The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-09-28

J ueI Wnlcn we i've,
The Socialist doctrine teaches that
/ the state must own all sources oil
/ wealth and that the hours of labor
must be limited to keep production
in exact proportion at all times with
consumption.
In other words, the Socialist DOG
trine says to the Individual: Under
no possible circumstances shall yor
| be allowed by your own effort to
acquire title to your own home, but
| rather, the state shall own the home
and you, as a ward Of the state, MAY
live upon the land and pay rental tc
the state" Some Socialists may dis.
agree with this statement, but
have been unable to find any auth
GRITTY on Socialism which does not
hold, as it's cardinal principle. that
land shall be the property of the
community and not Of the individual
But the people of the state did not
take kindly to socialism and there
was little progress made in the devel-
| opment of the Socialist party.
! Birth of the Nonpartisan League 1915
The people of North Dakota have
twice voted for constitutional amend
ments making 1t possible to erect
purchase, lease, establish and OPP
crate terminal elevators in North Da-
kota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Leg
tslation has been enacted providing
for q tax levy with which to create
terminal elevator fund, and ap-
proximately $119, 100000 have been
accumulated and is now on hand. But
no legislation had been passed pro-
viding for the locating, leasing or
establishing Of any terminal elevator
up to 1915, and the legislative as
sembly Of that year failed to make
any such provision
This failure, on the part Of the
Legislative assembly Of 1915, brought
a great deal Of criticism upon it's
members, and when this wave of
criticism was at high tide the Non
partisan league appeared upon the
horizon, headed by Mr.. Townley, Mr..
Bowen and these other gentlemen
who had always been known in the
state as Socialists of the most radi-
cal type. The situation gave these
men an opportunity, to attempt at
least, to put into affect the program
Of safe socialism which they had
been preaching for years. Under the
present primary law any man may
declare himself to be a member of
any political party and take part in
the primary nominations of that
party; and these men, by an adroit
and unscrupulous campaign, captur-
ed the machinery of the Republican
party and nominated their candidates
for Office on the Republican, ticket.
With the birth Of the Nonpartisan
league the state Socialist party died.
1t will be argued, by some, no doubt
that these men are not trying to put
over socialism, but the action of
these men in connection with the
now famous House Bill a, and the
program of the leaders OF the move
ment, stamp it unquestionabIy as a,
program of radical socialism. Now,
the question for the people to decide
is whether or not it is policy for them
to abandon the splendid progress
DEVELOPMENT and sound economic
legislation Of almost half a century
and embark on a program Of state
wide socialism, with man at the
helm whose chief qualification for
leadership is an unbroken line of
business failure, financial disasters
and repudiated legal obligations.
Socialist Leaders.
If there be any doubt as to wheth-
er or not an effort is being made in
this state to establish state social
ism in full bloom with one stroke, as
it were, one need only investigate
the lifelong political affiIiation and
activities of practically every man
who is in charge of any important
work of the Nonpartisan league, or
even in public office by endorsement
of the Townley machine. The last
official record of Townley's political
faith. prior to the birth of the Nom
partison league and the death Of the
Socialist party, is his own registra-
ton affidavit signed at Beach, N. D.,
on the 18th day of April, 1914. A. E.
Bowen, Townley's chief speaker and
organizer, was twice candidate for
governor on the Socialist ticket. M.
e. Elliott, at one time published a
radical Socialist paper at. Minot, N.
D. Mr.. Elliott was at one time state
manager for the Nonpartisan league
in North Dakota, now employed at
headquarters at st. Paul, and his
place here turned over to Axel Strom
of Williston, another avowed So
cialist. Most Of you will remember
Minot, NJ. d., a Socialist lawyer by
the name Of Arthur LIE Sueur, the
man who took quite a prominent part
in behalf of the /. w w. at the time
Of the riots at Minot some years
ago. LIE Sueur was Immediately en-
ployed by Mr.. Townley as chief coun-
sci for the league, which position I
understand he still continues to
hold.
And so we have the president of
the league, the chief organizer, the
state manager and the chief counsel,
all radical Socialists.
I want to say just word further
about Mr.. LIE Sueur. This is the
same LIE Sueur, who in the summer
1915 attempted to foist upon the
farmers Of this state a working
agreement, whereby they should on
ly employ I. w. w. laborers. In
speaking Of this undertaking before.
the I. w. w. lodge No. 400 at Kansas
City, he said: IF we (meaning the I.
w. W.) can bring about this agree
ment it will mean the transferring,
of the balance Of power from the
state government of North Dakota to
the Nonpartisan league and the 7.
w. w" You will remember that at
a series of meetings held in this
state to ratify this agreement on the
part Of the farmers, i t was re-
jected. Now If there are any MEM
bers Of the league present want to
ask you if you really believe that
when LIE Sueur was in Kansas City,
Trying TO put through tIllS agree
ment, telling the members of the I.
w. w. that it means the transferring
of the power OF the state into their
hands, he was really working in the
interests of the farmers of North
Dakota? Think it over and see if you
can reach any such conclusion.
Walter Thomas Mills and Mrs.
O'E4ares
For many years there was con-
Quoted at Girard, Kansas, a So
cialist school, where the simon-pu
doctrine of socialism was supposed
to be taught to the students And /
believe, by the way, that Mr. LIE
sueur was a graduate of that school
and later on member of the faculty.
This school was under the direction