The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-06-23
OFFICIALS REVOLT
UNTIL STATUS Is
DECIDED BY court
Six Administrative Heads Will
Not Accept FeIon as
Governor
THREE NOT TO JOIN MOVE
Action Is Taken to Protect Pub.
lie Interests, Statement
Points Out

Six elective state officials Saturday
broke into open revolt against the
executive authority Of william Lang
er.
They announced they will refuse to
recognize him as governor until the
courts have clarified hts status.
The constitutional officers, several
OF them serving with LANCER on i'm
portant boards, said they believed
Langer's conviction Of q felony dis
qualities him from holding the office
Of governor.
They said. that in the public's in.
terest they cannot participate in any
OF Langer's Official acts because I'VE
cannot conscientiously subscribe to
the executive acts Of q man who
stands convicted in federal court Of q
crime that constitutes a felony"
The announcement Of the revolt
comes as Lieutenant Governor Ole H.
Olson prepared to enter the state SUI
preme court again to seek Langer,s
custer on the ground he IS not quail
flied to hold office. Olson, while not
signing statement issued by the six
officials, said he was in complete far-
mony with their position.
Seven Out Of Eleven
With Olson. seven constitutional Of
ficers out Of the II elected on . party
ballot, are in q position Of refusing
to recognize any official acts per-
formed by LANCER.
The officials who are not sieuers
to the statement, are Attorney Cen
eral p. o. Satire, Railroad Commits
sioner Ben Larkin, hnd State Auditor
Berta Baker. LANCER is the 18th con-
stitutional officer elected with party
designation.
Superintendent Of public instruc-
ton Arthur E. Thompson. elected on
the no-party ballot, did not dgn the
statement. but Is aligned with the
anti-Langer faction which has en-
dorsed him for reelection.
The six officials who joined In the
revolt are:
John HUSKY, commissioners Of agri-
culture and labor. who with the gov
ernor and Satire serves on the I'm
portant state industrial commission
Of which LANCER Is chairman.
Robert Byrne, secretary Of state.
who serves with the governor on the
auditing board, banking board, secu-
rites commission and university and
school lands board.
Alfred Dale, state treasurer, mem
Der Of the auditing board, and the
state board of equalization, both Of
which the governor serves as chair
man.
s. A. Olsness, state insurance COM
missioner.
Fay Harding and G. w. McDon-
nell. members Of the state railroad
commission.
Text Of Statement
The statement issued by the Of
ficials reads:
For the purpose of protecting pub
lie interests, We, the undersigned state
officials, cannot recognize any execu-
tive power exercised by william
LANCER, convicted land now awaiting
sentence) Of the crime Of defraudinR
the United States government, which
we believe diSqualifies him from hold
ing the office Of governor.
I'VE do this pending outcome Of an
action now in the courts.
With the situation as 1t il at
present, we would be placed In the
position Of giving our approval to the
acts Of . man convicted by I federal
district court jury. AS elected state
officials, it is our duty to protect the
interests Of the people Of the state,
and for that reason We feel that it Is
incumbent upon us to decline to par
ticipate in any official acts in which
he is q party until the courts have
clarified this very important question.
Should the courts hold that VIII
liam LANCER is not entitled to exercise
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