The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-02-23


ton: The people Of the United
states are face to face now with
determining whether or not they
VIII have this government con-
trolled by an intelligent democ-
racy or threatened by organized
state socialism. Make no mis-
partisan league, which was
organized in North Dakota, has
taken charge OF the offices there
and elected every one Of It's
candidates In the state with one
exception. Out Of 113, I think, it
elected liz, because It discovered
that the elevator system and the
commission system had sys-
dramatically robbed the producers
OF that state and the consumers
OF that state Of the lawful profit
on their labor, estimated at $780,
100000 In one wheat crop. No
wonder the people OF that state
would not submit to 1t, and they
are beginning to organize in
Idaho and Montana and a num-
Der OF other states. We must
either have an intelligent democ-
racy in this country. which will
put Its hands on unrestrained
private greed, or we will have to
meet the menace OF state social
ism as an unavoidable 'conse-
quence.
Senator owen is a very radical
Democrat, but he is also a very
intelligent one. There is none Of the
claptrap Of the demagogue in his
discussion OF the danger that lies in
the Nonpartisan league. He sees it
for what tt is--"the menace of state
soctalism"-and irf1ulges in no
fantastic nightmares as to its being
an emissary of the kaiser. He sees,
too, and is frank enough to admit,
that there is reason for it's existence.
He tells US that the way to escape
the yoke Of the league is to attack
the evils that gave birth
TO 1t. And this appeals to the World
Herald as a sensible and practical
suggestion. Politicians may denounce
the league till they are black in the
face and they will accomplish exact
" nothing at all IL they lack the
brains and the courage and the
honesty to attack the evils as well.
Why is the Nonpartisan league?
Take a case, here in Nebraska.
Thousands of bushels of potatoes,
grown in this state last fall in re-
,ponse to the urgent appeal Of the
government, are rotting in the hands
II the producers. At the same time
many consumers are stinting their
of potatoes because the
price is too high for them. Scots
bluff reports that growers are glad
% sell their potatoes there at so to
10 cents a bushel. The railroad
.harges to Omaha are 81 Ia cents
Der hundred pounds. This makes the
cost of the potatoes laid down in
omaha from IS to S3 cents a bushel.
They are sold to the consumer at
1850 q bushel.
1t costs 80 cents, say, to plant
hese potatoes, cultivate them. dig
hem, haul them to market, put them
n cars and ship them $50 miles to
omaha. And when they get to
omaha II costs a dollar to get those
from the switching track to
he housewives kitchen!
1t is Just an instance little
among many others that
combine to make Socialists in the
titles and Nonpartfsan leaguers on
he farm.
A certain type of politician thinks
hat all the situation calls for is to
hriek treason and sedition.
So, some thirty years ago, the
anne king Of politicians thought that
he way to dispose Of the Farmers
Alliance first, and the Populist party
ater, was to sneer at pigs in the
arlor" and make jokes about the
whiskers and attire. That
erious mistake shattered a great
olitical party in Nebraska into so
many pieces that It is not even yet
The major parties OF
Oday would do well to profit by that
bject lesson.
The Eonpartisan league, in the |
Judgment Of this newspaper, Is a real |
lenace to democratic government. |
threatens not only to divide the /
eople into classes warning on each /
ther. Far worse, it is insidiously in
reducing tolerance for state social
I'M among the farmers who as an
lteIligent, economically independent |
nd property owning class, should De
ne very bulwark of the national de-
snse against socialism. To deal
18th 1t effectively calls for men OF
ision and courage-men who will /
OF content themselves with silly /
of the league on
lntastfc grounds, but who will ad-
ress themselves to the curing Of the
Omitted and glaring evils in our
economic system that are driving the
Lrmers of the nation. by the scores
nd hundreds of thousands, into the
aRue's wide-opened arms. As
,eapons against it bourbonism,
andpatism and intolerance are
.ovt11Iass as V,a mar swords 1