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

Recommends That
Body Withdraw It's
Election Petitions
Continued from page one)
the contest" Mr.. Carr said. "And
that idea still Is in the minds OF the
three or four prime movers Of the
capitol removal issue. II it Is not,
why are they so insistent in forcing
the issue to q vote, when 1t is ap-
parent that there is practically no
sentiment for 1t in the state? And
why are they standing out, in the face
Of the strong demand on the part Of
the jamestown citizens that they
abandon the ~project?"
Specifically listing his reasons for
opposition, Governor Carr declares
that Jamestown owes Bismarck, as
the state capital, a square deal; that
jamestown has no right to subject the
people Of the state to the loss that
would be sustained by removal of the
capital to q new location; THAT there
Is no sentiment for q change; that
the whole scheme was fostered for
political purposes and that the met
result to jamestown would consist Of
q feeling Of intense bitterness between
our own people in Jamestown, and q
feeling Of bitter resentment and i'll
will toward Jamestown on the part
OF the people of the rest of the state
Efforts Indefensible
under the conditions existing in
this state now, and with the almost
unanimous sentiment Of the state ex-
pressed against the idea, further eff
forts Of the jamestown group to move
the capital, are i~ndefensible."
Closing. MIR. Carr calls upon the
people Of the state to refrain from
placing responsibility upon James
town as a whole.
Citing growing resentment and bit
terness, as expressed in many forms,
Mr.. Carr urges:
"T1nis is, of course, unfair to hun
dreds Of jamestown citizens, unfair
to the city's business interests and in
stitutions, unfair to the city itself.
Whatever the thoughts Of these citi-
zen may have been when the sug-
gestion was first made, they have
realized for weeks that there Is no
sentiment over the state tor removal,
and they r just as -IxiouS that the
present situation be vleared up with
out the expense and necessity of an
election, as are the people over the
state generally.
1T being evident now that there Is
little sentiment for capital removal.
the blame must attach to those who
are attempting to force the question
to a vote for reasons of their own
This group should take, and they will
have to take, the full responsibility
for the course they are pursuing"
. The text Of Cars statement fol-
low:
We are addressing this communica-
ton, first, to the people Of Stutsman
county, and particularly to the peo-
pie of Jamestown, and second, TO n
citizens of North Dakota generally.
For nearly three months now n
question of the removal of the state
capital has agitated the people OF
this state. The question confronts
the people of this state by reason or
the filing with the secretary of state,
at Bismarck, of certain petitions de-
manding that the question Of amend
ing the state constitution, to change
the seat Of government from Bis
marck to jamestown, be submitted to
q vote of the electors OF North Dako-
ia at q statewide election.
Until now, the writer has largely
kept out of the controversy at the re-
quest of, and out Of consideration for,
a large number of old friends In
Etutsman county, who were involved
on one side or the other of the queS-
ton, The writer intended to keep
out of the controversy, but the sit
uation has now reached a point where
silence ceases to be q virtue. 1t Is
time for some one to speak and time
to call a halt.
In making this statement, the writ
er fully realizes that he will pull
down upon his head the wrath OF a
few people who are still seeking to
force the question to a vote for rea-
sons of their own. In fact, the writ
er has already in his mind a list OF
those who will make the attack. Well,
they can make the most OF 1t, and
time will have to tell who was right
and who was wrong.
Sentiment Outside
This question of capital removal
has received considerable attention
from the press and by the people OF
the state during the last three
months. During that period, we
think, every newspaper in the state
has expressed its opinion at least
once and most of them many times.
With very few exceptions, the voice
of the press of this state has con-
demned the proposal In no uncer-
tain terms. Thousands of the people
of the state also have expressed
themselves, in language no less en-
phatic than that of the press. Both
houses of the legislature Of this state
have spoken in terms that can not
possibly be misunderstood. The five
legislative members from Stutsman
county have signed a written request
to the COMMITTEE for Petitioners"
asking that the petitions be with
drawn from the office Of the secre-
tary Of state and that all further ef-
fort be abandoned.
All Of this should indicate the SEN
timent Of the people Of North Dako-
ia. If there ever was any scattering
sentiment over the state in favor of
the proposal, there is practically
none today. There never was very
much. And with the filing OF the
petitions in the office Of the secre-
tary Of state at Bismarck. and the
threat to force the issue to an elec-
ton, the sentiment over the state has
c~rystauized against the removal idea
with an unanimity Of opinion that is
remarkable.