Jamestown weekly alert. [volume], March 28, 1884, Image 1

About Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925

Image provided by: State Historical Society of North Dakota

                
VOL. VI -NO. 34
THE WEEKLY ALERT.
J. C. W A KNOCK, EDITOK.
THE report of the New York sanitary
committee on butter adulterations, as
given in the dispatches, will have a ten­
dency to allay the appetite for that table
luxury. It is enough to turn the stom­
ach of a Digger Indian. The name of
aile grease would be a more appropriate
name for it and one uld then better es­
timate the quantity his stomach could
bear.
THE Morrison horizontal tariff reduc­
tion bill, which was designed to furnish
the democratic party,a platform on the
tariff question for the presidential cam­
paign seems likely to be more of a dis­
organizing element than an agreeable
compromise. The radical free traders
of the Watterson and Carlisle stripe re­
pudiate it and the protectionists such as
Kandall reject it. The mau who can
devise a plan for yoking together the in­
harmonious elements of the Uourbon
parly on the tariff question will be en­
titled to be immortali/.ed in a chromo.
People will throw up their hats and
shout themselves hoarse in support of
party so long as it costs them nothing,
but when a policy reaches for their
pockets their party enthusiasm suddenly
subsides.''
THK lilack Hills Journal, is disposed to
blame the warring factions from Dakota
at Washington for the delay in the pro­
gress of the bill opening the Sioux reser­
vation. As there has been no opposition
to that measure except what little was
manifested at Blunt, in the eastern part
of Hughes county, we cannot see what
retarding influence these contending
factions could have had upou the Jour­
nal's pet measure. Our observation has
been that these factions, with the excep­
tion named. favonjfl the bill for opening
that reservation, and any dilatorines9
that may be complained of rests entirely
with congress and not with Dakota peo­
ple or factions. The land belongs to the
Indians and it mu9t be remembered that
it requires the consent of the Indians as
well as the desire of the government to
make a bargain and transfer.
IT is currently reported that Col.
Donan, of Fargo, has received a call
from Washington to take editorial charge
of the Critic of that city in the presiden­
tial interests of Hon. John A. Logan. If
such be the case the management of that
paper has made a good selection for an
editor and Logan will have au advocate
and supporter that will tell upon the
public. Col. Donan's brilliancy as a
Dakota orator and writer has ma£e him
famous all over the nation, and he will
no doubt fully sustain that reputation in
the political and journalistic circles of
Washington." The Alert congratulates
both the colonel and the paper that has
secured his services. Congratulates him
upon the deserved recognition of his
abilities and the Critic upon the advance
position it will be accorded because of his
editorial connection with it.
THE Fargo correspondent of the St.
Paul Globe seems still to be deeply con
cerned about the republican convention
to appoint delegates to the national re­
publican convention and the relations of
the Alert to the Logan boom. The
democracy very generally is considerably
agitated over the Logan boom, as they
please to call it, and well they may be,
for if Senator Logan is nominated at
Chicago, as political pointers now seem
to indicate he will be, the bourbons may
HS well hang their harps upon the wil­
lows and subside until 1888. Neither the
"old ticket'* nor auv "war democrat"
they could put forth can stand betore a
republican ticket with t»he valiant sol­
dier-statesman, John A. Logan, at its
bead. It is suggestive that the dem­
ocracy all over the country is trying to
down the Logan boom, if he could be
so easily beaten as the democratic poli­
ticians and papers pretend to believe
they would favor instead of attempt to
defeat his nomination. There is method
in iheir madness and the republican
parly is not likely to forget it.
THE farmers of Minnesota arc raising a
political breeze in that state and strong
efforts are being made to organize a new
parly in that special interest. Whatever
may be their grievances the remedy they
seek in the formation of anew parly will
fail of effect. That was tried and found
wanting a few years ago in the granger
movement which for a tune swept like
wild lire over the western states. When
the organization became strong enough
in certain localities to elect members of
the legislature and other officers dema­
gogues and town politicians tanned their
bands In the sun, sprinkled hayseed in
in their hair, espoused the cause and galh
cied in the offices, and as a result the
party went to pieces like a rope of sand.
