The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1915-02-11
A Disgraceful Episode.

Grand Forks Herald: The attack
made on North Dakota legislators at
a meeting held for the purpose of
granting to representatives of the So
ciety of Equity the courtesy OF a hear
ing before the entire membership was
one of the most d%isgraceful episodes
in the history of the state, and the
man Lotus, in taking advantage of
the position in which the courtesy OF
the legislators placed him to hector.
bully, and browbeat the men who were
sent to the Legislature as the represent
tatives of the people of this state, was
an exhibition of gross impertinence
and supreme presumption seldom par.
alleled.
The legislature two years ago d.
rected the board, OF control to investi-
gate the feasibility of the plan for
some time advocated for the state of
North Dakota to build one or more
terminal elevators outside the state,
and to report at this session. The
board followed it's instructions. 1t
investigated in person, it held hear.
ings, it listened to statements made by
advocates of the elevator plan, as we'll
as to those made by its opponents. 1t
collected facts and figures, and on the
basis of the information which it has
gained, it presented to this legislature
one of the most complete and exhaus-
tive reports, and one of the most mod
crate in its form of statement, that has
ever been placed before a North Da-
kota legislative body. The board con-
cluded, from the facts which we're pre-
sented, that the building of the pro-
posed elevators would not be good
policy for the state, that the enter
prise would involve the expenditure
of a very large sum Of money with
strong prospects of dnan~ial loss, and
hat there was no reason to believe
that it would result in any relief to
the farmers Of this state from condi-
lions in the grain trade of which they
complained.
On Tuesday the two houses of the
legislature adjourned and attended in
a body the meeting which was held for
the purpose of having set forth the
views of certain advocates of the ele-
vator scheme. And thereupon this
man Lotus, regardless of the condi-
tons under which he spoke, regard
less of the demands of ordinary de-
ceney in the intercourse of man with
man, and, more important than all,
regardless of the fact that he was
speaking to and about members of the
highest governing body in the state,
who represent the states sovereignty
and dignity, launched out into a
TRADE which could not have been more
violent and abusive had it been ad-
dressed to a gang of convicted horse
thieves.
There was no allowance for any
honest difference of opinion. There
was no admission that men who had
not yet decided might honestly be
seeking information. And there was
the bald statement that members who
were not prepared to vote as Mr.. Lof-
tus demanded that they should vote
were sold out to corrupt interests.
And who is this Lotus, anyway
And how does it come that he assumes
to take their work out Of the. hands of
the legislators, and to instruct the
people Of North Dakota. through their
governing body, what they shall do
and what they shall not? He 10 q pol.
itician resident in another state, who
by virtue OF a glib tongue and persist
emit and pernicious agitation when az.
itation would serve hls purpose, has
landed himself in a fat job and seeks
to fatten 1t still further. He ha, tray,
eled over the northwest preaching to
certain of his hearers that all other
men are rascals. He has exerted an
influence that is entirely vicious, and
he has been able to bully, wheedle and
cajole SO successfully that he has Sc
cured a following which has pulled
him up with a n of his own impor-
lance end led to the exhibition of
Tuesday.
There was, In the indignation Of the
moment, talk Of citing Lotus for con-
tempt. This speedily subsidized. It is
better so. The man richly merits pun
ishment for his insult to the state and