The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1910-03-10

Is the standard bearer for fax and
comes q second on wheat There are
no serious natural obstacles for rails
ing good crops. While the state was
a cowman's paradise we heard dire
stories OF dry spells and cold relays.
But these ISLANDERS have been mainly
disproven and today our state is q
neck ahead Of cereal producing states
because q great portion is virgin soil.
Vi There Is only another reason why
North Dakota suffers. There Is an
industrial evil somewhere, an eco
nomic condition that drives away tho
man behind the plow.
And there are few clans. When
the settler looks around for help to
make his proof, to- buy a team and
plow he Is met with q political in
equity that in the end will drive him
off his claim. And that Is the 18th
paragraph In section 6S Of the con-
stitutlon Of North Dakota. In speci-
flying what the Legislative assembly
shall not do 1t provides regulate the
rate, of interest" There ID that
cause that cause the blight on our
crops, and the whip that drives the
pioneer from his home. II
Minnesota has reclaimed her
swamps, brush land and hills. She
has created prosperous homes where
nature seemed adament. She has
done it by communicating political
grab snaps, with maximum ten per
cent rate and usury law. She has
given a poor man q chance to &C.
quire competency, and her prosper
ity today Is universal because she
gave the man with caloused hands
an opportunity to buy team and
plow without giving his claim for It
North Dakota cannot induce a set
tier to make his home on her rich
virgin soil, where the golden grain
waves welcome to bouncing crop.
She cannot because she permits polit-
ical graft in industrial piracy. With
II per cent interest and no usury
law, North Dakota is the roundup
for the highwayman Of the dollar
sign. " 49,. N1'.,R-r= rtr ~.
But this is not all. II the far
mer avoids the banks by breaking
the sod with his spade and cutting
the hay for his COW with his jack
knife, there Is still a political curse
over his SNACK. 1t is in the figures
OF the county treasurers' receipt. It
is there because In that political code
just named there Is also 4 section
217, otherwise known as the prohibi-
ton law. "@it@'r % a u
That clause makes political and
economic corruption possible. It
includes the Legislature to pass . Per.
NIT law that Is on its face uncon.
stitutiOnal. and to an intenta and
purposes anauls the object of the
constitution. 1t makes respectable
saloon possible 10 . prohibition state,
It, takes the healthy, vigorous non.
criminal citizen to the Lookup, aud
feeds him between the figures Of the
treasurer's tax receipt. II deprivss
municipal exercise of the police pow
or In regulating the liquor traffic. It
turns the profit Of an Illicit business
into private hands, instead Of into
the treasury for the public veal. It
drives the farmers from their farms
under tax sales, and bars the doo-s
for the laboring man, sti1ing enter.
prise aad manufacture Under SEC
tions 6 and sl7 North Dakota be-
comes BANKERS paradise, tho drug
stores Utopia and the farmers v11s
OF misery, q tiisrating to a state, rich
In her own. -TE3 .-eaNE aa,a SIS 80.
1t is safe to say that Of q popular
vote taken tomorrow 30 per cent Of
the people would uphold the proAibi-
ton law II We could have an abss-
Lutte state Of prohibition. But with
Interstate commerce regulated By con-
eress, with a permit law on our stat.
alto books, and host OF men that
esl justified for largo gains to violate
he Law openly. instead Of hiding ~
lind . technical and unconstitutional
,srmit, there would on the other hand
OS ~ pei SSll I'll AHlStitSSul No'So
asst against the prohibition clause.
1t 10 a closed question of the efici-
sncy OF prohibition. We have no race
question TO solve. And We give =
hang about a drunkard. There are
aow several booze healing sanitari.
ms In the state. At least We cannot
ford to sacrifice . state for . few
,torthless victims, that We cannot
ave even under q prohibition law.
is a fundamental constitutional Ak
ION that every man has the right to
3ersue his own course of happiness,
10 deprive = person of that right may
be approved for moral reasons. but
there is no economy nor law tot such
procedure.
Every states attorney could bank
rupt his county In the effort to ca
force prohibition. After prosecuting
blind piygers he can safely arrest
and prosecute 80 per cent Of appli-
cants on the permit slips Of the drug
4 =