The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-11-04

electors for their franchise verdict
should be previously presented fol-
their consideration.
have always commended and still
contend that no individual or group
Of individuals has any right to tell the
| voters to vote for or against this or
that person or initiated measure. The
franchise is a guarded personal privi-
lege and q strictly private citizenship
duty Of every citizen Of America. and
the only moral or political right I
have to interfere with my neighbor'S
protected prerogative is to see that he
gets the facts on both sides Of the
controversy.
In June we initiated measures that
reduced salaries and fees Of county
officials and intended to administer
the same wholesome remedy to the
state officials and employees, but some
wise critic discovered technical flaw
IN the construction of the measures
and they were thrown out.
Knowing that the taxpayers of the
state find it extremely difficult to
meet their tax burdens under present
conditions, the county officials have
accepted the cut with apparent grace
and dignity as gentlemen should. Now
we come before the voters of our state
with the fair and impartial PROPOSE
ton that state officials be given the
same rate of salary reduction. We
believe that the county officials
should join us in this effort, since it
can be reasonably assumed that when
prosperity returns and the cost of
living has so risen that an advance in
salaries is necessary to meet the ext
gency the county officials would then
be assured the cooperation of the
state salaried men in adjusting their
salaries to their needs. The measure
affecting public printing is merely
asking the same rate of deflation that
we ask of the officials. We farmers
have been compelled to accept a rs
percent cut in our incomes and it
doesn't look at all rash or unjust to
me to ask the printer men to accept
20 percent one.
The oft-repeated statement that the
initiative power of the people was in
tended at it's inception to be used
sparingly is a false statement. AT the
time the wave Of progressivism frs.
seized the people of our state, that re-
suited in the initiative and referen-
dunn. the recall and the primary cleo
tions. was in a position to not only
know the impressions of the common
people but also the trend of thought
that gripped official North Dakota
and know that no such thought pre-
vailed either in private or official cir
cles. The intent of such false propa-
ganda is to use the psychological eff
feet of making the voters believe that
by voting for any number of initiative
laws they are being untrue to their
former selves, and thereby defeat the
measures by default of the voting
public.
Some disgruntled beneficiary OF
public funds are still affronting the
intelligence of the voters by telling
them that when they voted to reduce
property assessed valuations last June
they unwittingly shifted the burden
of taxation from the railroads and
public utilities to the shoulders Of the
farmers. In the good name of CON-
mon sense would they explain how
I am still asking the question that
none would answer before the pri-
maries. How in the name of good
horse sense could the changing Of
the figures IS to the figures so in a
law and re-enacting it just as it was
in every other particular word anc
phrase, in any manner make law more
discriminatory in favor of any class
of taxpayers? Until that question Ii
satisfactorily answered I hold every
individual who reiterates that state
ment a designing enemy of the hon.
est. taxpaying people of our state.
There are. believe, three initiated
measures on the ballots that are not
sponsored by the Taxpayers associa-
ton.
| The three-year moratorium, repu-
diation of the law enacted by the
voters last spring to outlaw crop
mortgages, and repeal Of the prohibit
ton provision in our state constitu-
| ton.
The first is a war measure. An
S o from the people in dire dis
tress. The old adage that anything
is fair in times of war is still true
Self preservation is still the first law
Of nature. Saving the farm homes
of North Dakota to the tillers of the
soil is of vital Importance to the flu
ture well-being Of our whole state. ]
would not attempt to defend it on the
grounds of honesty or Righteousness.
AS I said before it is war measure,
designed to save the homes and al
leviate the sufferings Of the farm peo-
pie of our state, and affirm that no
higher purpose could actuate the en-