have it. While MIR. Blakemore,
who was a member Of the same
legislature, voted for this bill
he took so little interest in the
matter that he had recently to
20 to the city Attorney to find
whether there was such a law.
Has the TownIey-Le Sueur
Socialist paper or Mr.. Blake
more told you that we have such
a law? Haven't they tried to
make you believe that the City
Of Fargo had no such right un-
der existing laws? Has Mr..
Blakemore or the Socialist Or
gan told you that it is the opin-
ion of Judge Spalding, Assist
ant city Attorney, that the pro
visions of this law are ample to
permit of the City of Fargo pur-
chasing, building and maintain
ing a municipality owned plant
furnishing light and power for
both municipal and commercial
purposes.
The Townley-L.e sueur paper
tells you that any rate for elec-
tricity, power or gas fixed by
the Railroad Commission under
the present law, would be the
rate consumers would have to
pay for I'VE years. quote the
provision Of the law.