A party to have the necessary elements
of cohesion must embrace all interests,
and none other can reasonably hope to
succeed. If the farmers of Minnesota or
any other state would support the party
that would most probably give them the
relief they demand they wall Id find their
strength much more effecti ve than in iso­
lating themselves.
*.
THE Fargo editor of the St. Paul Globe
still insists that the Alert and Chairman
Wells of the territorial central committee
wilh others are trying to carry this ter­
ritory for Logan in the delegation to the
national convention, if this Fargo man
has ascertained how Mr. Wells stands
on the presidential situation he knows
more about it than the Alert has ever
been able to find out, for we have not
the least idea as to his preference. The
Alert is in favor ot a western man and
believes L',-gan to be the most available
of any western man so far named, not
the most insignificant indication of which
is the warfare the democratic press is
making upon him. The republican party
has long since learned that the best nom­
ination it can make is the one the dem­
ocrats most oppose.^
SATURDAY was a gala day through­
out the German empire, it being the birth­
day of Emperor William, i, the reigning
sovereign who had attained the STtli year
of bis age. He succeeded to the throne
in 1SC1, upon the death of his brother,
Frederick William IV. In early life he
received a military education and has
seen a great deal of service upon the field
of battie, the last campaign of which was
when he walloped France in the Franco
Prussian war ending with his triumphal
entry into the city of Paris in 1871 taking
Napoleon and his principal commanders
prisoners. King William is held in high
esteem by his subjects to which his ad­
vanced age adds reverence. He has been
a man of wonderful military and execu­
tive ability and is yet well preserved in
body and inind.
Cor.. LOUNSBERRY, under date of March
ISth, writes an interesting letter from
Washington to the Bismarck Tribune
which is all the more interesting because
it is from him and everybody who knows
him knows that it is reliable in all of its
statements, lie modestly refrains from
mentioning his own boom for the gover­
norship of Dakota but magnanimously
makes kindly and courteous mention of
others whose claims are being pushed for
the place. Col. Lounsberry is emphatic­
ally a man "with malice toward none and
charity for all," unselfishly generous and
unswervingly true to his friends, and
friends of his within or outside of the ter­
ritory should not fail to aid him all in
their power to obtain the appointment
for which he is in every way worthy and
well qualified. Col. Lounsberry has a
strong support in the congressional dele­
gation from Minnesota and Michigan, and
his prospects arc highly gratifying to his
friends in the territory.
THE the tide of immigration that is now
beginning to pour into North Dakota is
highly gratifying, especially to those who
have labored long and zealously for that
desired object. Many who lived in shacks
last year will this season build comforta­
ble farm houses and commence living at
home, as it were. The ground never fails
to yield a good and profitable return for
the labor of the tiller of the soil, and
many who never before knew what it
was to cultivate their own land find them­
selves in possession and absolute owner­
ship of what would be called large and
fine farms back east without auy mort­
gage or incumbrance upon them for the
purchase money. A great many who
took pre-emptions last year and proved
up in the fall are now taking homesteads
which will make them two farms of ICO
acres each with but little more expense
than the time and labor of making the
improvements which in the end belong
to the settler who makes them. No coun­
try the world offers better advantages
in the way of health and prosperity than
North Dakota, and the people in the
crowded states of the east are coaiiog to
realize it very sensibly as their immigra­
tion plainly shows.
THE investigation, now being made into
the shot gun argument used by dem­
ocrats in carrying the election in Copiah
county, Miss., develops a condition of af
fairs little known or believed in the
noith. The ready and ridiculing answer
made to these charges by the democratic
organs in the north is that these stories
are the product of the "southern outrage
mill" operated by the republican party
for political effect, but while they may be
magnified and exaggerated by republican
speakers in some instances they are too
solidly based on facts lo be refuted by
subterfuge. 1* is a notorious fact that in
many localities in the south elections are
a farce and a burlesque upou a free bal­
lot. The country is in control of the
bourbon mossbacks and confederates who
a few years ago fought for the establish­
ment of a government, the chief corner
stone of which was slavery, and that old
political belief and doctrine born aud bred
in the bone is still dominant and assert
tng itself. Anything to oppose the "dam
nigger" and the exercise of his political
and equal rights seems to be the ultima
thule of southern democratic principle,
and if they cannot down the nigger by the
ballot they will do it with the bullet
We do not believe the rank and file of
northern democracy endorse any iuch
measure*. On the other band we believe
they would emphatically condemn them
but lor the demagogues of the party who
deceive then into the belief that these
stories are only electioneering schemes.
