The Bismarck tribune., 1919-04-10
NORTH DAKOTA
POLITICS VERY
BADLY MIX ED
'Tis Wise Man Who Knows His
Own Brother in League
Circles These Days
TR1-CORNERED CAMPAIGN
Fight on TOwnley and Graft Bills
Within Nonpartisan Ranks
Election Certain

To say that tae political situation
in North Dakota is badly mixed is put
ting 1t very mildly.
OF the political mixtures to which
the Flickertail state has been sub
jected in its tempestuous history, 1t
has had nothing to approach the pres.
ent situation.
The man who knows at this moment
"just where he is at" is regarded for
tunate
Election Assured.
To begin with> at least four of the
laws enacted by the 10Th general as
sembiy under Nonpartisan league
domination are SO generally unpopu-
lar, with leaguers as we'll as with the
faction which always has OppOsea the
league, that a referendum election Is
assured.
The most discussed Of laws Is
known as Senate Bill 157, which is
charged with establishing political
monopoly of public printing under
which 100000 worth of patronage an
nually may be distributed by the pub
lie printing commission among 53
newspapers to be designated by the
public printing commission. This bill
was drafted by ]. W. Brinton. who
has organized probably 25 league
newspapers in which he owns stock,
and which would benefit from the act.
1t was voted for by senators and rep.
resentatives who own stock in these
newspapers and who will profit d.
rectly from the passage Of the bill
Second in point of general unpopu-
larity is Senate Bill 1884,, The public
Is generally convinced that this act
was designed primarily to curb the
powers of Miss Minnie J. Nelson, who
defeated the league candidate for
superintendent Of public instruction
last fall, and to restore to power the
league choice, Neil c. Macdonald,
whom Miss Nelson retired to private
lie after he had served but one term
The act abolishes the board Of con
troll, board OF regents and board OF
education, and concentrates all OF
their duties in one board to be COM
posed of the commissioner. Of .agrt-
culture and labor. the Superintendent
Of public Instruction, and three mem
,bers to be appointed by the govern
or While q member Of this board,
the state superintendent OF public in
str7lctiOn, an official elected by the
people, is placed under the super
vision of this so.Galled board Of ad-
ministratiOn, which is given the di-
rection of the public schools as we'll
as the higher institutions of learn.
ing, with authority to install new text
books an dprovide for their publication
ny the state, and with power to pre-
scribe courses of study for the public
schools, colleges and universities.
Then there is an immigration bill,
H. b. 1873, carrying an appropriation
of 100000, on it's face designed to en-
courage immigration, but admitted on
the floor of the house by Rep. Alberts,
a league leader, to be chiefly designed
to permit the spread of propaganda to
counteract in other states attacks on
the league regime in North Dakota.
Two years ago Governor Frazier
vetoed an appropriation of $1,000 to
provide for> immigration work. There
is an inclination to regard the $780,
900 Appropriated by. the league bill as
nothing more than political slush
fund furnished by the state.
In the same class are acts reducing
the membership of the state tax com
mission from three men to one and in
creasing the number of district judges
from II to 15:. Defenders of the state
tax commission have for several
terms opposed similar efforts to re-
duce the membership. Their conten-
ton has been that under the present
system the tax commission is per-
manent. largely non-political body,
while, they assert, IL there Is but one
tax commissioner. to be appointed by
the governor and to be removed by
the latter at will. the position be-
comes purely political, subject to
change with each incoming admins
tration. The, increase , in district
Judges is opposed on the ground that
~ judges can easily. handle the judi
cial business of the state, and that.
as matter OF fact, II judges handled
this work during the war, when Ma
jor J. M. Hanley. Judge OF the 12ti
district, was serving in France. It is
charged that the addition OF three
judges will increase expenditures in
this department by more than $4,000
per annum, and that this added ex-
pense is essential only that positions
may be made for political friends Of
the administration, whom the govern
or may reward under the appointing
powers conferred in this bill.
General Opposition.
The passage of the acts enumerat-
ed above resulted In the alienation of
some Of the most prominent league
leaders in the state. Attorney Cen
eral William LANCER, State Auditor
Kositzky and Secretary of state Hall.
all league state officials, have come
out flatly against al Of these meas
ures, insisting they should be referred
and voted down. State Treasurer
Obert A. Olson has expressed on
position to the printing and ed
ucational bills, and 8. A. Olsness,
commissioner of insurance, has de-
clared himself against the printing
bill Privately, Commissioner of Ag-
rfculture and Labor Hagan has OBJ
jected to the. printing, bill, his atti-
tude being that al public notices, re-
ports, ETC., should he printed In an
official bulletin to be distributed
gratis, ct state expense. to every citi-
gen. The governor has not expressed
AauTNan1f 11at thA AA~H s Nhot ho hac