The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1917-08-09
AN ENEMY OF THE FARMERS LEAGUE.

AN ENEMY OF THE FARMERS LEAGUE.
There should be no mistaking the purposes and objects of the orpanza
ton perfected at Bottineau o July goth.
The idea originated in the minds of well known enemies of the Nonparti
sn League-men who have left no stone unturned and no activity undone to
if possible, create distrust, suspicion and strife among the members.
The resolutions passed at the Bottneau meeting betoken a woeful ignor.
ance n the part of those who RI responsible for their being. Certain pro-
visions in the socaled House Bill a. are condemned-whne a; the same time
It'll quite evident that the trainers of the resolutions have either not read
this document, o. they do not understand it.
To illustrate: The resolutions condemn H. T. a. because it would "am
elect our " county, township and village officers and making them appoint
i've positions, in direct conflict with the spirit of democracy that pervades
House Bill "A provides that the legislative assembly MAY provide by law
tuition does not NEAR that this change would automatically 90 into force It
would merely make it possible, under the constitution, to adopt the so-caled
the union" Under the present constitution the short ballot cannot be adopt
ed in North Dakota, however much public sentiment might demand it.
The old bogie mn of the open saloon in North Dakota under Section "a
of the proposed constitution is again dragged into the imdight, the "resolu-
tionhts" expressing their conviction that this would pave the way" for the
pen saloon in the state To alleviate the fears of the antileague organiza-
non n courant will again give verbatim the prohibition clause in the pro-
"sec. 2@3. No person, association or corporation shall within the
state IT. ,s ms1ataetu IRE fr sale or gift smn an" iy Intoxicating liquors, and no per-
gift or keep Or sell or offer the same for sale, or gift, barter or trade
!" e might Tor the further enlightenment of the committee N resolutions
state that Oklahoma has had Section "a verbatim ain its constitution ever
political subdivision thereof" has engaged in the saloon business or attempted
to do 80. The fears of the organization n as groundess IS they ri indn-
Again the resolutions "view with alarm" the omission of the words "pat-
rotlsm and morality" from the constitution. But the "ants" al console
themselves with the fact that the nw constitution provides for "trmhfulness
temperance, purity, public spirit, and respect for honest labor of every kind"
This ought to sufficiently cover the moral code in the educatonal section
of the proposed constitution. And perhaps that is the way Senator sandstrom
felt about it when he voted AGAINST an amendment proposing inserting
patriotism and morality" in House Bill "a. Should anyone question the cor
rectness of tn senator's vote n this proposition he is respectfully referred
to page Is of the senate journal for the twenty-ninth day: In view of this
vote Of the senator it was perhaps in irony that the committee comnends his
valiant stand for patriotism and morality"
While the organization has nt even yet been dgnifed with a name, it's
methods ire almost identical with the late Good Government League the de.
funct "Ant-socialst Union" and the fake Nonpartsan League of Minnesota,
which closed it's doors last week.
1t is al effort o the part of enemies of progressive and reform legislation
to undermine and tear down the most splendid farmers organization the
worldh has ver seen. And the frantic maneuvers o. this little clique, oppos-
ing the wishes of the vast majority of voters. in Bottneau county, ire as
ludirous as they art futile.
That there is n general demand for IN organization Of this kind in Rot
tneau county is amply proven by the fact that by actual count only fotyfve
attended the county "mass meeting" which had been heralded far and WIDE
Out of this number many Of those present were league members and not at
all in sympathy with the move, while others were there under a miappre
henson, not understanding the true intent and purposes of the meeting.
The Courant is free to predict that the Organization "died abornin," in COM
n with its more auspGious predecessors.
Carl Vrooman, assistant secretary of agriculture, declares that the steel
trust is giving the government twice as MUCK trouble a. the Germans
for his reasonable utteraness.