THE Hoods along the lower Mississippi
are the highest that have been for years
and the distress and devastation threaten
to be greater than ever before. Appeals
are being telegraphed to congrtss from
various points for immediate relief to the
thousands who have been rendered house­
less and destitute, and the secretary of
war asks authority to send the needed
relief.
IT seems that Fit at John Porter has
another gauntlet to run before having
his past military record whitewashed and
attaining the retired list,even if President
Arthur does sign the bill. It appears
that the order restoring him will have to
be signed by the secretary of war, and
ltobt. Lincoln who fills that position is
reported to have declared that he will
resign before he will sign such a docu­
ment. President Lincoln, who closely
read the evidence in the case at the time
of the trial of Porter not only as com
mander-in-chief approved the sentence
of the court martial but in a private let­
ter to bis old friend Leonard Swett, of
Chicago, said "1 have carefully read the
evidence in the case of Gen. Porter and
1 am convinced that he is a traitor and
ought to be hung." President Lincoln
was of a nature to give any accused per­
son the benefit of a doubt, and his ap­
proval of the sentence and strong lan­
guage as quoted above seems to indicate
that it was a clear case to his mind. The
democratic press has charged Senator
Logan with malice and all kinds of un­
worthy motives in opposing the bill for
the whitewashing of Porter, but he is
only taking the same view of the case
that President Lincoln did, in which he
is sustained by four-fifths of his party
colleagues in tlie senate.
THE Fargo Argus of yesterday morn­
ing published the call for tho territorial
convention to appoint delegates to the
national republican convention to be
held at Chicago June 3rd. The place
and time fixed upon by the central com­
mittee is Huron, Wednesday April 23,
and the apportionment is one delegate
from each organized county and one ad­
ditional for each 250 votes or majority
fraction thereof given the republican
candidate for delegate two years ago.
This gives Stutsman county four dele­
gates in the Huron convention, the time
for the appointment, of which, and in
each county, is Wednesday, April 1C,
and the time for holding the primaries to
select delegates to the county conventions
the Saturday preceding at two o'clock in
the afternoon. There can be no well
founded objection urged against the
place selected for holding the terntorial
con ve" ion for it is perhaps the most
convenient of access to a greater aggre­
gate number of people of all parts of the
territory than any other place that could
have been selected. The time may be
objected to by some on account of it be­
ing such a busy season of the year with
the farmers, but the same could as well
have been urged against a later date, it
now remains for the members of the re­
publican party to do their duty and avail
themselves of tlieir privilege in sending
representative anil influential men as
delegates to the national convention,
men who will not only cast the two votes
of the territory in making the nomina­
tion but will have weight and influence
with other delegations. These two dele­
gates should be selected one from the
southern and one from tho northern part
of the territory and we believe such a di­
vision of the delegation will be mutually
conceded
THE prominence which Col. Lounsberry
has attained for the appointment as the
successor of Gov. Ordway has brought
out some heretofore unknown aspirants
for the office, among which is Deering, of
Iowa. No doubt every state in the union
could furnish a half dozen governors for
Dakota, whose general qualifications
might be unexceptionable, but while we
have equally capable men among citizens
of this territory we may rightfully resist
by all moral and legitimate means the im­
portation of a governor. It is the princi­
ple of the thing that we contend for. A
man, sunh as Col. i/)unsberry, who is
identified by long residence in the terri­
tory with all of her material interests
would certainly be a better qualified ex­
ecutive than a stranger to our people and
the developing interests of the North­
west. Dakota is settled up from the more
intelligent classes of the states and it
would be simply an outrage to have a
man appointed over this people as their
executive who would have no other in­
terest than his official position in the ter­
ritory. Col. Lounsberry is an olio ptizen,
thoroughly qualified for the position, and
his appointment would be almost unani­
mously satisfactory to our citizens in all
sections, and any means used to set him
aside and give the appointment to a man
from any of the states will make more or
less disaffection the republican party
and will bear evil fruit at some future
time. Personal envy or local jealousy may
prompt some to oppose Co). Lounsberry
and even prefer an outsider on the prin­
ciple that they "would rather reign in
hell than serve in heaven," hut they are
not the best of either our citizens aa a
whole or of the republican party this
territory.
