The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-06-18

lion nave ever Dee0 mace 10 me De-
fore.
1.-The sole question before the people
Of North Dakota with regard to state
printing IS this: Do you want print
ing contracts let to the lowest respon-
sible bidder, or dc you want them let
to the a man who bids high and then
attempts to get a contract by black
mail?
1T must be apparent to everyone
that there Is some vital interest back
Of this attempt to villify individuals
and m~isrepresent tie facts with re-
gard to the state printing commission.
When you connect blackmail with the
intense interest which representatives
Of various printing establishments
show, the answer Is apparent
Let me emphasize again, that m
investigation Of the sta-e's printing
bills was made q year ago last winter
by an unprejudiced printing expert,
brought in from Minnesota and rec.
commended by the Minnesota state
printer, the Governor OF Minnesota,
and other high officials Of our sister
state. His name was Arch Billing
and 30 far Is we can learn, his repu-
tation is good.
"The attacks which have. been
made. on these printing bills have
been largely anonymous. Statements
are made that printers have checked
the bills and found overcharges, but
the printers are not mentioned by
name.
us It because such printers do not
exist and are fictitious persons? Is It
because their findings have been mis-
represented? Or Is. it because the
printers referred to are the diserun-
tied bidders who III trying BY po-
liticsl trickery to obtain contracts for
themselves at high prices.
Cleanliness q Virtue
1.-THE people Of this state are eu.
titled to cleanliness In public office II
they are entitled to nothing else. The
secretary Of state and myself are will
ing to have the states printing con-
tract, and its business, investigated
any time by any competent and UNI
pretudiced man. That Is the only
kind Of investigation which could Do
the public or any honest person any
good. These alleged private investi-
cations BY persons who are seeking
only financial advantage and who
have demonstrated that they are un-
scrupulous enough to resort to black
mail, can hardly be considered by the
unprejudiced man as In the interest
Of the state.
"You will notice that the reputable
newspapers Of the state have given no
space to the accusations regarding
state printing. There Is q reason for
this. It Is that they have enough self
respect not to dirty themselves by
making charges which they know to
be false and malicious. They know
as much about the printing business
as the one newspaper which has
howled about nothing else for weeks.
There Is no need to discuss repu-
tations in this talk. However, I can
fairly say this: The regulations of
the secretary. Of state and myself are
ar open book, both as public officials
and as private citizens. I feel that
we could stand investigation with
fully as much credit as the men who
are attempting to villify us. We In
vite investigation and inquiry. Let
them invite 1t. II the invitation were
accepted the public might learn
something Of interest to It. Some
thing to guide its vote In the coming
election.
willing to BE Judged
1.-THE work Of the state printing
commission Is but q small part Of the
work Of any one Of the three elected
officials who serve on 1t. They do
not, give much Of their time to 1t be-
cause they have other duties. But !
am willing to be judged by the people
OF this state on the smallest part Of
the work that I am called on to do.
The secretary Of state takes the same
position. II the ! matter df state
printing Is to become Of first Inn
~portance, let 1t become 80.
Let the public have the truth. I
feel that the public Is entitled to Q
square deal In printing. contracts and
In everything else. They are not en-
titled to be misled. with the support,
II not ct the instance, Of an at
tempted blackmailer.
"Of course, the secretary OF state
and myself could have bowed before
the threat Of political misrepresenta-
ton and reprisal. We could have
licked the hand which threatened US
with q club and In that event thi3
question Of state printing might never
have been. raised. But I can thank
God tonight, e I talk to this In
visible audience. that, come what may,
I stil have manhood enough. to play
the game fairly. I still have manhood
enough to observe the oath which I
took when ] first became railroad
commissioner 10 years ego. I still
have honesty enough to submit my
self to the voters Of this state on my
reputation Is . man and my record
as q public official, and to resist, Is
any decent man should. threats OF
blackmai from persons whose only
idea Is to misrepreseut facts, mislead
the public and gain for themselves
profit at the expense Of the citizens
and Taxpayers"
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