The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1922-04-26
STATES PEOPLE
SOUND AT HEART,
GOVERNOR. SAYS
Tells St. Paul Business Men That
Rebuilding of Confidence
Is Talk of State
DISCUSSES LEAGUE AIMS
Governor Presents Statistics
Showing Fundamental Sta
bility Of the State

| ST. Paul, MINI, April 26.-North
Dakota's people are sound at heart,
Governor II. A. Nestos of that state
told the members OF the st. Paul AS
sociation of Commerce at their lunch
ecn here today The Governor sl;cke
at length upon the conditions Of the
state in the last five years, explain
/ ing what he considered to be The aim
of the league leaders IL their contrO!
of the state and OF the ideals which he
and his associates cherished concern
ing government.
! Government after all should be
nothing but the business-like admin
istration of public affairs" Governor
Nestor told the members of the Asso-
citation in the beginning Of his address.
"In speaking to you this noon want
td speak of the developments in our
state during the last five years, large
ly from the standpoint of whether tho
affairs of the State of North Dakota
during that period have been man
aged in conformity with sound and
honest business principles.
| Il know that you are interested in
the governmental activities of our
state-not as vitality so as those who
live in the state but nevertheless
deeply concerned because of the close
relationship that exists between the
people of North Dakota and the peO-
pie Of Minnesota. We are in many
respects an economic unit The res
lationship both socially. industrially
and financially is very close, and the
prosperity or distress of one section
Of the northwest greatly affects all
other sections, and st. Paul, lying In
the heart Of this district, will feel
keenly the reaction from the prosper
ity or lack of prosperity in all Of the
surrounding country.
Seek to Create Confidence
''In the work. of rebuilding general
prosperity it is most important not
only that the people have confidence
in their government, If the govern
ment is such as to merit that conf
dence, but it is also important that
all the others who are interested in
the economic life of the territory un-
der consideration should have and
show the meriteds confidence In the
management OF its affairs. RI
Curing the last five years | be-
lievo may say without seeming pre-
sumptuous that your people have In
a measure lost confidence in the state
of North Dakota and in it's political
aud economic development, A great
deal of your apprehension and lack
Of cOnfidenceI has been warranted,
must confess, and many incidents
have occurred that naturally would
make the faith OF any one who was
familiar with the narrow and camping
spirit that seemed to move the execu
tive officers of our state as we'll as
those whom, though not occupying
public office nevertheless welded a
substantial and often controlling
power in governmental affairs.
II want to say, if you will bear with
me, that it is my opinion, that while
your lack of faith in those who ad-
ministered the business affairs of our
state was abundantly justified, your
lack of confidence in the state It,
self and its people was not warranted,
and was based in part on lack of in
formation, or on great amount OF
misinformation which was supplied
by the former political leaders of our
state to the people, not only of the
Twin Cities, but even more so to
those Of the eastern states.
What League Sought
Governor INestos discussed the Non
partisan league and the men who Gre
ated it, and then said:
"When the movement started in
1915, there were many and real griev-
ances in connection with the market
ing of farm products, in cost Of trans
portation, in interest rates, and in al
together too frequent failure Of those
elected to public office to redeem
promises made to the people.
1T was this feeling on the part of
the farmers Of our state that those
Twenty five or thirty Socialists to
whom I have referred were clever
enough to capitalize in the organiza-
ton Of the Nonpartisan league, and
it was by offering the people the re-
lief they had been seeking that they
gained the confidence, the good will
and the support of so large a propor-
ton of our farmers. Had they kept
faith with the farmers, and had they
restrained their selfishness and greed,
and their Unsuitable desire for power
and pelf, and had they by securing
competent men to manage the pub
lie business, honestly sought to serve
the people of our state, dare say that
it would have been quite, a number OF
years more before the farmers would
have had their eyes opened to the fal-
, lacies and weaknesses OF the schemes,
in their widest application, that the
League leaders were proposing.
"But the history of the last few
years will show that at no time was
there any overwhelming desire or any
real intention to serve the people OF
, the state honestly and well, and the
, main desire Of the leaders of the
League and of most Of the office
holders was to serve themselves, and
their own political organization only
in the hope that by means of these po-
sitsons, the power and the public and
private funds they would be able to
perpetuate, their organization, and tC
:. retain their hold on the public purse
and public office. The inevitable re-
suit was that there was waste an6
acknowledgement in practically every
: department Of the public service
there were constant appeals to theil
> membership for fees, for accommoda
tiOn notes, for subscription to stock:
in multitude of different enterprises
| land practically every device known t
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