The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-07-23
In The Open Forum
A Column Devoted TO the Task OF
Keeping Up With North Da-
kota Editors.

The Steele Ozone wants a more
rigorous treatment of German spies
and other enemies of the country
and advocates It thusly:
The government has q lot on
its hands these days. but IL win
head of more trouble that Is on
the way IL Il will call a halt on
it's milksop, mushy policy In
dealing with spies, German
agents, disaffected citizens lin
ing up with the enemy. rec
reants. suffrage pickets and I.
W. w. agitators. Either put
them at hard labor under armed
guard, or deport the whole
caboodle 10 Germany to fight,
work or starve. Better act now,
for the dragon Is Matching a
noisome brood.
The Litchville Bulletin quite neat.
ly disposes of one critic of the gov.
eminent thusly:
We are in receipt Of a letter
from a subscriber quoting our
editorial about war from last
weeks paper, and asking this
question: Will The Bulletin tell
me II the power to declare war
will be taken from the hands Of
war-crazy presidents too?" The
answer is easy. No president in
the world has the power to de-
clare war and least of all, our
president. Our present war was
declared by congress, and con-
gress is composed Of more than
500 men from every state in the
union, and men who are elected
by the people themselves. The
question asked appears innocent
enough. but reading between
lines, we see the ugly head Of
sedition rearing itself.
The Bismarck Tribune comment!
on the appointment OF Chancellor
Michaelis in this manner:
II cablegrams are to be relied
. upon, it ought to be easy for :
Georg Michaelis TO slide into
his Job as German chancellor.
All that the reichstag is going to
ask him to pledge himself to is
this: -.
Peace without annexations
and indemnities: freedom OF the
seas; no economic blockade at
ter the war; no carrying Of the
hatred Of war into peace.
All of these things have got
beyond Germany's control, as
Georg knows, If he is at all
posted, and agreeing to them is
about likely merely agreeing to
draw his pay.
The Grand Forks Herald has THU
comment on recent evidences o.
socialism in Minnesota:
Real socialism, the scientific
kind, does not necessarily in
fvolve disloyalty. At least there
is nothing in the tenets adj
vanced by the most eminent So
cialists which, on its face, is
inconsistent with good citizen
ship while the individual is
working in a lawful manner for
the success of the principles
which he has espoused. But it
is a noteworthy fact that social
ism even Of this kind is apt to
degenerate into warfare against
government in general. In actual
practice the dividing line be-
tween socialism and anarchy is
so tortuous and so family traced
as to be invisible in many
places.
There are many people in the
country who have had leanings
toward socialism as enunciated
by the great thinkers of that
school who have, in the present
situation, cause for sober
thought. They will find. If they
are thinking men, that there is
warrant for a REORGANIZATION OF
the facts, and for careful taxi
10 ing of bearings before they COM
nit themselves further to the
general principles of socialism.
A tree is known in its fruits and
the fruits of socialism thus far
are not such as to inspire con-
fdence in the general doctrine.
The williston Herald has this
comment on good roads as the
small towns opportunity:
Good roads help small towns,
and they are the only phase Of
modern life that have that eff
feet. Railroads and most other
modern inventions kill the small
town and build up the great
cities, but all-the-year-round
roads turn the stream of wealth,
travel and business back toward
the rural centers. congress
man w. p. Borland of Kansas
City.
There is wisdom here for the
contemplation Of the small
town. Good roads are the means
by which the small town may win
back much of its old-time pros
perity and importance.
For the first time Louis was hear