The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-05-30
In The Open Forum
A Column Devoted To The Task OF Keep
ing Up With North Dakota Editors

The Buffalo Express comments on the stereo-
typed Townley comeback, The farmers are 10y
al" as follows:
When Townley is accused Of melting class
hatred and other propaganda, he comes
back with the statement The farmers are
patriotic and loyal" No one ever question
ed the loyalty and patriotism Of the North
Dakota farmer. but there is this same Town
ley who made the famous speech at Will
liston, said what he should not have said at
Grand Forks, accompanied every word Dor
dertng loyalty at Fargo with an "if' and
a but slapped La Toilette on the back at
st. Paul, and congratulated him. even while
he was still talking and making the most
fragrant and disloyal speech that has ever
been made in public in this country since
the war.
We sympathize with the farmers and their
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES same are managed and
controlled by the farmers-but how long
will they continue to put up their ''S16 per"
for Townley to handle as he sees fit, with
out even an auditing Of his accounts, or even
his voluntary accounting to the farmers who
pay their good money, We would like to
see the farmers awaken to the situation
take their organization (Which is theirs), or
at least should be, and place at the
head Of the same who will see that their
money is expended in their behalf, as they
wish it done, and not by the arbitrary will
of any one man. Money never came to a
man so easily before-he has a snap-and is
likely to hold on as long as he possibly can.
The Minot Independent pays this little tribute
to Former Governor Hanna:
Former Governor Hanna is now on his way
to France where he is to take an executive
position with the Red Cross. The governor
some time ago volunteered his services and
being amply able, offered to pay his own
expenses. Still he had a hard time getting
accepted, for he is 81 years Of age and the
limit Of SO years had been placed. The
governor will find plenty Of work to do but
he demonstrated while chief executive of our
state that he capable of accomplishing
much, and he will not be tried and found
wanting.
HaukinsoO News takas fhis ~,
the Horst Ra ndall incident:
1t should hardly have been necessary for
any patriotic organization to call Governor
FraZters attention to the fact that Horst,
Randall and other political speakers ought
to be barred from the state campaign as
long as they are held to answer in the courts
to charges Of disloyalty. The fact that the
speakers were withdrawn voluntarily does
not help the position of the governor at all.
No man whose loyalty is at issue in our
courts should be permitted to deliver a pub
lie address during these war times. There is
enough disloyalty in the state without per-
uniting enemies Of the government to make
matters worse.
The Page Record thinks that the league in
vited boycotts for it's newspapers, and says so
as follows:
Two years ago members of the Nonparti-
san league in several towns attempted to
boycott merchants who advertised in news
papers that opposed their organization and
some of the papers were forced out of bust
free speech, and this at time when we
were not engaged in war. Now the Towney
newspapers raise furious objection to those
who are applying the same methods against
them when their news columns are colored
and their editorial policy is considered to be
leaning toward disoyalty. They claim the
right of free speech, even though they deny
that right to others.