The Bismarck tribune., 1922-06-20
VIOLATION / ] OF
LAWS Il ! Is! CHARGED Al y
BY SE:|''R'|uMGARD i
Corrupt Practices Act Violated
And nd: Spirit, Of Primary
Scorned, He Asserts
FLAYs STATE SOCIALISM

FLAYS STATE SOCIALISM
Assertion that Theodore G. Nelson and
others who dominated the jamestown
conventions not only violated the cor
rupt practices act of North Dakota, but
also violated the spirit Of the primary
law which was brought into being by
people after years of fighting boss rule,
was made by Silver Serumgard, candi-
date for Commissioner of Agriculture
and Labor on the Stegner ticket, in a
campaign speech from the balcony Of
the Mckenzie hotel last night.
The Republican convention there
agreed to have four men virtually quit
the race if elected-candidates for COM
missioner of insurance, auditor and two
railroad commissioners n d permit
Democrats to be elected in the fall, he
asserted. These STRAW men" he assert
ed were put up in direct violation OF
the corrupt practices act and in viola
ton of the spirit of the primary law.
"Two-bit" Nelson, he asserted, had en-
deavo.ed to exercise power as boss ano
force him from the race '-' '''
/ Right to Be Candidates. .it.fn, =:
"You ask why we are candidates"
said Mr.. Serumgard. "The direct prl~
mary law was enacted so that any citl-
zen who had 300 friends to sign his pc
titions could be candidate. 1t was the
theory that az many men could run for
Office as desired without boss dictation,
and the voters could choose among them.
We have perfect risht-to run for Of
flee and we are not straw mem such
as the four nominated at Jamestown"
Another violation Of the spirit of the
primary law he charged against the
"Committee Of 45" and Theodore Nelson
was a letter he said Nelson sent out to
Democratic voters a few days ago ap
pealing them to register as Republicans
because we are going to split the Of
fees with you" "a
Serumgard declared state socialism
was either right or it was wrong-if it
was right the voters ought to choose
Baker and other league candidate, and
if it Is wrong they ought to choose Nj.
Stegner, himself and Mr.. Hooker. The
I. v. A., he asserted, have stolen the
Nonpartisan league platform, but he de-
clared that the !. v. A. officials have
said they are against state industrial.
ism. He declared you could not con-
vince voters that state industrialism
had had fair trial under men who
openly stated they we're opposed to it.
Asks II Experience Counts.
Mr. Serumgard referred to losses in
the Home Builders, Drake Miller, Wer-
ner Creamery and the Bank Of North
Dakota. He 'fayed the Nonpartisan man
agement of these industries, and he crit.
icized the present administration fol
continuing them.
Does experience count for nothing
with these men?' he asked. "After ",
have lost $2,QO0,000 and they have nee,.
in existence for three years do we yet
say there has been no trial of state
industrialism? Does the experience Of
some II other states who have tried
state banks and they have failed count
for nothing with the Nestos administra-
tion p rn .t~.&
Money For Propaganda.
State industrialism cannot succeed
because Of politics, he said. He said
that Joseph A. Kitchen, Commissioner
Of Agriculture and Labor, had issued
10000 copies of pamphlet on the re.
suits of the Werner creamery. e@
"This is costing the state $500,
am informed" said Serumgard. "You
cannot find word in it of value to far
mers. Every statement in it is political
propaganda against Liederbach and
others. This is the way money is spent
under the administration Of economy y
He asked what answer the American
Legion. boys we're ssge;oingso give to the
fact that Senator. Me- Cumber who had
ben fighting for them. had come out
openly for Governor Nestos and Cover
nor Nestos had not returned the com
plimegt by q friendly word for McCum-
her.
TheI. v. A. platform, he declared, is
the Npnpartisap league platform. He
asserted the Nv. 4 had stolen the Non
parti In league platform and now the
league wants it back.