JAMESTOWN. D. T., FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 1884. $1.00 PER YEAR.
SENATOR Harrison's bill for the state­
hood of South Dakota and territorial or­
ganization of North Dakota in the name
of Lincoln received a black eye in the
senate Monday on motion to make it
the special order for Thursday which
was characterized by one senator as a
waste of time as the bill could sot be
passed this session.
THE bulldosing scheme of the cattle
ranch men in Nebraska in occupying and
holding the public lands from settlement
one that should be immediately broken
up by the national government. Such a
condition of things is not only a detriment
to the development of that country but it
is an outrage upon the public as well as an
insolent defiance of the laws of the gov­
ernment with reference to the public do­
main. It is similar to the system pursued
in Texas and should be broken up before
it obtains a strong foothold in the north­
west. The right to herd upon the public
lands is certainly enough without fencing
them in and resisting their settlement by
home seekers.
THE pastors of the various church or­
ganizations in St. Paul meet together
once a week and discuss scientific sub­
jects for their mutual edification. The
subject of evolution has recently engaged
their attention and they are giving the
matter careful and deep study. While
they do not agree with Huxley most of
them lean more or less towards his the
ory. They recognize the fact that science
carries with it a power and influence
upon the mind of the public that neither
antagonistic theology nor blind faith can
resist and that the only way to maintain
theological systems is to eliminate their er­
rors and harmonize them with the facts
of science. The scientist who is compel­
led to demonstrate and prove every theory
and proposition he advances is disposed
to hold the theologian to the same rule.
THE democratic organs are straining a
poiut to make political capital out of the
vote of senator Sabin, of Minnesota, in
favor of the Fitz John Porter bill. He
being chairman of the republican nation­
al committee they claim it an indorse­
ment of the bill by the party. Just what
his vote as senator has to do with his
honorary political position on the nation­
al committee tbey do not explain. The
Fit/. John Porter bill was not a party
measure though the parties divided upon
it in the final vote closer than ever be­
fore. The vote in the final passage by
the senate was 36 in favor and 25 against.
The nays were all republicans, and all
but five voting in favor of it were demo­
crats. if the democrats wish to assume
the doubtful honor of wmtewashingGen.
Porter their claim will not be resisted by
the republican party. Senator Sabin is
responsible to the republican party of his
state for his vote on that bill, but his in­
dividual responsibility as a representative
of Minnesota in the national senate in no
way attaches to the republican national
central committee of which he happens
to be chairman.
THE Fargo Republican sails into the
political arena with Hon. James G. Blaine
as its preferred candidate for president.
Our cotemporary could not well go far­
ther for a candidate but if it could it might
fare a great deal worse. That the nomi­
nation of the "plumed knight" would
arouse great enthusiasm in the party all
over the country cannot be questioned*
and that he would be elected is scarcely
susceptible of doubt, but like Clay and
Webster he is too magnificently great to
obtain the nomination. He has been in
the councils of the nation so long and
mingled with the masses of the people so
little that the enthusiasm necessary to a
nomination can never be woiked up
among the people before the delegates
are cbosen to the convention. There is,
however, no greater statesman DO the
American continent to-day than the grand
aud illustrious James G. Blaine, of Maine,
but we do not believe that he can ever
obtain the nomination for president. His
presidential sun rose in the convention of
187G, at Cinoinnati, and reached its
zenith in 1880 at Chicago with bi9 284
votes. As a presidential possibility Mr.
Blaine is laid on the shelf, as we verily
believe and very much regret.
THE damaging effects upon immigra­
tion of the action of some members of
congress clamoring for the forfeiture of
railroad land grants in the northwest is
shown by Mr. Lam born, land commis­
sioner of the Northern Pacific railroad.
