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North Dakota Citizen's Clean Court Committee Records

 Collection
Identifier: Mss 93

Scope and Contents

The North Dakota Citizens Clean Court Committee Records consist of subject files dealing with the work of the committee in opposing the nomination of Andrew Miller as federal judge. These include: memorandum on the organization of the committee; membership list; correspondence; telegrams; biographical material on Miller; depositions; documents regarding Miller’s legal practice; documents on his involvement with Stark County officials; and documents placed before the Subcommittee of the U.S. Senate’s Committee on the Judiciary.

Dates

  • 1921-1922.

Creator

Access

The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the NDSU Archives.

Copyrights

Copyrights to this collection are held by the NDSU Archives.

History

The North Dakota Citizens Clean Court Committee was established in Fargo, North Dakota in 1921. The purpose of the group was to actively oppose the confirmation of Andrew Miller as Federal Judge for North Dakota. The group consisted of a number of politicians and newspaper publishers from across the state. The Clean Court Committee charged that Miller, a former North Dakota Attorney General, was guilty of corruption. It was alleged that Miller had been paid by the Northern Pacific Railroad to lower taxes on its property. It was also charged that Miller had bribed several state legislators to lower the gas tax on behalf of the Standard Oil Company. Miller served as personal attorney for prominent North Dakotan Alexander McKenzie. The Committee charged that Miller was guilty of helping McKenzie corrupt a federal judge in Nome, Alaska. Miller was also accused of being “neutral or negative” during World War I. Miller’s nomination was supported by a number of prominent citizens, including former North Dakota Governor John Burke, North Dakota Senator Porter J. McCumber, Senator E.F. Ladd, and Judge Charles Amidon, who Miller was to replace on the federal bench. Despite the efforts of the Committee, Andrew Miller was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 2, 1922. He served as a Federal Judge until he retired in 1941. He died in March, 1960.

Extent

.4 Linear Feet (.4 linear ft.)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The North Dakota Citizens Clean Court Committee Records consist of subject files dealing with the work of the committee in opposing the nomination of Andrew Miller as federal judge. These include: memorandum on the organization of the committee; membership list; correspondence; telegrams; biographical material on Miller; depositions; documents regarding Miller’s legal practice; documents on his involvement with Stark County officials; and documents placed before the Subcommittee of the U.S. Senate’s Committee on the Judiciary.

Provenance

Donated by Judge John C. Pollock, 1954 (Acc. 158).

Property rights

The NDSU Archives owns the property rights to this collection.
Title
Finding Aid to the North Dakota Citizen’s Clean Court Committee Records
Description rules
Appm
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Institute for Regional Studies Repository

Contact:
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States