The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1919-06-13
chat it was a procrastinating democratic
congress which failed to vote the neces-
sary money. Why "pass the buck?"
HOMES ARE 5: THREATENED

!! HoMhs ;, All: 4. !: THREATENED
Richard Crocker, monarch Of Tam
many Hall, never failed to elect his
men from any voting precinct he saw
it. II certain district failed to see
the beauties and blessings of his rob.
Der government, the next election it
was certain to go for" his man. Hi)
method was simple. The time Of resi-
dsnce required IN any precinct was
short. When this period was thirty
days. it always happened that few
days earlier, number Of men &C.
cured lodgings In the precinct. The
boss knew how many he needed and
accidentally, Of course, sufficient
number came in and they voted for
the boss program, for what there was
In 1t. This evil of colonization" en-
abled Tammany to tyrannize over q
city Of three million, or nearly six
times as many people as all we have
in North Dakota. Bathhouse John
and Hinkey Dink became famous in
Chicago through similar methods
There were always enough Of the
down and out that could be bought
for booze and bread" to fix" enough
precincts so that they could keep a
majority in the council and run the
city. Even after it had reached
population Of two million, or about
four times as many people as North
Dakota numbers, precious bunch Of
scheming scalawags managed to keep
control, by panderlng to vice, by pro-
'tecting criminals, and by stealing elec-
tions through colonization. It is one
OF the vilest violations of American
freedom and destroys the principe Of
Jocal self government. The real resi-
dents who own the property anil pay
the taxes are outnumbered by import
'ed hoboes, whose only idea is to do
the boss bidding and get something
for nothing. In essence, they are a
gang Of thieves or pirates and he is
their captain bold, who pays them for
lawbreaking.
Between 1880 and 1890 North Dn-
kota had its own troubles along :hat
line. Hobo crews working on large
farms were run in to outvota real
residents and legal voters. The time
OF residence was short Hands were
hired for harvest and threshing and
by November election they were en-
titled to just as much "say" in the
election of township, county and
state officers as those who owne1 the
farms. In Traill county hobo gangs
from the Grandin farms were used in
this manner again and again. AT the
famous '"Traill Center" county seat
election, the evidence produced in
court showed that gangs working on
the railroad south of Portland voted
at Portland, then a whole work train
load were carried to the junction a
few miles north of Portland and
switched over and run into Mayville,
where they voted a second time. What
cared they? Enough beer and cigars
and lunch were furnished to satisfy
the hobo, while the leaders were
taken care off, One result Of these
violations Of justice besides losing
Trail Center the county seat, was a
general howl of protest against this
kind of lawlessness. No fair man, no
honest man, no real resident, would
stand for such imposition, tyranny and
gross miscarriage Of majority rule.
Accordingly, when the constitution
was adopted, the farmers Of North
Dakota and especially those who had
suffered in Traill, -Cass and Grand
Forks counties. saw to it that the
residence was made sufficiently long
to exclude hobo rule and give those
who owned the land, paid the taxes
and were making their homes here,
the power to rule their own town
ships. A year in the state, six months
in the county, and ninety days in the
precinct. A good law, perfectly satis-
factory for twenty-eight years, ex-
cepting very few of the ward.
heeler" brand Of politician, and these
no one ever considered worthy even
Of the slightest attention. During the
1917 session Of our legislature some
zine Italian hand got in it's dirty
work and stabbed this law in the back.
An amendment to give women suf-
frage was adopted and will in due
time come up for vote. To our great
surprise we ind, whoever framed this
amendment, cut the time Of residence
from six months to three months in
the county and ninety to thirty, days
in the precinct. A crew building pub
lie highways may pitch their camp in
q township in July and although not
enc of them owns dollars worth OF
property In the township they can
handle the election to suit anyone who
is willing to show them a good time
or who can convince them that the
farmers are capitalists and ought to
be voted down.
Was the residence joker run in
by the st. Paul bunch who framed 1t,
to kill woman's suffrage? Or was it
put there to be passed as a rider, in
order to help "handle" and "flx"
counties and townships to suit some
political boss? Are we to repeat
the practices and scenes Of the early
eighties? Shall we again have the
pleasure of going to the polls only
to be outvoted by floating popula-
ton, brought in by boss and colon
ized In our precinct to rob US of our
right to run our own affairs? viii
"colonized" mobs' help determine
enough seats in our legislature to per-
petuate the rule of some up-to-date |
Dick Crocker and Hinkey Dink? Who |
is it that wants this safeguard re-
moved7 Why was it considered nee
sssary to reach for this dirty and |
condemned tool Of the vilest city poll
tieians here in our agricultural state,
whore the real residents live the year