Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1917-06-21
Editor The Saturday News:

gEQltOr Ihe SdIur0ay News:
Permit me to express approval and
appreciation Of your editorial in the
News of June IL. a marked copy Of
which someone has been kind enough
to send to me. What you have said
in reply to the structures which Mr..
Void has leveaed against the farmers
of this district, and especially against
those who are members of the Ma
tional Nonpartisan League, is perfect
ly true and sound sense But there is
another point, equally sound and
quite as important to the farmers OF
South Daota, to be mentioned in the
same connection and which you oEer-
looked. ut is the charge Of treason
which Mr.. Wold has made against the
farmers. ON account of the position
taken by those who are League mem
bers. Allow me space to discuss
that, please. siisg
no MI Wold,s charge that the
farmers are apathetn towards the
Liberty Loan and that this is due, in
no small measure, To the efforts Of
the National Nonpartisan League to
defeat the sale Of the Liberty bonds,
the League replies, Emphaticaliy, that
the charge is false. We are as patri-
5otic as any other class of citizens, but
we do not consider that patriotism
requires us to lose our sense and sux-
fer ourselves to be guided BY the
advice pf such gentlemen as Mr. Nv old
TO fhe patriot lis not the same
thing as to be sheep; not vet,
The National Nonpartisan League
does not oppose the sale of the Lib
eTty bonds nor any other of the steps
taken by the government to prosecute
the war We do claim and exercise
the right, and we consider it q patri-
oIic duty, to present another view
| point than that of Mr.. Woid; the
viewpoint, namely, Of farmers in the
Northwest. The League and its
speakers publicly urge that the gov
ernment adopt policy which, in our
opinion, will serve Better to cOncen-
trate all the forces and resources of
the nation on the task of bringing
the war to an early and successful
conclusion, and this policy it is which
has stirred the ire of Mr.. Void and
/ his kind. 1t hurts the most sensitive
nerve OF his kind of patriots.
The ppssident of Hhe League, Mr..
~. Townley, IN a recent speech at
Grand Forks, and again at James;
! town, said You are told it is your
patriotic duty to buy these bonds II
the war cannot be financed in any
other way, it is your patriotic duty
1 to buy these bonds But il we think
there is a better way, are we to be
] prevented from proposing it?
& < x
nThe National Nonpartisan League
proposes what we believe to be a bet
ter way, that is to use the same
method of raising money as is used in
raising men--to. conscript the money,
the same as human life is conscripted
for war duty.
sIt has been shown through gov
eminent sources that thousands Oh
Corporations have made immense pro
fits as a direct result of the war, and
are continuing to make millions and
millions from our people and our Eu.
ropean alliesth the suffering and
bleeding nations that are now fight
ling in defense of world democracy.
The making of these immense profits
makes it more dfficult for us to win
the war, and is working hardship
HUI Oily upoil oui9 diiACo III upou9 ouI
own people who are forced to pay ex-
1orbitant prices for the necessaries Of
life.
I'VE demand that profit making
cease during the war, and that the
war be financed by the CONSUMPTION OF
these profits. We believe that this
4 is a better way to finance the war (
Such, in brief, is>our position and
demand, but back of this are two
things: the psychology of farmers,
and some palpable and significant