The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, October 26, 1916, Page 11

- 000 o;cfiff.'d;eooQOQeq'odoeoeodoo_ooooooo‘ooooeoooooo.oo‘ooo,oo“oo‘doo‘o‘o‘oo‘o"oooooooooooqooooo‘oo‘o‘o‘o'b‘o‘i “THE PEOPLE OF NORTH DAKOTA ; and All\ Rey ,ubhcan Candndates Gl / O Ty s L S SRR ek e . : PAID POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT e 00000000000000000000000000000v.OO00000000000000000000.00000; OWE ME NOTHING, BUT | owe THE STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA EXPENSE} HONEST JOHN BURKE 3 Stand Up and Tell the Voters " HOW ABOUT THIS? John Burke, whlle govemor of North Dakota and durmg his term of office, signed a bill increasing: his salary $1500 per year and that of other officers from $400 to $750 per year. Burke, being an able lawyer, must have known that this was in violation of section 84 of the constltutlon Section 84 of the constitution reads as follows: “Until otherwise prov1ded by law, the governor shall receive an annual salary of three thous- and dollars * * * but the salaries of any of the said . - officers shall not be increased or diminished during the period for which they shall have been elected.” - This section is plain and was intended to prevent the ‘very thing that Governor Burke did and profited by. The fact that by subterfuge they called this increase of salary “personal expenses” does not alter the facts. The framers of the con- stitution were wise and in order to even prohibit this subter- - fuge, section 186 of the constitution reads as follows: ~ - “No money shall be paid out of the state treasury - except upon appropriation by law and on warrant drawn by the proper officer, and no hills, claims, accounts or demands against the state or any county or political subdivision shall be audited, allowed or .- paid until a full itemized statement in wmtmg shall be filed with the ‘officer or officers whose duty it may be to audit the same.” | But in the face of these constitutional restrictions, John ' Burke, then governor, increased- his salary and that of other officials by signing a subterfuge bill known as “House Bill 110,” which became chapter 216 of the session laws of 1909, and reads as follows: “Sec. 1. Personal Expenses of the Governor The governor shall receive the sum of one thousand _ five hundred dollars per annum for the purpose of defraying his personal expenses, such amount to be- payable monthly without the filing of any itemized statement . Provided that the provisions of this sec- ~tion shall not apply to govemors hereafter elected.” . officials - by subterfuge leglslators were conscious of this because it says, “the pro- State of North Dakota, Dr. You will note that this law provides for the payment without the filing of any itemized statement. But Burke, being an able lawyer, must have known that section 186 of the constitution quoted above, ploh1b1ts this. Burke must have known this was an attempt to raise his salary and that of other The provision itself shows that the visions of this section shall not apply to governors hereafter elected.” The governor apploved the above act on March 8th, 1909. It contained an emergency clause, and, if constitutional, would have been effective upon approval. unitemized expense was so great that the governor did not con- fine himself to drawing it from the date that he signed this unconstitutional act. On April 1st, 1909, he drew $375 for the first quarter. That is, he drew thls umtemlzed expense for January, Febru- ary and eight days in March, before he had signed the bill. df the act had been constitutional, which it certainly was not, he would have been entitled to twenty-two days expense ..on Apnl 1st, or $95.84. but he drew $375.00. The voucher madeé out and under which he drew this reads as follows: To John Burke, Governor. = Address: Bismarck, N. Dak. To annual personal expense appropriation under House Bill No. 110 to be paid monthly $1500.00 (Paid for first quarter only) 375.00 State of North Dakota County of Burleigh |ss. - T - I do solemnly swear that the thhm account and clalm is just and true and that I reside at Bismarck, North Dakota. (Signed) John Burke. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 2d day of April, A D. 1909 ‘ (Slg'ned) Carl O. Jorgenson, Notary Public. ‘The farmers of North Dakota should not be deceived by cam- paign speeches—let pubhc records and facts speak the truth - Vote for Hughes, McCumber —Republlcan State Central Commlttee ..Q ..'..QQ’QOO..6.0....Q“CO'.0....CQ...O.Q..O..0.0CQOQOC‘ $1500 UNITEMIZED AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL, The emergency to get this April 1st, 1909. 5 .Q..QQ..QQO....Q...O..Q.Q....0.0.....OC.0.0..O......OQ.QO..'.Q.Q..O...........0.00...0000