The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-03-28

1tdl Q6IIuAI1CICly II 6lSUl61C6 ana
we want to say to the residents Of
Jamestown that since our return from
the legislative session three weeks
ago, w have talked to many residents
Of jamestown and OF the county out
side Of jamestown, and we have yet
to meet the first one who expressed
the belief that there Is the slightest
chance to move the state capital.
This being true why prolong the con-
test?
The Net Result to Date
What has been accomplished ia
date? Here In jamestown we have
torn city wide open. We have
e~ngendered a bitterness among the
people here, until today friendships
Of nearly half q century have been
strained and broken. Residents Of
Jamestown are refusing to trade with
business houses Of which they have
been customers for q generation.
Many residents Of the community.
who have lived here for 20 or 50 years
and who have contributed literally OF
their time, money and energy, IN
building up the community. find
themselves called yellow traitors,
Benedict Arnolds, Judas Iscariots.
bride takers, and undesirable citizens.
And some of these epithets r ap-
piled by persons whose residence. In
Stutsman county has been brief In
deed.
More harm has been done to
jamestown in the last three months
than can be repaired by all the serv-
ice clubs, civic organizations. trater-
nal organizations and the Chamber
of Commerce, in Is years. It has d.
vided the people Of Jamestown into
two hostile groups, who will never
again work together in the harmony
Of the past. And all yer the state
a bitterness against jamestown has
developed that will not disappear in a
generation. The city and its business
interests + being boycotted and this
feeling is gradually growing worse.
This has been the net result tc date.
Is it not time that the people OF
Jamestown should square themselves
with the people Of the state, and not
permit themselves to be drawn fur
ther into q useless contest that will
cost the state Of Norh Dakota ap-
proximately $4,000 for an election
to vote upon IN issue that was lost
before it was started? Such an cleo
ton will cost the tax payers Of
Stutsman county. approximately 81
600, and for what? To satisfy the de-
sire of a few people for publicity, and
to aid q few other individuals who
have personal reasons of their own.
Why not back up, admit " mis-
take and spend III time. money and
energy in building up our community,
instead Of In tearing 1t down?
Surely you people OF this commune
ity, who came here so, 60. some OF
you 70 years ago, and built from q
wilderness a splendid community-a
community proud Of its schools.
churches, and other educational In
stitutions. and of the splendid citi-
zenship of its pioneers do not want
to see this community torn apart by
bitter internal strife that time will
never entirely heal. Surely you do
not want the wrath and the resent
ment Of the people of the rest Of the
state directed at you for many years
to come.
Petitions Should Be Withdrawn
The attorney general OF this state
holds that the petitions filed with
the secretary Of state can be with
drawn. They ought to be Withdrawn
Instead of arguing that they cant
be withdrawn, an attempt to do 50
would soon settle the legal question
If they are not withdrawn, in all
probability attacks will be made In
the courts against the validity Of the
petitions and as to the eligibility OF
many of the signers: and counter at
tacks will probably be made upon the
capitol commission building lew and
the whole matter may be tied up IL
the courts for years to come. And
in the meantime more than 500 ,000,-
600 of investments Of school and state
funds, and millions Of dollars worth
of other important state records Will
have to be kept in insecure vaults and
safes, subject always to the hazard
of destruction by fire.
And if this situation arises, James
town and its business and railroad In
terests will have visited upon them
the wrath and ill-Will Of the people
of North Dakota for many yeats. We
might just as well look these matters
in the face now.
We do not know whether the gov
ernor of this state will call a special
election or not. We have no knowl-
edge Of what his intentions are, and
we have no authority to speak for
him.
But, we do know that the people OF
this state do not want the safety u
more than l00.O00.000 Of their In
vested school and state funds jeop-
ardized by unnecessary delay In re-
building their state capitol
And we do know, that the people Of
this state do not want q bitter capt.
tai removal fight thrown into the
next state campaign when other IS
sues will be before the voters
Political Aspects
And we do know. too, that the two
or three persons who originated the
capital removal issue had In mind the
fact that it might inure to the bene-
fit of certain candidates in this state
who will be before the people Of
North Dakota in the next election.
The hope was that Stutsman county
might be entirely disorganized, poltt-
ically. by the bitterness engendered
by the contest. And that idea Is still
in the minds Of the three or four
prime movers Of the capital removal
issue. If It is not, why Al, they 50
insitstent in forcing the issue to . vote
when it is apparent that there is
practically no sentiment for 1t in the
state? And why are they standing
out in the face Of q strong demand on
the part Of jamestown citizens that
they abandon the project?
We are not saying that all Of the
persons who lined up back Of the re-
moval project after It was started
we're adjusted by political consider
o$toos Wa kuow thew WerA net. We