The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-05-08
LAW IS
DEMOCRATIC
PRINTING ACT PROTECTS PUB.
Lie AND WILL SAVE TAX
PAYERS MONEY

"A law ClaE Will make the country
newspapers in North Dakota respon-
sible to the people insure wider pub
licity of legal notices, and at the same
time save the taxpayers at least $780,
600 is Senate Bill 1877. The new law
is the first serious attempt ever made
in the United States to introduce the
principles of democracy into the news
paper business and to free the press
from the control of special interests
and professional politicians. -
Senate Bill 157-the> so-called print
ing law-provides that instead of hav-
ing three official papers in each coun-
,ty, there shall be but one; and that
instead Of having this paper appointed
by the county commissioners, it shall
be elected by the people themselves
at each general election. The law al
so provides that all legal notices and
publications of the county, district and
supreme courts shall be published in
the official paper. There is another
provision that between July 8, 1919,
when the law goes into effect, and the
next general election the official pa
pers in each county shall be selected
temporarily by a commission consist
ing of the secretary Of state, the
chairman Of the railroad and ware
house commission and the commission
er of agriculture and labor.
Old Gangsters Attack Measure
Members of the old gang are di-
recting their heaviest fire against the
law because they realize it will break
their control over the ''kept press. u
Without control over the sekept press
the old gang realizes it will be impos-
sible to continue it's fight against the
Nonpartisan League program.
For this reason the old gang poll
ticians and their organs which have
been feeding at the public crib for
many years are declaring that the
printing law will "stamp out the in
dependent press" 1t is also charged
that this law was passed for the sole
purpose of throwing all official print
ing into newspapers founded by the
farmers.
These charges are false. The print
ing bill was passed to free the coun-
try press from the control Of profes-
sional politicians, to make these news
papers responsible to the people and
to save the taxpayers at least $780,
600 year by eliminating the unnec-
essary duplication Of having all Of
fetal notices published in three pa
pers.
There is no valid reason why Off
ccial notices should be published in
three papers. In most states there is
only one official poper in each coun-
ty. There are three official papers in
North Dakota because the old gang
passed such law with the deliberate
purpose Of using the taxpayers mon
ey to create huge fund with which
they could control the public press.
This law gave the county commission
ers arbitrary power in appointment Of
official papers. They were not COM
PEELED to select the paper with the Lar
gest circulation. Their choice usually
was made on the basis Of personal
friendship or political support. A
board of county commissioners COM
posed Of clever politicians could make
themselves immune from unfavorable
criticism BY rotating the appointment
of the official poper ia such q manner
a. to keep all the editors of the coun-
~ under their thumbs. This, is course
was highly prejudicial 70 public vel
fare. s,ss
Public Fund Often Looted
"a great many scandals occurred u
the disposal of this patronage.
III one county i newspaper owner
published two official papers and one
sc them was q miserable little sheet
With less than 90 readers IA the
Western part of the state n Was no
1orious That certsin county coEnniz-
lsio,ers muxsled n to m - y