The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-03-22
KIDDER EMbRO|LED
NNEWSPAPER WAR
ASLANCERITES ACT
Steele 0zone's Board OF Oirec.
tors Orders Editor to Sup
port Governor
SHERMAN OPPOSED ACTION
Chairman Of Board Resigns;
May Garry Issue to Stock
holders in Property

w AtS UV0lO VI uAVCIV4O W u0VS Vic
Steele Ozone and Kidder County
Farmers Press support Governor VIII
liam LANCER for reelection has placed
Kidder county In the midst Of .
newspaper war"
The action was taken Saturday at
q meeting Of the five directors, led
by Oscar E. Erickson, state senator
from Kidder county. employe Of the
Bank Of North Dakota and publisher
Of The Leader. LANCER newspaper
supported by five-per-cent collections
from state employees.
Others voting for the proposal were
Dave Richie, employed as . highway
aaintainer: Robert Wage. whose son
Is said to be an employe Of the adj
ministration in Bismarck and Faunce
Luyben.
Opposing the move was John sher-
man, former county auditor and long
time Nonpartisan, who was chairman
Of the board.
Stockholders May Act
After the vote was taken Sherman
resigned from the board, sold his
stock to Erickson and then announced
that he would ask the stockholders
Of the newspaper to review the ac-
ton Of the board at q meeting to be
held soon. He turned over his stock
after being accused of seeking to use
1t to change the action Of the news
papers board OF directors. saying he
believed the other stockholders would
insist on q fair and unbiased news
paper.
Sherman's demand u that the
newspaper be the mouthpiece for no
person or political platform but give
the news fairly and without bias
Some stockholders who are personally
favorable to LANCER desire to keep
the newspaper on an independent ba-
sis, he said.
Records show the newspaper to be
a valuable property, never having paid
less than IL per cent dividends and
paying 80 per cent last year. One
reason for this, 1t was explained, Is
that its capitalization Is unusually
low, considering the actual value Of
the property, which has only about
$2,720 in capital stock outstanding.
Sherman's Statement
Announcing the decision Of the
board and his resignation g chair
man, Sherman said:
On Saturday, March II, 1894, the
board OF directors Of the Kidder
County Farmers Press and Steele
Ozone passed q resolution requesting
the manager Of the paper to support
the Nonpartisan League ticket en-
dorsed at the Valley City convention.
In view Of the political situation
caused by the wide-open split OF the
League. the writer. Is chairman Of
the board Of directors, urged that the
paper should continue . neutral pol
icy, favoring neither faction in its
editorial pulley. However. = majority
Of the board determined otherwise,
whereupon the writer disposed OF his
stock and resigned from the board
CT directors.
The reason for such action may
b. briefly stated. The policy adopted
will make this paper . william Lam
ger sheet. which Is not desired by .
majority Of the stockholders. It will
not bring the truth to the people,
nor be conducive to good government.
We knew william LANCER when he
first double-crossed the League. We
have observed him Is Z practicing at
torney in Kidder county and have
reason to detest his professional eth
les. And We see him now developing
racket In this state which strikes
at the fundamentals Of organized So
ciety and which puts to shame the
underworld racket Of Al Capone In
Chicago.
The preservation Of self respect
impels US to sever Z connection With
this paper which, under the able
management Of Mr.. D. B. McElroy,
weathered the storm for Is years and
made : success when nearly Ill other
League publications went 70 the wall.
A. william LANCER sheet, no man
under the sun can prevent ! like
fete for the Kidder County Farmers
Press and Steele Ozone"