Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-10-22
Declares That If To
Believe Illegal Acts OF The
Leaguers Wrong Is Stand :
patism, Then He Is A
Standpatter.>

bjorn johnson, Independent candidate
for attorney general, came into
Mountrail county this afternoon ana
spoke to q large crowd here this even
ing. There were many Nonpartisans
in the audience, but as was the case
during all of Mr.. Johnson's meetings
in this part: OF the state, he was given
a fair hearing and interrupted only
when applause greeted one OF his
many telling points.
II am told that the Independents
in this campaign are charged with
being standpntters and conservatives
by the imported radicals h league
campaign managers have brought in
to the state" said Mr.. johnson. 1T
seems hat Mr.. Lemke. Mr.. Hagan
and Governor Frazier said the same
in their speeches. It is supposed that
this carries with it stigma which
ought to be sufficient to ALLEVIATE ev-
cry friend we may have had unit
this discovery was announced to the
world.
Keep Some Old Ideas.
Strange as it may seem We plea
guilty to the charge of'not having II
loose of all the old ideas and idea
which heretofore have not alwa
been considered badges of corruptit
IL uAoAAOIlOI. RITA . .....s hH.
II want to make it clear that if it
be standpattsm and, conservatism to
believe it is wrong in morals as well
as in law to pervert the purpose n
violate the letter Of the Home Build
ers law, intended to permit the state
to help needy persons in the state to
build better homes in which to rear
their families, by building homes for
the very men sworn under h law
and the constitution to administer it
impartially and honestly, according to
its letter and its spirit, like Hagan
and .Lemke, then I am q standpatter.
IT it be standpatism to believe 1t
beyond apology or justification for Mr..
Hagan, whose oath of office required
him. to carry into effect the law with
respect to the loaning of state funds
upon farm lands. to force over 1,1e0
farmers in this state who needed
money to improve of save their farm
homes to take q back seat and wait
while his loan was showed ahead, then
I am a. standpatter..
IF It be standpatism to believe that
when the governor of this state re-
appoints men to the highest and most
important offices in the state who
confessedly. during their tenure of
Office, have been parties to deliberate
~~ SA AAS 9NH
state, with resulting loss Of untold
hundreds of thousands of dollars to
the people, and when he retains in
office and power men who, by .ignor-
ing the law and violating every rule
Of CONNIE sense business practice,
have brought LOSS to the people ag-
sregating millions Of dollars, like
Cathro, Lofthus, and the entire man.
agement Of the Bank Of North Da-
kota-
IT 1t be standpatism to believe that
this governor has BY doing these
things contemptuously disregarded
the old standards of honesty and de-
cency in the public. service, insulted
the people whom he IL supposed to
represent, then I say:
Tho Right Kind.
1T to believe these things to be
wrong, to be Illegal, to be utter
ly rcprchenable, is standpatsm,
am q standpatter.
''The Devils Lake convention, al.
most six hundred strong, representing
every part OF this great state filed a
complaint against the industrial COM
mission with the people of. the state
charging them with mismanagement
and transportation Of public funds
with misconduct in office, with a VIC.
lation of all the old standards OF eft.
ficiency and honor in government.
Upon that complaint yer 10000
voters in the state indicted them 70,
high crimes and misdemeanors com
mitted in office. :.
They stand charged on the RECORD
with c%oncealing their operations be
hind shattered windows and barred
doors. refusing at every turn to lie
in the light of day that the people
may know what they are doing will
the peoples business.
They stand charged, and the rec
ord they have made shows they ar
guilty, with tying up In loans for thir
ty years school and public funds ii
violation of the law. with the result
that in many cases our teachers an,
public servants have had to wait 70
months to receive their pay.
They are charged, Ind their owl
records show 1t il true beyond ques
ton. with deliberately putting publ
money into league controlled bank
and league AFFILIATED banks aggregat
ing a million dollars or more, whic
have since failed, for political purpol
es and in total disregard OF the fac
that they knew these banks to be un
sound and in q lettering condition.
!, Banks in Bad Shape.
mr.. Lofthus says on page 35S {
the House Journal that most Of til
banks that were in bad shape are til