The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-03-16
JAMESTOWN VICTORY

lEdltOrlal by Percy Hansen IN James
town Sun, published few hours be-
fore the polls closed.)
Regardless Of the outcome Of the
vote on the Capital Removal Amend
ment today, Jamestown and Stutsman
county citizens have gained some
thing from the campaign which might
have been impossible Of attainment
in any other manner. They have
gained an intimate knowledge Of
their own possibilities, and, they have
gained a knowledge Of the character
OF each other that will be Of inestim-
able value to the community in the
months and years to come. They
know, for example, who among them
can be forced by political or financial
pressure to do things which they do
not wish to do, and, they know who
among them will continue to battle
for things which they believe to be
right and just regardless Of threats
or promises Of personal gain.
If jamestown is made the capital
city Of North Dakota it will be in spite
OF the opposition of the small group
of political and financial leaders OF
Jamestown, who, for their own sell
fish purposes, have elected to throw
every possible obstacle into the path
of the movement. The opposition Of
these men has been heralded to the
world by Bismarck interests, the very
last radio broadcast given last night
declaring that "the leading business
men and educators Of Jamestown are
against capital removal"
The volunteer workers, who at their
own expense, distributed literature to
the various parts of the state, declare
that they were met continually with
the rebuff that your own business
men are against it, how do you expect
us to support it," There Is no ques-
ton in the mind of any one who has
had an active part in the campaign
that Jamestown would have won by
a large majority If there had been no
active opposition in the city. this op-
position giving the Bismarck inter-
ests their principal campaign mater
ial and hampering the collection Of
funds here.
Some of the opposition during the
last three weeks Of the campaign
were convinced of their error and
aided in the raising of funds, but
leaders Of the group continued their
opposition up to the last moment, and
even today were actively fighting the
proponents of the capital change who
happened to be candidates for local
office.
The statewide campaign was con-
Quoted on less than $4,000, little more
than one-third the amount spent by
one Stutsman county campaign COM
mittee on the 1919 political campaign
in Stutsman county alone. It was less
than 5000 more than the amount paid
to a single newspaper, the Alert, for
advertising space during that CAM
paign. Five of the largest institu-
tons in the city-the same institu-
tons which have donated thousands
of dollars to other campaigns-did not
contribute single penny for the cap
ital change effort. The three James
town service" clubs have spent in
excess of $4,000 in the last ten years,
and yet, when the biggest civic enter
prise that the city, county or state
has ever had, came up, there was less
than $4,000 to put it over, and more
than half of this amount came from
working people, many of whom put
in more than they could really afford.
It is almost pitiful to think Of q
statewide campaign being conducted
on less than two thousand dollars and
to compare it with the amount that
some of the local political factions
will raise to conduct their drives dur
ing the next three months in the
June primary campaign.
But, as we stated in the beginning.
the campaign which has just ended
has been well worthwhile regardless
of. the vote on the capital change
amendment or, at least, It will have
been we'll worthwhile IL We do not