The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-06-13

Leith, North Dakota.
Sir: n Y
My attention shaying been called tc
an interview credited to you in the
Courier News Of Tuesday, June 10
and not being just certain where 8
letter might reach you direct, an
giving this open letter to the public
for your confederation and trust to
your benefit: 4'ssFf7
You state In the Courier News OF
June 10. that i have violated the plain
letter OF the law and can be i'm
peachedF for placing in the publicity
pamphlet before each bill the same
explanatory matter that was gotten
up by the Nv. "A. and circulated with
the referendum petitions 4
H.% The Constitution. NJ ~
T Section rs OF the constitution, ae
amended, provides:i'i at: \: II II !sstt,l
Each petition shall, have printed
thereon a ballot title. which shall
fairly represent the subject. matter Of
the measure and the names Of a
least five electors who shall con
stitutes sthss eosnmlst iors he pea
TONERS, aud who shall represent and
act for the petitioners s
&,F All measures submitted to the elec
tors shall be published by the state
as follows: ".,The secretary of state
shall cause to- be printed End mailed
to leach elector a publicity pamphlet
containing q, copy OF, leach measure
together with It'll ballot title, to- DC
submitted at, any. election. Any citi
onr ho SNff}oove NJ = a
tion, may submit to the secretary OF
state for publication in such pam
phlet, arguments conceIning any
measure therein, upon first subscrih
ing their names and addresses there
to, and paying the fee therefor, which
until otherwise fixed by the legisla
ture, shall be the sum of two hun
dred dollars per page"
You will note that this requires
that the ballot title be printed on
each petition and published by the
secretary of state in the publicity
pamphlet, and any person who makes
the statement you are credited with
making is either a mental or moral
defective. 'xt's5s
You further state ''Ehe printing be
fore each law Id the lpublicity pam
phlet Of thu same matter that was
circulated by the I. IA. to prejudice
the people against the laws, which, IS
nothing less; than summary of the
laws as the I. v. A. sees them. is a
plain violation of the law under any
fair interpretation"
The law requires that the ballot
title shall fairly represent the sub
ject matter Of the measure"
About Mr.. Lemke.
Mr.. William Lemke, when 0bjecting
to the placing of the ballot titles up
on the ballot. admitted that he had
noticed nothing unfair in any of the
titles. In submitting sample ballot
to the governor called his attention
to the fact that I had heard no inti
nations that the ballot titles did not
fairly represent the subject matter OF
the measure. He suggested few
minor changes, and they were all
made, so that II the ballot titles preiu
dice the people against the laws, the
: fault is probably in the laws
You say t.lat the 5 referred bills
should be placed first in the pam
phlet, to be followed. :, by the argu
ments. ANY honest man should have
seen these plain and obvious facts
Then what do you think Of the fol-
lowing letter?
Hon. Thomas Hall,
Secretary OF State,
State Capitol. /
Bismarck, N. OAK $
Honorable Sir:
Herewith I hand you check for $40o
and copy for publicity pamphlet TO-
gether with cartoon.
Will you please have this matter in.
serted so as to follow the first bill in
the publicity pamphlet
Yours very truly.
VIM. LEMKE,
May 80, 1919.
-. A Question Of Honesty.
Is it honest to place the arguments
before six Of the measures but dis.
honest to place it before the seventh
In one paragraph you state that the
way the pamphlet is arranged it will
help to defeat the bills, while few
paragraphs before you say 1t will
make hundreds Of votes for the bills
Marmion could lament, when first
we practice to deceive, what tangl
od woh wa weave" but you still seem