The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1918-08-23
SOCIALISTS AND |. ". ".
OFN.D. LAY ASIDE THE MASK
Come Out Boldly for Government
Ownership of Everything-Take
Big Plunge into the Unknown


The final step toward complete So
cialism has at last been taken by
the Non-Partisan league in North
Dakota.
After securing control of county
central committees of Hettinger and
Adams counties, N. D., the league
proceeded to adopt the following
resolutions:
Whereas, it is the sense of the
PEOPLE IN CONTROL of the pres
ent nominees of the republican par
ty that the state should own the
business in the state of North Da-
kota, and;
Whereas, we believe in equality
and justice;
"Be it resolved that our State
Committee be instructed to have
placed in the platform of the repub-
lican party and the nominees for
the legislature from the 10th legis-
lative district be instructed to advo-
cate the STATE OWNERSHIP OF
FARM LANDS, HORSES, CATTLE
AND MACHINERY and that the
same be acquired on the basis of
value for the three years immedi-
ately preceding the war"
The Minot, N. D., Messenger of
August 1st says:
at will be noted that the Non
Partisan league is not in control of
the policies of the republican party,
but it has no hesitation in assertin
its control of the nominees. The
party may repudiate the wild. eyed
socialist program which the league
with the mask torn off, boldly seeks
to fasten upon helpless North Dako-
ia, but the league is ain control of
the present nominees of the republi-
can party" has every man Jack of
them in its power and under its
thumb-for a brief present--so it
proposes to make its own platform
of bolshevism the creed of the re-
publican party"
If the demo6I s.y.s party had been
in control it would have dictated the
policy of the democratic nominees,
the party being immaterial
The point to be observed by
thoughtful citizens is this, the
league has finally shown its hand
&c n ,o,,ro1,, eoo;oI;,+;o o,,oon;.o4:ox.
1t has taken the final step which
its program of confiscation of pri-
vate industry led up to, namely the
proposal to take over all land in the
name of the state.
This plan would overthrow and
destroy every principle of our state
and national constitutions and de-
stroy American ideas of government.
1t is simply following in the steps
of the Russian revolution.
The farmers have been playing
with fire and they now stand a good
chance of having their fingers badly
burned.
1t is unthinkable that an Ameri-
can citizen, raised in a free country.
the very backbone of which has
been the right of every man to own
his own property, should consider
for a second the idea of turning
this property over to collective own
ership under state socialism and for
ever after being a landless tenant
and rent payer.
And yet the farmers of North
Dakota are now face to face with
the proposition which is on par
with Russian bolshevism, namely,
the proposal to have the state buy
up every acre of farm land, every
piece of farm machinery, every
head of horses and cattle and run
the farms itself.
The league is seeking control of
the state. Do its citizens want to
face a program of this kind which
will mean the ultimate loss of their
farms?