Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1888-03-03
ELECTRIC s~TATEsMANsHlP.

ELECTRIC CRAFTSMANSHIP.
The INTER, OCEAN warns the real far.
mers If North Dakota to beware of the
alleged farmers who have already begun
to shin up the political persimmon tree.
Nothing short Of a seat in the leglsla-
ture will satisfy some of the statesmen
who are nov tearing their throats with
eloquence and sitting up late at night
writing speeches designed to save the
farmer from everlasting d~estrualipn.
We have just finished reading a Tour
column article in an exchange written
by a man who claims to be q farmer.
He starts out with the proposition that
the farmers alliance is one Of the great
est institutions in the country. In this
the INTER. OCEAN agrees with him. He
then proceeds to lead the farmers out Of
their slough Of despond" into perpet-
ual agricultural bliss. He goes into a
sort of trance. as IL were, and wheat
jumps Immediately to 81 IL bushel. Far
mer's elevators spring up on every quar-.
ter section, and farmers railroads per-
meate the "wild and woolly west' as
thick as section lines E.ch road runs
out over the EIysian fields to a grand
trunk line which terminates finally at a
place supposed to be the territorial cap
ital, where every farmer is given Il gold
en- harp and a pair OF wings, and receives
credentials as q legislative angel. All
the old political hacks and schemers and
monopollsts and demagogs are trans.
ferred into devils with claws and forked
tails, and are banished, with their iron
spades and %shovels, to do grading on the
rocky road to hades. j..
All this pleases the INTER OCEAN
muchly. 1t makes us happy to sec the
farmers having such a jolly time of it.
We know that with wheat at 81 Il bushel,
some of the boys will pay us 81 in adj
vance for the paper. and with railroads
gridironing the whole country we'll get
an occasional free pass, regardless of the
interstate commerce law. 1t also makes
us happyt to see the schemcrs and dem
agogs banished. They should have been
exiled long ago.
But the writer Of this four.column
article does not stop here. lie goes on
with his reforms with such rapidity and
ease that the readers head becomes
dizzy. He disposes of the surplus in d
single sentence, distributing it amongst
the Dakota farmers with Il lavish hand.
He tackles the high seas like a tempest
and re-establishes our merchant marine
in a t~winkling, winding up with Il sol
emn invocation to his fellow farmers to
exercise great care in chosiug momoers
of the next legislature.
This Moses, who assumes merely to
point out the course by which the real
farmers may find their way out of the
wilderness, leaves his lightning rod l n Il
position to attract the legislative light
ming. The inference intended to be
drawn from his article is that he is the
inspired agent through whom the real
ization of his beautiful dream may b.
had. In other words. he il playing tn
: demagog, and, what is still worse, h
attempts to use the farmers alliance a
a stepping stone upon which he ma!
mount to the summit Of his politica
ambition.
>, As tho INTER OCEAN understands tn
farmers alliance. it is not a politica
: machine. 1t was not intended that
should be used to advance the persona
aspirations OF the political s%elfseeke,
1t was not intended to be used as a polil
ical derrick to hoist certain individual
into Office. But, in our opinion, it is i,
! tended to better the condition of genuin
farmers.
, When the people Of North Dakot
choose men to make laws for them the
should be careful to. select those VIII
have built up regulations for trutt
honesty, frugality and industry. TIL
fellows who 60 about the country say
ing the air with eloquent c%esticulation
building elevators and railroads Xix
magic, dlsposing of. the surplus in
breath, stocking the seas with ships b
a wink, and controlling the affairs Of tn
world generally by simply turning a Ii
tie crank, are too smart for this age.
They should be picked and kept owe
for future use-when the rest Of til
world catches up with them.