There is not and never was any prob­
ability of such action being adopted by
either branch of the national legislature,
but some ambitious statesmen have
sought to immortalize themselves by such
a-sensation. The courts that would
Anally arbitrate the case would not take
advantage of a technicality to deprive
these roads of the grants upon the faith
of which they extended their lines into
western wilds and converted the barren
desert and howling wilderness into a
land of happy and prosperous homes, nor
do we believe the solid men of the na­
tional legislature would ever consent to
such an attempt. Without these land
grant inducements to railroad companies
to build their lines across the continent
emigrants woukl now be crossing the
plains with ox teams instead of in palace
cars, and the Pacific slope would be as a
foreign land. After railroad companies
have spent countless millions in opening
up to commerce, to agriculture and to
settlement a new world as it were to the
relief of the overcrowded east, it is un­
grateful at least to now demand a for­
feiture of the very foundation upon
which these enterprises were based and
undertaken because of a technicality that
worked no injury to the government nor
to any one else.
IN arriving at a final decision as to
whom the intelligent citizen will give his
vote for a local office lie will candidly
consider all the interests to be subserved
and give his vote to the man whose per­
sonal views nearest comport with his
own and whose record and standing in
the community area guaranty that he
will carry them out in his official admin­
istration. The good citizen will not
sacrifice principle to personal friendship.
The personal relations of people are their
private affairs in which the public has no
right to interfere, but every man who
casts a vote exercises an influence upon
the public and is responsible to the pub­
lic for its consequences. Therefore we
assert that social relations have no legit­
imate claims upon a person's vote. In
the former persons act for themselves in
the latter, for the public.
In the contest for the mayoralty in
this city at the approaching city election
the citizen voters are brought face to
face with their moral obligation to the
public, and their duty to vote for the
man whose record and views are best
calculated to subserye the interests of the
city, as the voter himself may be given
to see them, cannot be relieved by social
or personal considerations. The Alert
has no disposition to do Mr. Flint the
slightest injustice because it opposes his
re-election and will not descend to such
reprehensible means of electioneering
under any consideration. If unpleasant
facts are developed during the canvass it
will be with a view to subserving the
public interests and not from any feeling
of personal antipathy. We believe the
candidacy of Mr. Flint is ill advised un
der the circumstances, and that he has
made a mistake in the obvious part he
has taken to secure a re-election, for it
necessarily involves and invites the dis­
cussion and criticism of his past admin­
istration which will not very well bear
it. After his election a year ago the Alert
deemed it best, as the people had thought
proper to install him into office, to sus­
tain and support his administration so
far as his policy seemed to be in the in­
terests of the city, and pass silently by
some things which appeared to be detri­
mental to those interests for the reason
that he was immovably intrenched in
office and the agitation of his errors or
shortcomings would only aggravate their
evil effects.
His re-elcctum would now be bad for
the city for the simple reason alone
that an inharmonious antagonism has been
engendered between him and the mem­
bers of the council, and we believe all the
aldermen holding over, and at least some
of those who will be elected, are opposed
to his line of policy as pursued last year
and which would doubtless be pursued
another year, the consequence of which
would be "aliousedivi'Jed against itself,"
and such a contention could not other­
wise than result in damage to the peace,
quietude and progress of the city. Even
if he was right and the entire aldermanic
body of the council wrong—which is net
a supposable case—it would be almost
suicidal upon the part of the people to
re-elect him and thereby entail upon the
city a year of irrepressible conflict in its
legislative body. The causes which led
to this disagreement, together with other
matters of record in Mr. Flint's adminis­
tration, will be discussed hereafter. In
view of this antagonism in the council it
is a matter of surprise that he should
desire re-election, and we believe that if
he had acted upon his better judgment
he would have quietly "stepped down
and out" and patriotically surrendered
the reins of executive government to a
successor in the interests of harmony and
the prosperity of the city.
The election of T. 3. Lloyd, who is an
old and esteemed citizen, not mixed up
or identified in any way with the dis­
agreements and contentions of the past
year, would reconcile these distracting
and antagonistic elements and commence
the year with a harmonious council
united in advancing the developing in
terests and growing prosperity of the
city. Such a condition of things is cer
tainly to be desired by every good citizen
and we believe every citizen who has the
interests of the city at heart will vote
with a view of securing that end regard­
less of personal fnendship or social re
lations.
Wind and Bain.
LYNCHBURG, Va., March 26—Terrific
wind and rain swept over this section last
night causing great damage to property.
In Amherst county the lowlands are all
submerged and fencing, bridges and mill
swept away. The James River at
thi« point higher than for five years.
