The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, May 11, 1916, Page 7

5 ~ . are the proper kind of men—good T AFFORDS me pleasure to ac-: I cept the opportunity given me by the editor to address readers of the Nonpartisan Leader on questions of public interest and concern. - I first want to express my gratifica- tion at having received the indorse- ment of the Nonpartisan League in my candi for re-election to the office of secretary of state. That the indorsement came to me unsolicited and, I may say, unexpectedly, i source of no little: pleasure to me, The honor is doubly dear when it comes to one as this did. The fact that the indorsement came to me without any person or organiz- ation having made a est or de- mand for any sort of pledge or prom- ise from me as to my course, should I be re-elected, makes it easy for me me to accept the indorsement and con- vinces me that my services here as secretary of state have been generally satisfactory to a goodly nmumber of our people. S As secgtary ognestate { ,lmge tried my_best. to_give the people’s business the same careful attention as a farmer or gunerchant -might expect from- his employe. - Sometimes 1 have been ‘de~ pressed-by reason’ of the.Vicious and unwarranted attacks made upon :me ‘by.some’ qew_sra'pers .and individuals, : who were sorely .disappointed in their e S g A expéense,-.and 1 have thought: many times that the -people: generally. are quite ready and willing to believe anything nasty or bad that is said about: a man in public place, and that": : an honest -effort to serve the public squarely ‘and honestly is time ;and : and - goes unnotiéé!» : ener; andg forgotten. I have never allowed myself to conn S s mind however, and .- tinue long of thi have’become convinced that the peace of mind and the satisfaction which comes- to one by :duties well and honestly performed is reward enough for any man. The indorsement of such an organiz- ation as the Nonpartisan League, with 8 m 1ip- made up of thinkin men of all nationalities and of al litical beliefs, is a compliment that oes .not escape me and. strengthens me in the conviction that a contented mind and a clear conscience are suf- ficient rewards for work well-done and fixes my determination to con- tinue doing my best, should I be chosen to serve the people again. . - STATE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY - IS NOW TOO LARGE Since coming to the statehouse I have become quite familiar with the business of most-of the state de ments and the procedure followed in the legislative assembly and am thoroughly convinced, first of all, that our. legislative assembly is twice as large as it ought to be. It is too unwieldly, extravagant and erratic to be of the best service and value to the eople. I believe that the legislative istricts ‘should be enlarged and the representation ‘thus decreased and, in - a state such as North Dakota, where. the industrial and business interests, of each and every district are ident- ical, there can be no criticism or com- plaint to make against this plan. It would mean better legislation with less confusion ‘and at less. expense. I believe that the agricultural and laboring classes should take ‘a ‘more actiye interest in the. class of men they send to represent. them in ‘the legislative assembly.:- I believe that they should first be sure that the men who offer themselves as candidates men and true—and that when' men do satisfactory “service in the assembly they should be returned year, pending good service. : ending of men to the legisla-- I i a0 it fanils. tive assembly: with legislative usages gn}d parliamen- Bl year after - 25 The state house of representatives in session Secretary of State Hall Sees Need of Changes in Manner of Naming Officials 'BY THOMAS HALL Secretary of State, Indorsed by the Nonpartisan League for Re-election 4 BIOGRAPHY OF THOMAS HALL Born at Cliff Mine, Keweenaw County, Michigan, June 6, 1869. Parents were natives of Cornwall, England. Worked as drill boy and mill hand about the mines for several years. Came to North Dakota in 1883, the family settling on a homestead about eleven miles southwest of Fargo. His parents and a number of brothers and sisters still live.' ‘Was farm hand ahd railway employe until summer 1894. Attended Concordia college at Moorhead, Minnesota. Married and has four children. Worked as reporter on Fargo newspapers twelve years. ‘Was traveling salesman two years. Secre tary Progressive Republican league from 1906 to 1912, Interested extensively in ranching and farming in Oliver county. Secretary to Board ‘of Railroad Commissioners four years. - Now. serving. second reelection, "’ tary law and keeping them there dur- ing a sixty-day session, giving them a free course in law-making, but chang- ing to other men at the next election and educating them, but giving them no chance to do anything of value, is a mistake the people are making. - The large membership of the assem- bly and the confusion resulting from the many - diverse interests seeking ‘new or remedial legislation, has caus- ed the layman to question-the integ- rity of the party leaders..