The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-05-02

Bismarck Tribune: We remember
during the silver campaign some fiji
teen years ago, silver was pictured as
a beautiful and winsome maiden and
gold as a dark-browed and villainous
ruffian. One of the favorite cartoons
was that of silver being beheaded by
the ruffian gold, her life blood staining
her garments and the preparation of
this unholy crime thus alphabetically
pictured was designed to create ha-
tired of gold and a liking for silver.
The basis of the whole picture was
wrong. Silver was a metal-not a
maiden. Gold was ,-''other metal
not e. ruffian. The question before the
people was not the remedying of on in
jury tat had been done to silver-as a
metal or a maiden. 1t was simple
question of economics-but the clever
and ingenious cartoons in behalf of
the fair maiden silver were designed to
arouse that sympathy that is ever
waiting in the human mind to be
aroused-and to make votes for sill
yer.
The Grand Forks Herald adopts
the same tactics in its campaign in
behalf of insurgency in this state.
Ii an editorial a day o. so ago it
condemns the "machin-" s something
unholy and unrighteous-a juggernaut
that the whole machine" must be
b, bies beneath its feet-and declares
that tibet whole machine" must be
smashed to everlasting smithereens, if
the people are to be saved from getting
ru.. over. All of which is an appeal
to the prejudiced of those voters who
may be influenced by such oblique
arguments in favor of insurgency and
against the republican organization and
it is a clever appeal, as was the silver
cartoon. AS a matter of fact, a ina
chine" is what the fellows who are
out call the organization of the fell
lows who are in. 1t is merely the
working organization of the majority.
The insurgents in this state who were
not in the recent combination of in
surgents by which a ticket was select
ed will cheerfully assent to the name
machine" as applied to the organiza-
ton insurgents.
If the voters heed The Herald's dec
laration that the machine" must be
smashed, then what shall we have?
pure democracy, where all the peo-
pie meet and vote in favor of this or
that measure7 Or shall we have an or
ganization of the fellows who got
themselves elected and another "ma-
chine?" Very probably the latter The
majority is compelled to organize for
the enactment of legislation. 1t agrees
upon a policy of government and car
ries 1t out through an organization.
Damning the machine" is merely
another way Of creating prejudice, and
is about of piece with charging ev-
cry man who is in office with being a
representative of the interests" The
office seekers who are making a cam
paign will find 1t very easy to damn
the ''machine'' and urge the voters to
defeat the men who are in office. thus
making places for the fellows who are
out and want to get in. But will the
machine" be smashed, or will it's
leaders be changed merely? There
will always be political organization.
And it will not do to say that voters
of this state shall defeat the men
who have been Loyalty republican and
who have sought to carry out the,
pledges of the party merely because
they have realized that the only way
they could be carried out was through
working organization of the major
ity.
We have had many glittering gener-
alities appealing to the prejudice of
the voters Now let US have some.
hard and fast facts showing the people
of this state how they have been in
jured by carrying out Of the .repub-
lican policies. Let us have some speci-
fic instances of damage. Let the in
surgent papers explain why high
priced wheat and corn and oats and
pork and beef should not be tolerated
by the farmers of this tate. Let us
hear why railroad construction to the
extent of thousands Of miles is a
detriment to the farmers. Let us learn
why ready employment for labor at
good wages is a curse. Let us have
some clear light on these questions,
and less general talk about evils that
do not exist and have not existed ex-
cept in the vivid imaginations Of Office
seekers.
Bismarck Tribune: The esteemed
Walsh County Record, of which Grant
s. Hager is the editor, seizes upon the
Tribune's recent comment on the de-
feat IF Aldridge for congress in New
York, and declares The Tribune's COM
ment is not in keeping w. > its politi-
cal attitude, and self righteously In
sists that The Tribune has been seek
ing to foist upon the people of the
state candidates unworthy of support,
even as AldridRe was IN New York