The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-04-22

oec010n mas been made BY the 81
preu1e Court Of this state on the sub.
Ject on . properly submitted test cas-
before We attempt to blacken thei,
populations, and deprive them. o.
their offices On the charge Of wrong
full. corrupt and criminal acts,
Hinted q Bribery
I'VE have not overlooked, In con-
nection with this matter, and In con-
I1ection with this application to Your
Excellency. the charge that upon the
information and belief Of the petit.
TONERS . more favorable bid could
have been obtained, and the alle9a-
ton, also on information and belief,
that these commissioners, the respon-
dents, made IN unlawful and corrupt
agreement for inducement not made
known to the petitioners, which Ne
assume, In plain language, means that
Mr.. McCurdy attorney +. Z. Nc
Curdy). In drawing this petition for
the petitioners, was intending TO
charge that these commissioner, In
some manner unknown to his clients.
were bribed. In short, he does not
make the charge that there was any
bribery, does not say that any one q
his clients, the petitioners, claim that
there was any bribery, but undertakes
to say, In short, that they have heard
there was some corrupt Transaction
between the commissioners and The
Bismarck Tribune.
THE charge here Is one that Is Of
the most drastic variety. The remedy
which y afforded to the governor for
the removal Of Z county officer
places within the power Of the gov
ernor . weapon which permits the
governor to do to the reputation and
standing Of an officer the same dam.
age that might accrue to any indivi-
dual upon being convicted for crime.
In fact, this petition alleges the COM
mission Of . crime, but refuses to
state that q crime was committed, OK.
cepting only upoh hearsay.
I'VE submit that the petition to
the Governor, In cases Of this sort,
taking into consideration the great
and overwhelming and almost TIRE
parable injury that may be done to
the reputation and standing Of the
individual officeholder, should At
least require. and Your Excellency
should require before proceeding fur.
tfer, that these charges Of corrup.
ton be stricken out and ignored UNI
less the complaint Is supplemented by
positive, affirmative, sworn state
ments by individuals who will assume
xaav@Nsa~a1@a1@As, - v~aaHr}pa~ essA1> ~kAk~
ments Of their own knowledge, and
not upon hearsay.
Cant Rely a Hearsay
TOR the purpose Of giving you .
few Of the reasons why We are within
our rights by demanding positive, At
firmative statements rather than
hearsay statements, we call your at
tention to the following facts:
"Of the petitioners In this matter
Mr.. G. A. Anderson has been . can
didate for office against Commits
sioner Swanson on two different &C.
casions, and on both occasions was
defeated by Swanson. Mr.. r. p. Bliss
ran against Mr.. Swanson for County
Commissioner and was likewise de-
feated by Mr.. Swanson. Mr.. L. T.
Heaton was discharged by the Board
Of County Commissioners in connec-
ton with the r. +. G. matter. Mr..
g. w. Ritterbush, or his brother, or
both, were previously connected with
the Van Horn architect office ct Bis
marck, whose application for the ar
chitectural Job on the Burleigh
County Courthouse WAS BY tho Bur
leigh County Commissioners turned
down.
I'VE are further advised by the
Board Of County Commissioners that
. protest was filed by Mr.. Conrad
and Mr.. Orr Of the Quick Print, and
Mr.. Conrad advised Mr.. Tiedman and
Mr.. Solder, the respondents herein,
that II the Board Of County Com
did not 60 ahead and ask
for bids q he directed that he would