The Bismarck tribune., 1919-04-17
K0SITZKY TIES
LEAGUE S0L0N
UP IN A KNOT
State Auditor Declares Bryans
One of Many Who Didn't
Know What He Voted On
EXPOSES TOWNLEY SYSTEM
Shows That Bills Were Passed by
Legislators Without Slight
est Understanding

from Rep. T.. +. organs, a McIlenry
county nOnpartisan member of the
last two assemblies, the admission
that he really knew very little about
the leagues taxation program, the ed.
ucational bill, printing bill and some
400 other measures for which he cast
favorable vote during the 10Th as
sembly, State Auditor Carl Kositzky
scored decided victory over his Op.
ponent here last night, when the
league solon attempted to contradict
assertions which the state auditor had
made in addressing large audience
Of league farmers.
The Velva opera house was filled
with farmers, some of whom mad
spent day in driving in sixteen miles
or more over muddy roads. The state
auditor explained the league taxation
system, declaring it could not but in.
crease taxes, and that 1t probably
would treble them. He showed the
farmers that under the single tax plan
the bulk Of the burden would fall up
on them. He attacked the education-
al bills aud the printing bills, and the
judicial redistricting act, declaring the
first was dictated by private pique
and All effort to make a job for a
man whose services the people had
rejected at the polls; that the Sec
ond was designed to give the owner of
a chain Of newspapers monopolistic
graft in public printing. and that the
last was passed solely to give the
governor an opportunity to reward
friends with appointments to Judge
ships which would: increase the ex,
pense of administering justice $4,000
per biennium. .r.E. - H.,
The state auditor vigorously de.
nOunced the attack which taxpayers
have launched on the leagues eco
nomic program in federal court and
4 declared that he was doing every.
thing In mis- power to- uphold this pro-
+ gram and TO give the farmers indus.
trial scheme a fair tryout. :.
At the conclusion of his address
the state auditor invited his audience
to-. ask questions. Rep, Bryans then
arose and launched into political
speech, denouncing Kositzky and de.
claring that he was misleading the
people. tnHNith q very few questions.
Kositzky y disclosed the lgislator's ,ig-
-norance '0f the subjects with which he
sought to deal.
The state auditor had official copies
Of the various acts to which he is OBJ.
jecting and he read excerpts from
them, proving to the league farmers
that the Townley press and the organ
izers whom T0wnley has sent among
them have been deceiving them as
to the true purport of these laws.
His questions to Bryans on the league
tax laws revealed the fact that Bry'
ans knew little or nothing of their
content and their effect.
II voted for the educational bill be.
cause Prof. Ladd and Dr." and
here Bryans paused.
"Dr. Mills" suggested kositzky
completing Bryans' sentence for him
81 understand they are cousins
"HOw do you expect a man to eX.
plain all of these bills when we pass
ed more than 400 Of them at the last
session o., Bryans finally cried in des.
peratiOn. rArhfH!!Aj'
might 1t not have been better to
what was in them?" asked Kositzky.
InaC is the OOJoCtlOn5 we are ralS'
ing-that you men allowed yourself to
be dictated to; that you blindly voted
for bills that you knew absolutely
nothing about. and bills. If the truth
were known. THAT YOU ARE PER,
SONALLY ASHAMED OF NOW
Following the meeting the farmers
gathered in groups for discussions of
the state auditors revelations which
continued until after midnight.