The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-05-29

and paciflsts Of Minneapolis, according
to an Associated Press dispatch to The
Forum last evening.
Wholesale resistance to the draft"
II 1t involves a carefully planned agt-
tation, might be given another name
at a time like this. 1t could be spelled
t-r-e-a-s-o-n.
Many a good American was a paci-
fist up to the night of April 3, when
President Wilson appeared before con-
gress and read his historic message.
Many a good American opposed the
entrance Of this country into the war,
even up to that time. Many a loyal
citizen felt even as late as that date,
that perhaps the provocation was not
vet great enough to warrant leaping
into the horrible conflict.
But after that message was deliv-
cred, there was no alternative left to
a loyal American. His duty was de-
fined. answering, loyal, intelligent
support Of the administration in the
conduct of the war was the only course
left. Theories Of the brotherhood Of
man and the federation Of the world.
may avert future wars, but they won't
win this one against an enemy of the
stripe of Prussia.
The question OF the draft threatens
to split wide open the Socialist party
| in America.
On the one side are the radicals Of
the type Of those who would have
America represented at the interna-
tional conference at Stockholm. This
conference was denounced by the
American government. as having its
origin in Germany and as being moth
ing more than another bungling Ger
man plot to weaken the allies.
On the other side are men Of the
calibre of Charles Edward Russell.
who is an active and doubtless a valu-
able member of the American COM
mission to Russia. He is at work on
one of the most important tasks the
allies face, the entrenching of the new
republican government in Russia. with
its corollary, the retuvenation Of the
Russian army. Their work. If it is
successful, may result in saving hun
dreds of thousands of lives by bring
ing the war to an earlier conclusion.
The work Of the theorists and fanatics
represented in the other wing of the
party, may cost hundreds of thousands
of American lives by indefinitely pro-
longing it.
The government cannot afford to
dignity the resistance of the draft If
it materializes. by permitting these
political !. w. w. to achieve even a
semblance of martyrdom. Nothing
would strengthen their cause more
than to be prosecuted. Nothing would
so quickly give them the advertising
and the sympathy they seek. But firm,
prompt measures are necessary. I'm
willing soldiers are a total loss at the
best, but there are other sacrifices
that can be demanded of the con
scientious objector, whether whole
sale" or retail" There can be no
valid conscientious objection to doing
full days work in the harvest fields.
The authorities, both municipal and
national, must get the proper perspec-
tive on the case It is a case for the
police, not for national agitation and
attention. The danger of overestimat-
ing and overdignifying 1t, is almost
as great as the danger of neglecting it
entirely. 1t should be handled with
firmness, sanity, and just a touch Of
the humor that would make the pun
ishment flt the crime. Placed in the
center of section Of wheat land, the
agitator could conscientiously object
for twelve hours day without dis
turbing anybody. and the other twelve
hours he would willingly devote to the
sleep that "knits up the travelled sleeve
OF care"