The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-07-25

A state with a huge grain crop and
correSpOndingly happy, a state with
the clean, broad spirit of the northern
prairies, a state with the ideals of a
shoulder-to-shoulder ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
a state should not be a difficult one to
swing into the equal suffrage column.
And yet North Dakota presents one Of
the hardest problems of any of the
seven campaign states.
The last legislature empowered the
citizens of North Dakota to vote on
universal suffrage next November,
"but such law. shall not be in force I'M
til adopted by a majority of electors
at a general election. This means not
a majority of those voting on the
amendment, but Of those voting at the
election. Despite this handicap, the
~suffragists are confident.
At the same legislature al amend
ment was also passed, in case the bill
fail in 1914, that the question shall
again be submitted to legislative &C
ton and then come before the people
for simply majority vote in 1915.
The labor problem of the state is es-
sentially one Of handling the crops,
and has been mainly, up to the pres.
ent time, taken care Of by the tran
sient harvest hands who move from
south to north with the crops, and
winter in the woods Of Minnesota.
With no factory element to consider,
no strong liquor element, good avs
fight becomes chiefly one Of overcom-
ing Indifference.
North Dakota a a population, ac-
cording to the 1910 census, of SIT, 900.
about eight to the squar mile. OF this
number it is said TO per cent are
Scandinavian, with a few Germans
and German Russians in the west.
With few onIIfoofIIrin mo inforncfo +ha
entirely people are essentially close to
the land. either owning or working the
farms, or closely touching and depend
ing on the farmer. In probably no
state in the union is the cror. watched
and discussed SO universally, and it's
good or bad outcome so directly felt
by the entire people. Prohibition is a
part OF he state constitution: and It's
incorporation and strong enforcement
is due In no little degree to the Scan
dinavian farmer element.
Fargo, the largest city, is scarcely
over seventeen thousand, so there are
none of the problems arising from
congestion. Being comparatively a
newer state, the laws are based on
those Of California and New York.
The people have inherited many Of
the more progressive measures of
those states without having realized
oily IA LAC OIL hSShC ~ So1A S11SLA1s
There is much to hope for from the
large Scandinavian element in the
state. Realizing the progress their
people are making in the old country,
they are 10th to accept less here. The
state was formerly largely republi-
can, but the last three general cleo
tions have shown great freedom of
choice and no close adherence to
party lines. The leading candidates
on all tickets this year have declared
for suffrage. II, .# &.
At the Graingrowers' convention
held in Fargo in January, composed of
some 1900 representative men of the
state, resolutions were passed endors-
ing m suffrage. The Federated
Women's clubs of the state number
something over a hundred. the ma
jority of them keeping in touch with
the social and civic work Of the day.
Endorsements.
The suffrage movement in North
Dakota has been endorsed by the
republican party, the progressive
the state democratic organization, the
state Educational association, the
state socialist organization. the labor