Denver labor bulletin., 1917-09-01

John NJ. Baer, who was sent on his
way to Washington by 5000 plural
ity, is not a lawyer gone to join the
$50 other lawyers in our national as
sembly. Instead, he is cartoonist on
Fargo newspaper, says the Kansas
City Star. He was educated as a
civil engineer, took fling at farming
and became interested in politics thru
the cartoonist's necessity for studying
current affairs. If he had been a
year younger than his twenty-five
years he could not have been admit
ted to the house of representatives.
Naturally, the young men were for
him. Drainage engineers spoke for
him because they thought his technical
training would be of use in discussing
public improvement projects. Car
toonists and artists sent drawings for
travelling exhibit boosting his cause
one newspaper humorist gave up his
job to go out and give illustrated
speeches for him. In the Fargo Cour-
ier-News all Baer's drawings bore the
union lakeland the workingman was
favorably inclined.
Proved Himself Farmer.
Then there were the farmers, whose
lot he once had shared in his brief
twenty-five years of life. The Repub-
lican and Democratic candidates
sought to impeach his record on the
soil. Why, they charged, he made
himself the laughing stock of the
community by covering a wagon load
of fax TO protect it from the frost. 1t
seems that fax is impervious to chill
and the charge was a grave one to
make in that agricultural district. 1t
appeared at one time that Mr.. Baer
could not survive this indication that
he was untitled TO sit in the national
councils
But Baer got out his artists crayon
and drew picture Of the farm wagon
driving thru terrific wlndstorm. The
tarpaulin, he proved to all within hear
ing or sight, was necessary to pre-
vent his harvest from blowing away.
Having thus displayed a statesman
like ability for explaining away dam
aging evidence, the race was conceded
to the young nonpartisan.
An Oratorieal Pencil
As a political drawing card all the
old party oratory could not equal Mr..
Baer's chalk talks Farmers would
drive fifty miles to see the young feller
draw those pictures-crude hkenesses
of anything from state owned grain
elevator to a fat Minneapolis miller
gouging the men who raised the wheat.
In vain the Democratic candidate
adopted a Norwegian accent and spoke
of his scandinavian parentage. With
out avail did the Republican aspirant
assure the farmers that they were be-
ing misled by such socialistic ideas as
state-owned -four mills and packing
houses.
The day before the election thou
sands of farmers in motor cars called
on their bankers, merchants and fel-
low citizens in the cities and urged
them to vote for John NJ. In some
places motor parades were formed
with 100 machines filled with farmers
wives and children. At each town
stop was made and the nonpartisans
whooped it up for Baer for congress.
g One of these professions started with
fifty machines at Buxton and when IT
reached Grand Forks more than 100
were in line.
Now a National Force.
Baer's election marked the entry of
the National Nonpartisan League into
national politics. Lively interest was
manifested thruout the nation because
the league has now spread into eight
states-kansas, Missouri and Nebras-
ka among them-with total member
ship of 100000, nearly half of which
is in North Dakota.
Baer was the only candidate who did
on the issues that are before the
American people. He stood for the
interest of the working people of the
nation, he said. the producers of the
farms and cities To quote one of his
newspaper supporters: "Baer stands
for fair play and justice within the
nation and for upright and generous
conduct on the part of this nation IN
its relations with other nations. He is
II -s..,. a. l.a
meaning of the words, Humanity first
He stands for those ideals, within and
without the nation, that are pro
claimed to the world as the reason for
Americas entry into the war, and its
aim in the war"
Would Conscript Wealth.
The attitude of Mr.. Baer was clearly
set forth in speech Mt Grand Forks,
where the belief was expressed that
the war should be financed by taxation
of war profits rather than by loans.
The speaker said: THE president of
the United States, supported by some
of the senators and larger number
of representatives, has for several
weeks been engaged in mortal combat
with representatives of big business
interests. In a battle to attempt to
pass n taxation bill that will prevent
the making of $4,000 100000 worth of
war profits in single year, they are
making the biggest fight that men ever
made for your protection, and so far
they have not been able to win.
Until the forces in congress against
whom the president and his friends
are now fighting have yielded to the
demands of the people, l will be COM
PEELED to believe, so far as they are
concerned, that this is n war for
profits, and not war for liberty and
| d,n,n,racv so far ns they are con-