Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1909-08-12
NORWAY.
pertaining to Norway is of

I'LL Nv rest to Observation-Disclosures
m. 00litical developments, and / be-
We hat the most acceptable reading
q that l can present here this
80 an article from the pen of a
"a Norwegian political observer.
be Ar<1cle, sent out from Christiania.
.yss
The socialistfc tendency which en-
red into our politics through the Lat
democrats land meeting at Gjoyik
January is rather unnational.
Quite unnatiOnal, when it attacks
he owners right to land. The old
Norwegfans acknowledged this owners
right in it's widest range. Amy SUI
preme right of King or state, never
existed. Right to appropriate another
mans property with them existedNonly
under very limited circumstances and
special conditions. There existed no
universal obligation to deliver ones
property on public demand, and If the
law allowed it, it also allowed recon-
pense.
This is the old national ownership
right on which our lands development
Is founded, and which Is further es-
tablished in paragraph los of our
Fundamental Law, says Ugen's Nyt.
From this old national tendency
there is in our times a departure,
member Of our present government,
Statsraad Castberg, led the Labor
democrats meeting on January 9. He
gave new life to a party that was
ready to fall to pieces. He got the
old leaders to bring out their dust COW
cred records, and reconstructed a
party group of which he himself might
become the leader.
1t would of course give him more
prestige on the political scale If he
was backed by his own party. The
only thing that this Castberg Labor
Party accomplished at it's meeting
the only thing at least that is now re-
membered-was that the annulment
of the Ownership Right" was taken
as the party's object, and that this
was to be accomplished within the
next so years.
At first after this meeting there was
general satisfaction In "Venstre's"
Press. All was well, But in the first
:. days of February the situation became
Y souded. The "Landsmandsforbun
ZxHlld a meeting in which minister
III giludsen took part. A criticism of the
IN istberg party's plans for the future
1Tas brought up by "Statstaad" Mellby
(which was responded to by Minister
x* Knudsen. He was in different situa-
tion. He could not defend this revo-
IN Mtionary program, he must take his
u stand against it, and this he did in a
mild disavowal of Castberg. He said,
The Hoire papers say that Castberg
rules the government, that the Demo
Gratis rule Castberg, and consequently
the Democrats rule Venstre's politics.
have never thought it worth while to
pay any attention to this. All who
are we'll versed in these affairs know
that 1T is the way of one party of max
ing the other party seem suspicious"
In this way Minister Knudsen spoke
quietingly to the assembly OF Lands
men. He was as before stated In a
difficult position. He could not openly
oppose the Castberg part, he there
fore added that Gin the principle he
agreed with Castberg. For example at
Spitsbergen-the unruled land, where
there is no ownership right to land"
AS time went on the situation grew
more and more unsatisfactory to the
land owners throughout the country.
The attitude of the government was
unexplainable A "Justitsminister'
who would help to sustain a political
party that would do away with owner.
ship right to land, and states min
h lister that takes the opposite view but
declares himself to agree with him in
the principle. What kind of govern.
ment is that? Something must be
done. On the End Of May States Min.
/ lister Knudsen went up to Valders &C.
companied by the land agitator, Kleis
Gedde. Assuring words were spoken
to the people, and to make the situa
tion clear the minister sent, few days
later, an official article to the press in
Christiania, stating that, "Venstre does
/ not agree with the Labordemocrat's
platform In regard to the land owner
ship and the accompanying express
sions of the party"
n To us this declaration seemed al
first sight clear enough, but the gov
eminent papers, could not agree on
how it should be continued. They
were divided on how far the states
minister's declaration Of opposition te
the Castberg party went, both claim
ling the minister's acceptance Of theil
Explanations. The situation remained
The same. Something effective mus,
be done. A political meeting was held
u Hammar on the 9Th OF May This
time not only the states minister. bu1
also President Berner and Konow. the
leader Of the government party on the
Storthing were present. An effective
opposition to Castberg and the Labor
democrats should here be taken. Thu
states minister spoke first. but only
>c@>>.>es=>>.>e=
SWEDEN.
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