The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-11-07
In The Open Forum
A Column Devoted to the Task OF
Keeping Up With North Da~
kota Editors.

The Bowman County Pioneer i
opposed to meeting lawlessness will
lawlessness. 1t says:
They certainly deal with those
fellows who spring seditious
talk in a prompt and efficient
manner over at Mott. 1t is the
proper thing to deal with them
according to law, and shows a
higher state of civilization than
in q certain eastern city where
they took a minister out and
horsewhipped him for seditious
utterances. While at times it
seems the only way, it does not y
tend to promotion of good citi-
zenship to punish a violation Of
the law with another violation.
The Williston Herald comments il
this vein on German war methods:
Prisoners returning from Ger
many in. exchange for German
prisoners kept in England and
France have been found to be
tubercular. 1t then turns out
that before allowed to return
the prisoners are inoculated with
tuberculosis. Still there are
people who insist that the Uni
ted States has no business to
mix up in this war.
The Pierce County FFibune wakes
facetious at the expense Of A. G
Townley, as follows:
1t would be Interesting to
know whether Mr.. Townley was
telling the truth or not when
he stated under oath at Bis
marck that he had no way of
knowing any more about the
finances Of the league than any
one else, and did not know how
much money was taken in or
what became of it. He after
ward testified that he, together
with II. b. Wood and VIM.
Lemke constituted the "execu-
tive committee" and that VIM.
Reyes, of st. Paul. was not on
ly the treasurer Of the national
organization but was also treas
urer for each state organiza-
ton, and kept all the books. OF
course, being merely an "employe
Of the league" Mr.. Townley could
not be expected to be on the in
side and know everything that
was going on. Hereafter people
should go slow in accusing Mr..
Townley Of running the league"
when as a matter of fact he is
merely an employee" 1t is a
darhnable outrage to even in
sinuate that Mr.. Townley knows
anything about the finances of
the league. OF course he doesn't.
Referring to IL as Some straddIe'
The Watford Guide watts this mes
sage in the direction of the Fargo
kept press:
The Fargo Courier is evidently
trying to arouse the pacifists
and pacify the loyalists at the
same time. In speaking of La
Follette's war speeches it says
that he is blinded by proposes
sions that he does not seem able
to divest himself" And in the
same editorial says that the at
titude taken by the hostile press
(every loyal American news
paper and magazine in the coun-
try, by the way) was as IL La
Toilette had spoken some dam
nable truth. which damage once
done, could never be repaired,
whereas he presented a false
point Of view which easily could
have been combated with the
facts" Did Townley make any
attempt to correct this point of
view?" He was present at the
meeting. We failed to find In
his speech any refutation of the
senator's remarks.
The Kenmare News makes this
comment on Ignite and its posi-
bilities:
Ignite, North Dakota's coal,
to which little attention was
paid in former years. has won
fame for itself this year in view
Of the shortage of hard coal. For
the past few weeks the coal sit
uation has become more and
more serious until at last, IN
several parts of the state, Just
as in most Of the other states,
q coal famine has existed State
officials and all coal dealers have
been working in earnest to
bring relief and now there are
hopes of obtaining more lllrd
coal.
Dean Babeock Of the Univer-
sity OF North Dakota at Grand
Forks, who has had a great deal
to do with the arrangements to
supply the state with fuel dur