Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-09-19
INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENTS ARE
EOPARDIZED BY NONPARTISANS
IS ACCUSATION OF WEST STATES

North Dakota is bearing the brunt
of abuse and popular criticism
throughout the west, travellers return
ing to- Grand Forks from oast dis
tricts report. Newspapers throughout
the west are using no little space in
criticising this state, charging disloy-
atty and failure to support the govern
ment.
The following article appeared in
The Manufacturer, a Portland paper,
n has been copied by numerous 9TH
err periodicals, including the Wallace
Miner of Wallace, Ida:
The development of industries in
western states is seriously threatened
by the new North Dakota agrarianism.
Its leaders h a they will
work with union labor leaders in cities
and so farm a partnership with the
expiring propaganda of the Socialist
labor party.
1.-THE success of this movement is
fatal to large Investments in railroads,
mines. shelters, numbering, utilities;
n all large industries hat must be
carried on over long periods to earn
profits on capital.
The North Dakota N~onpartisan
league asks the western farmers to
engage in politics when the whole ma
ton is turning away from political
agitation. The farmers are asked to
back an exclusive farmers political
party at a time when all the people
are turning their backs on party poll
tics and are asking hat the highest
type Of men from all walks of life
go to the front unselfishly and serve
their country as a patriotic duty. The
first step aiken by the president after
declaring a state of war was to invite
Pill the heads of large business enter
nsa 10 ~0 81 Yo~l;,-{ 1ol l@1n
strengthen the government for its
great struggle against autocratic
power.
Ten years ago the wave of expert
mental reforms and peoples rule was
started in Oregon. Direct legislation,
direct nomination, and the long list
of radical up1ift measures were en-
acted. The first result was swelling
the volume of legislation, rapid in
e of taxes and bonded indebted
ness, and lowering standards in pub
lie affairs. For the last five years
Oregon has been saying no to freak
laws and trying to overcome paralysis
of industries.
For a number of years Pacific
coast states have had reform move
ments like the seven sisters bills in
Washington n the 80 measures sub
mitted to the people of Oregon in 1914
thrust at them from a tripartite
source-the Grange. Farmers Union
and Federated trades. But their de-
feat shows the rank and file of the
farmers would not stand for the prog
ress of radicalism. A new organiza-
ton appears-based on more direct
action and to overcome slower ten
denotes of farmer voters.
I'm Oregon it is given out that the
new North Dakota N~onpartisan league
of farmers and labor unions will only
L IyEt6nrto1 Yn q fnuy rnfnrroc 1irn nt,h1fo
ownership Of warehouses and FIGURING
mills. and state marketing bureaus.
Oreaon has voted down so many ideas
in the line of public ownership and
state control that the reformers do
no feel safe in putting up a very stiff
program.
Reform is to be speeded up. The
leaders in Idaho say: go into politics,
abolish al robberies, pay us SIS to
get in, and see how we will save you
$500 to $4,000 by marketing your
grain, packing and canning your fruit,
selling you groceries and farm ma
chineiy, running your FIGURING mills,
packing your pork INC beef, doing
your banking. irrigating your land,
furnishing you power, and above all
You farmers shall hold the offices.
An element of d~isloyalty enters in
to an agrarian political agitation al
this critical period when the nation
hasSlentered into the European war
and lis life is at stake The western
states are again to be made the goat
of new experiments at the hands OF
a so-called N~onpartisan league, unit
ing populistic elements among farm
ers with labor unions Of the cities, a
combine to raise prices on the con-
sumner and put over a program against
all big business.
supreme test Of patriotism let
us tax the contributions to the Red
Cross fund and what is the record OF
the Dakotas, compared to states where
agrarian-socialist politics is unknown ?
Idaho was asked for $3.50, 900 n gave
$365,654. 204 per cent. Michigan gave
IA per cent, Massachusetts, 1876 per
cent, New York gave 119 and Oregon
ia per cent. North Dakota was put
down for $1,000 900 and gave SS7,0 600,
or 43 per cent. South Dakota gave
only "a per cent, an unpatriotic rec
ord.
Portland, Oregon, that at a recent
city election voted down all Socialistic
and pub1ic-ownership candidates and
propositions, was asked to give $780,
600 but responded with s4O3, 900, or
over 200 per cent. A similar CITY in
Ohio was asked for $3.50, 900 and gave
$603,000-a steel manufacturing city,
whose industries the N~onpartisan
league wants to take over and oper
ocC. IL wouiu Dc interesting TO Know
what Dakota cities g1ve-the Dakotas
that would substitute politics for pa
triotism.
One Of the first fruits of the North
Dakota Nonpartisan league was to
send a young newspaper humorist and
~cartoonist to congress. If there is a
type o irresponsible and more
inirnical to stability in business affairs
and sound industrial policies for the
nation than a 25-year-old daily news
paper politician we would like to have
1t called to our attention. He tiekled
the labor unions and farmers with
comic chalk-talks and was elected.
Great victory for the farmers.
The North Dakota idea. elected a
governor and congressman on the slo-
gan: This fs no time to make an issue
of Americanism Pacifsm and pro-
German sentiments were a strong Sec
ond in their platforms. The new
party, like discarded populism, is pois-
oned with appeals to d%iscontent, pick
ing UP shreds Of all foreign elements,