The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1935-01-21

Never have the people OF North
Dakota had . better example Of the
workings Of an invisible government
than that presented by the majority
faction In the house st this session
Of the legislature.
Our representative form Of gov.
crnment assumes that every man
elected to the legislature viii approach
the problems presented to him with
an unbiased mind. The legislative
setup contemplates that public Ques-
tions Win b openly preached and
properly discussed 70 the end that
fair dsciions may b reached.
Tits u TO be done. t. Is true, within
the framework established BY party
organisations. since . form Of gov.
ernmeut such - ours u peculiarly
adaptsd TO them.
But parties. presumably. sre merely
foe the purposes Of trying issues and
personalities before the people. Once
a man Is elected he becomes the rep
reseutativs, not Of party, but Of al
the peopls In the district which he
Sspeeoents.
Il The ideals ct up By the founders
Of this government aro even remotely
approached. his services ere those Of
q servant Of the people aud not Of .
party.
In The political pothss which has
come upon u, Ill this has been lost
sight ot-aud Il constitutes "a I'M
poetant pervsrsion Of democratic gov
eminent.
Instead Of tree discussion, wherein
the reasons for IN action are ade-
quately disclosed to the public, We
have the spectacle Of legislation and
other important actions being agreed
upon in caucus, IN unofficial organi-
zation. The decisions Of the caucus
are translated into action On the floor
Of the house In exactly the same way
that sheep answer the bark Of q di-
recting dog. It may be government
In fact It . the only kind We have
at the moment-but Il . not Amer.
can government g W have UNDER
stood It to b.
In The sttempt 70 impeach Cover
nor Noodle, for example. the reasons
are obscure to anyone who fails to
look behind the scenes and ascertain
what u going on. The majority
members Of the house, having pledged
themselves b. caucus action. were
either too indifferent or too afraid
to take the public into their conf.
dence and reveal their reasons for
such . drastic move. 80 far - the
people were concerned. It vas the
same thing q though . secret tri-
bunal had at IN judgment and
reached decision from which there
was no appeal. It Is more RENT.
niscent Of IN European dictatorsaaip
than Of American principles.
The facts, however. are well known
to all who have kept watch on the
situation. We have seen g sdroit
and interruptions eaug g North
Dakota ever produced working uight.
", In the Nonpartisau caucus. upon
the minds q men who may Be sincere
enough but who certainly were not
well informed. II = unquesttorable
that many Of them we're subject TO-
misrepresentation ana down hight
falsehoods IA thu effort 70 influence
their votes.
Had the matter been asUned out Ia
the opeu-as our form Of government
contemplatss-suy such matters could
have been cleared IN the minds Of
those men With enough Ames5eanism
left In them 70 wondss about The
wisdom Of thsir course and The ac.
curacy Of the facts upon which T.
was based.
The men who founded this nation
and who st the pattern Tor our stats
- well q our national government,
could not Soresss t&as conditions which
prevail today. but they DID REALISE
that m honest meeting Of minds on
public questions y the best Wy o.
obtaining god law and real justice.
The people u North Dakota would do
we'll 70 insist that the members Of
the house q representative stick to
that course.
r they cannot publicly sxulaiu and
defend ths course they ass taking
thsy have ~ right b adopt It. r.
thsy haven't the bsains q ability to|
make their ovu deciaons thsy havo
no real place 8 honest govesumsnt.
The Public Debt
You owe 33o6.
You dont7 Oh yes. you dol
That's your share q The 1leyooo,-
00o, 900 debt Of the federal, stats, and