The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1917-01-11

Bismarck, N. d. Jan. TO-
North Dakota's farmer legisla
ture is getting into action
While it is proving as inter
esting as was expected no fire
works have started, as yet
This fact, however. is no as
surance that there will not be
aplenty, within the next week
The battle lines are beine
drawn up, and that With the
greatest strategic skill anc
generalship yet observed in E
political battle. On the one
side is the Nonpartisan League
hosts, being marshalled by the
same marvellous diplomacy and
whipped into fighting shape
with the same remark able effec-
tiveness that characterized its
wonderful sweep of North Da-
kota politics. On the other
side are the remnants of the de-
feated, outgeneralled and de-
vastated army ofreactionaryism,
being rallied and welded to:
gether for the last, desperate.
temporary stand. They con-
sist of the holdover senators S
who by virtue of having es-
capped an accounting with their
constituents at the last election
have concluded that they owe
nothing to them and seem de-
termined to disregard and dis
respect the wishes of those CON
stituents as indicated by the
votes at the primary and gener-
al election.
They appear blinded by pre-
,judices or something more
substantial and to be wholly
out of sympathy and out of tune
with the spirit of the times.
That tremendous forces are at
work is admitted. IF the pro-
gram of the Nonpartisan
Lea que is put into effect it
means the first fair and honest
test that public ownership in
the industrial field mas ever had
in this nation. If it succeeds,
as it will, the same movement
will spread like a conflagrat-
ion in an oil factory. The
big corporations of the country
know this better than anybody.
1t is not to be wondered at,
then, that heaven and earth
will be moved to, if possible.
prevent or at least delay this
honest and fair test.
On the other hand it is ex
pected that tremendous pres
sure will be brought to bear
upon the exceedingly few upon
whose shoulders will fall the
blame for having blocked the
game. The responsibility will
be easily placed and that those
guilty will pay for it in COM
pound interest goes without
saying. The eyes of the state
and the nation are upon this
legislature and any man who
because he escaped going to
the voters last fall and getting
their approval, by virtue of be-
ing holdover, will find this
an uncomfortable tate in which
to reside.
Theinaugural ceremonies held
Tuesday were simple in the ex-
treme. Ex-Governor Hannas s
exaugural speech was long, dull
and dry. It consisted of a de-
fence of the administration
which by the juggling OF
figures showed that the financi
al conditions of the state was
in much worse condition
when his predecessor turned it
over to him than it is now. 1t
also consisted of quite a bit of
good advice-some really good
recommendations. being most
ly stolen thunder from the Lea
que thunderstorm. Mr.. Han
ma, as he became private citizen
did not appear to enjoy the
distinction. Cold as marble
shaft at midnight, feelin gless
as surgeons knife, severe as
the architecture of a skyscraper,
as unsympathetic as Co.'S
sacks lash and with a smile
that squirmed and writhed and
developed into a snarl he stood
biting off his words in tones
that huttered down upon the
audience like frost flakes when
the mercury stands at fifty be-
low.
And yet he was an object of
pity and not of bitterness. To
see a man of intelligence and