Considerable damage along the line of the
Richmond and Allegheny road between
Lynchburg and Lexington counties. The
track in this city is submerged from the
acqneduct to 10th street.
1
-»VY i,$
'w*,'** *:&&&%&$*
#i
V'
REPUBLICAN CONVENTION.
The temtoral republican convention
will he held at Huron, Dakota, on Wed­
nesday, April 23,1884,at two o'clock p. m.
for the purpose of selecting twe delegates
and two alternates to represent the terri­
tory of Dakota in the National Republi­
can convention, called to be held at Chi­
cago, June 3, for the purpose of nomina­
ting candidates for president and vice
president of the United States.
Each organized county in Dakota will
be entitled to one delegate, and to one
additional delegate, for each 250 votes, or
major fraction thereof, cast for the repub­
lican candidate for delegate in congress,
at tbe election of 1882.
It is recommended that the county con
ventions select delegates in accordance
with the foregoing, to be held at the
courthouse at two o'clock p. m.,on Wed­
nesday, April 16, and the primaries to
select delegates to tbe county convenitons
shall be held at two o'clock on the Sat­
urday preceding said county convention.
in the counties organized since tbe
last general election, the chairman of the
board of county commissioner*, or some
republican official, is hereby authorized
to call a republican convention on the
day above designated, and at such con­
vention a county central committee may
be selected to serve until a future county
convention shall select a successor.
The following apportionment is given
to show the number of delegates to which
each county is entitled. Any organized
counties not mentioned or organized sub­
sequently, will be entitled to delegates
according to the apportionment herein
mentioned.
No. votes No.
Counties. in lggS. delegate*.
Aaron 427 :i
Barne*
I,MI
Beadle 647 4
Bon Homme 747 4
Brooking* 1,185
Brown Ml 5
Brnle 42s
Burleigh S06 :i
tBil lings 1
tBen*3D
tButte .... 1
tCampbell 1
Ca*s »,M4 10
Charles Mix 175 a
Clark 301
Clay 751 4
Codington 691
Cutter 82i 2
Davidson C79
Day £12 i
Dickey 228 3
Douglas* 197 2
Deuel 455
Lincoln 1,694
McCook 541
McLean
T°t*l
3
Edmonds 1
tKmmons
Faulk
tFoater
Grand Fork* 1,696 a
Grant 1,135
Grigg* 890 4
Hamlin.... 310
Hand 64S 4
Hanson 304 3
Hutchinaon 553
3
Hughe* £93
+Hyde
Kidder 300
Kingsbury 7J7
+Jerauld ...
Lake *3 3
LaMoure 91
Lawrence 2,603
11
1
HcPherson
Miner 1,183 0
Mercer
Minnehaha 1,605 7
Moody 717 4
Morton 341 2
tXelaon
Pembina 1,1#)
Pennington 459 3
tPotter
Ramsey
Ransom 637 4
Richland
tRoberts
tRoulette
tSanborn ....
tSargent
Spink 936 5
tStark
tSteele
Stutsman 747 4
tSully 1
tTowner .... 1
Traill Jest 1,688
Turner 1,043 5
Union ."JfT. 726 4
Walsh 2,158 10
tWal worth
Yankton 749
4
Note—The counties marked with a have been
organized since the election of 1883.
E. P. WILIS.
C. T. MCCOY,
F. A. 6OODTKOOVTZ,
I. W. CALBWII.L,
Q. W. Haws*,
WILLIAM BKIKXSR,
W. H. Cvmrr.
A. J. PLOWMAN,
H. M. Gun,
A C.BeuKD,
JOB* FADDIV,
Ivan LAKSOX,
H. F.Maxaa,
B.W.BKWO*,
W. F. STKBLB,
Tenitorial Central Committee.
A. \V. KDWABDS. 1. P. WILLS,
S««t*ry. w: Chairman.
March 24,1884.
Tbe Alert is reliably informed that a
$40,000 three story brick hotel will be
built in this city, for which the plans are
already decided upon, and upou which
work will be commenced in a abort tun#.
We are not authorized to rtirleat tbe
proprietors of the enterprise but Uwre is
no doubt that it» genuine and will be
pushed through to completion as early as
possible. There need be no further un­
easiness by our citizens on this subject.
'tei