Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1917-07-19
THE NORTH DAKOTA VERDICT.

The North Dakota verdict at the
special election in the Grand Forks
district to fill a vacancy caused by
the death of a republican congress
man may be the prelude to a wide
spread movement throughout the
great West.
The candidate of the Nonpartisan
League won by more than three thou
sand plurality over his republican OPP
ponent and by nearly nine thousand
over the democratic nominee. Owing
to certain technical complications a
contest is said to be imminent. but
the vote itself attests the fact that a
plurality Of the people favored the
Nonpartisan representative.
North Dakota, be it remembered,
is one of those nominally republican
states that went over to the Wilson
column last November because the
president had kept rs out of war and
because it was assumed he would
continue to keep us out OF war.
When we reflect that out of the
total vote of the district the demo-
cratic nominee received only about
represented at the polls, we must adj
IulL itdl liC lC9uIt 10 olShihSohl.
The significance lies in two direc-
lions: the factors that entered into
the campaign and the tendency OF the
labor vote in the two large cities
within the district-Grand Forks and
Fargo--to sustain the cause which he
League represents.
Chief among the points raised by
the League is that of CONSUMPTION so
far as 1t relates to excess profits.
Some of the political newspapers said
during the campaign that the League
stands opposed to consumption of
any sort, but we do not so under
stand the situation.
The steel trust, for instance, reaped
a profit of two hundred and seventy
one million dollars-more than a
quarter of a billion-during the fiscal
year of 1916, as against eighty-two
millions for the normal year preced-
ing the war. This was n hundred
and eighty-nine million of excess pro-
fits. as the League views it. The
League, therefore. since the govern
ment is conscripting the young men
between the ages of 81 and 81. would
also conseript this surplus of profit,
Another point concerning which the
League is insistent relates to gamb.
ling in f%oodstuffs. The food gambler
must be eliminated from all transac.
lions pertaining to the food supply,
whether for the army or for the indi-
viduals composing the nation SO that
the producer may receive his due pro.
portion and the consumer may have
the advantage Of reasonable prices
without paying tribute to those who
neither SOW nor reap.
1t was this phase of The No1par
tisan platform, WI opine, that attract
ed the labor vote Of the larger cities
Of the district, and 1t is this phase
that will appeal alike to the producer
and the consumer.
Neither the policy outlined by the
so.called leaders OF the republican
party nor that offered by the demo
cratic party through Woodrow Viii
son, Its spokesman, seems to give as
surance, In the opinion of the League
Of protection to either producer Of
consumer; hence the North Dakots
verdict Indicates a trend among the
farmers and laboring men of the state
from both old parties.
This North Dakota a is the frs
test to- which the League has beer
subjected since its sensational contro,
Of party nominations in our neighbof
ing state in 1916, and 1t is its frs
active participation in distinctively
national affairs!
Like many of its predecessors Of
one kind and another, it will probably
flourish within certain limitskions II
Ats earlier stages. only to be grount
between the millstones of the old par
ties In some future campaign or cam
paigns.
But, while. some 1easur Of sue
cess marked the operations Of TIL
now defunct Farmers Alliance as
political organization and of the Oh
erations OF other associations alons