- Politicians have become secretive by the habit of the system. Debate has fallen out of fashion in_our legislative assemblies, ‘because of the large and unwieldy membership. ~ : : The business of the assembly must be done in committee or not at all. The measures are referred to the com- mittees, where they-are discussed and reports - prepared.. for the assembly. The meetings of these commitiees are seldom public except those directly or " privately interested attend and the matter coming before the meeting is And here’s ano _earned savings of years?—BO ' -ferm . as secretary of .state and cm'jxdid_a'te for _quo‘i_ooojoo’o_'oiooao‘oo.ooi‘oglo_o”ouoooiooooo'oo"_o.ioioo‘oogoooo-ooo . -, HANNA VINDICATED! “Governor Hanna vindicated-by the court,” says an ex- change. Does this make the Nonpartisan League any less necessary? Let th_ifi‘thought soak in. el ; : ther thought! Will Hanna’s “vindication” restore to the robbed depositors of the- edmagx)ank their hard A ..OQ.O..‘Q.‘....QO....'......' 3 ‘.....'.......0,... too much like a single item of the legislative session to attract attention or gain a mention in a néwspaper. I 'believe that the state constitution should be amended to provide for what is known as the short ballot and for the election of as few state, county and municipal officers as possible and that the term of office should be four years and also that the governor should. not be eligible for consecutive reelection.” = - el oy ; The "simpler you make politics the - more y and the more surely will the - whole people take part in' the affairs’ of = governiment. The more elaborate and complex you make politics the fewer the people who can afford the time and the energy to take part. There should be a reduc- tion in the number of elective offices. The short ballot is the short and simple way by ‘which we can return to “real ' reépresentative .government. It has'turned out that the methods of organization which lead to efficiency in government - are -also the ‘methods which give the people control. The ends of government by the people would be better attained if the voters had only had only to study and learn of the qualifications of a few candi« dates and then these men when elected held strictly accountable for the prop-« er administration of the people’s This plan would, I believe, increase efficiency in public offices, would give the office holder a better and more dependable .standing in the minds of the people and would increase the power of the voter. It would cer- tainly diminish the power of the pro=- fessional politician, the manipulator and the party boss. It would do away with the placing of hordes of clerks, stenographers and petty employes on the public pay roll by the political bosses so as to build up and maine tain a workable machine and perfect their schemes at the public expense. The impossibility of intelligent voting and of true representative government under the existing voting system and the rise to power of a political machine and the boss of it will all be done away with when the shorter ballot is used. = It is imperative that we maintain the secret vote to protect the voter against scrutiny or any kind of duress and coercion, direct or indirect. It may be necessary to have non-partisan nominations, but no secret or non- partisan device can .make it possible for the voters to use our present long ballot 'system intelligently. The voter cannot be certain that he picks out the candidate he wants to vote for or who will represent his party or interests, where there are such a multitude of offices to be filled, It is the size and variety of the ballot that perplexes and baffles to voters, be they ever so intelligent and anxious to vote for the best men. WORKMEN'’S COMPENSATION ACT NEEDED BY STATE The legislative assembly of 1911 -passed a law providing for the ap- pointment of a commission to investi- gate and report on the subject of legislation providing for the liability - of empleyers in compensation for in- jured workingmen. Governor Burke appointed Hon. D. B. Holt and Hon. M. N. Hatcher of Fargo and Hon. Fred G. Cleveland of Jamestown as such commission. The commission submitted assembly in 1913, in very complete detailed form, but there has never been any legislation introduced along this line and no action taken.on the report. The report-is in printed form and there are a few copies still avail= able. I believe that the state should take an advance step in this class of legislation. The rural credit system which has been found to be so Successful in European countries is now attracting considerable attention in' thé United. States and I believe that is will prove to be ‘of great benefit to all agricul« tural communities. ‘' In countries where it has been . established all agricultural pursuits have been placed on-a sound financial basis and land values have increased .wonderfully, I believe in the construction and maintainence of sublic highways -at public expense and for the enactment of such laws 'as will spread the ex- its report to the legislative - pense over a long term of ‘years, so that the people of today will not be taxed for the whole cost of making permanent improvements, which the people of decades benefitted by, - I shall be pleased to lend my sup- port to the enactment of smy laws of .the state and if-I.am reel can only promise to give the people’s business the same sort of ‘flttenfiolz'tga 2 ‘my I have been giving it during - service here in the capacity of o to come’ ‘will be s - that will be of bénefit to ‘the peoi)lg e R g SRS