The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-10-02
Other Mems Views
An Editorial That May or May Not Square
With The Views Of The Forum

The Christian Science Monitor: It may be a
great leal easier for Miss Jeanette Rankin to
adjust herself to the National party in Montana
than it will be for the National party to recon-
cile its membership to certain of Miss Rankin's
views. Not long ago this representative in con-
gress sought nomination for the senate through
the Republican primary in her state and was de-
feated by 1900 votes principally upon the war
issue. When elected to congress- great things
were expected Of woman who had thus over
come all precedent, and who had already achiev-
ed numerous AMI notable successes as an advo-
cate of progressive and corrective legislation
She took her seat at a time when the whole ma
ton, after hoping against hope for more than
two and half years that involvement in the
world might be averted. had reached the con-
clusiOn that to refrain longer from active mar
ticipation in the struggle would mean the sur
render to brute force of everything priced by
democracy.
over night. It was not due to any flash of emo
ton. 1t came with conviction that had been
growing against the popular will from the first
day Of August 1914, that not alone national
pride, but the welfare of humanity and the per-
petuation of civilization now demanded armed and
immediate intervention in the conflict, mat
ter what the cost, what the sacrifice.
President Wilson had pursued a patient policy
of watchful waiting during the months and years
in which the popular opinion Of the country was
taking a form worthy of being called the senti-
ment of a free and a freedom lowing people He
had not pressed decision upon the country He
had not been hasty even toward the end when
minutes began to count like weeks, and days
the country. Then he spoke. the country almost
as one man at his back and when, after read
ing one Of the most terrible indictments ever re-
turned by one nation against another and ask
ed that be declared existent between the
United States and Germany, Jeanette Rankin
failed
The National party owes it's existence to the
fact that the Socialist party, in convention at
st. Louis in the summer of 1915, adopted a
platform with which Miss Rankins faltering at
titude would have harTnonized That platform
declared "unalterable opposition" to the war
yEhjn he had
ed existent it called upon the workers of all
countries to refuse to support their countries In
their wars branded participation by, the Unit
ed States in the conflict "a crime against the
people," and declared that no greater dishonor
has ever been forced upon a people than that
nation against it's will ''Unyieldng opposi-
ton" urged by states and nation to all legis-
[1ation in support OF the war, to- war loans, to
bond issues, and to the draft
Such seditious and reasonable declarations
opened the way for such radical and progressive
cause to come together and formulate a plan
which might enable patriotic socialists, single
takers Crohibitionists and others out of touch
with and opposed to, the two great political Or
carnations, to form an independent party The
opportunity was improved, and the National
unqualifedly for the war, conflict which 1t
pronounced fundamentally between the ideals
and aspirations of democracy the one hand
and the ideals and aspirations of autocracy on
the other hand"
On such d platform radical thinkers could
stand. Accepting this pledge of loyalty to the
war aims Of the nation, many thousands of adj
vanced thinkers. out of sympathy with the
Democratic and Republican parties, no doubt,
decided to vote the National ticket in Montana.