Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-06-05
AM open Letter:

0lCkneSe, sores ana wounds are 0l0.
agreeable things to look upon: but a
physician. II he will properly serve
his patients, must look upon these
things and study them.
Personalities are odious, ~falsehoods
arc repugnant; but IL a man wishes to
serve his state he must. at times. deal
In personalities and reveal falsehoods.
! dislike to deal in personalities; L
dislike to call a man a liar. BY so
doing I may hurt my business and lose
some Of my friends.
discover that certain individuals have
been dealing in falsehoods. These In
dividuals say that they represent the
farmers of this late. They say that
they want to get full control of this
state. They propose, in case they get
full control Of this state in 1918. to
bond the state for three hundred mil
lion dollars and use the money to
huild flour mills, packing house
plants. terminal elevators and cold
storage plants.
II q man asks for employment in
my bank I first look up his past rec
ord before I allow him to handle the
funds Of the bank. If his past record
shows me that he has been dishonest.
reckless. q sp%eculator and has refused
to pay his honest debts I will not en-
ploy hat man.
That is surely good business.
Suppose certain individuals ask for
the custody Of the funds of this state
to be used in establishing industries.
Is it not the part of wisdom to inves-
tigate the moral character Of these
men?
If 1t is good business for the cashier
Of q bank to refuse to employ o man
whose past life shows him to have
hnAn s,ruyo~fHNv ~ >~EI@NN - IL mt
good business for the farmers and vot-
ers Of this state to refuse to elect to
office men whose past records shows
them to be unworthy of confidence.
1 am no farmer. the farmers have
the right to elect whomsoevere they
will as officers of a farmers organiza-
ton and pay whatever dues they may
desire to pay o the running OF that
organization.
I am a voter and citizen Of this
state. I W property in this state.
When a so-called farmers organi9a-
ton. or any other organization. pro-
poses a legislative program that. to
the best OF my belief, after careful in
vestigation. will result in bankruptcy
to the state and bring financial ruin
and distress to the farmers and BUSH
ness men of this state then I feel In
duty bound to expose the shame and
AoASVAAOouo VI AC 1OduCIS " ! S1k0S VI
ganization and point u the ruin that
will come to the farmers and busi-
ness men il they follow those leaders.
BY taking this course Of action, I
realize that I may hurt my business
and may lose some good friends who
are farmers.a.I do it only from a
sense of duty to my state and because
I am a friend Of the farmer. I prefer
to tell the farmer a disagreeable
frv1th Nynuy no ~ nv kho- 500 h{~n ~n PnW-
ward and learn by bitter experience
what he must know sooner or later.
I believe that the character Of all
great movements and also Of political
parties cam, to great degree. be judg-
ed by the character of the men who
are thrust forward as leaders OF those
great movements.
The great Puritan revolution Of
ENGLAND produced its Cromwell. q
harshness and severity but who was
just and incorruptible.
The great French revolution, that
began in attacking and overthrowing
kings and mobiles Ind ended by at
lacking and trying to overthrow re-
ligion and faith in God. produced the
despotism of N~apoleon-a mar whose
word was only to be relied upon
when it was to his, own selfish interest
~ hSSp LAX pAOHiAb0s a uidIl wAV pOS
his faith in heavy .batallions and
learned too. late that that faith. was
misplaced. That revolution that start
ed with those n phrases Of Liberty,
Equality Inc Fraternity wound up in
a %despotism. because justice, truth
and Righteousness had been ignored.
OF Socialistic asitators retain control
in Russia a return of despotism is GER
tain there.)
In our own country the revolution
brought George Washington to the
front, a man whose honesty has be-
come proverbial. A man who served
his country without monetary reward,
but who received the invaluable re-
ward Of being idolized by the country,
The anti-slavery controversy pro-
duced a Lincoln. again a man whose
honesty has become proverbial. A
man who exercised sanity Jof. judg-
ment and charity and vet was Arm
as flint lin pursuing the course that he
thought was right.
In this present conflict o raging
In North Dakota it will do anybody