The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1918-12-23
The Valley City Times Record:


The Valley City Times Record
supreme Court Justice J. r. Robinson in
his Saturday night letter renders an opinion
which Of course is not the opinion OF the
court-to the effect that the state canvassing
Doafo was wrong In declaring five of the
proposed amendments carried which had not
received the majority of all the votes cast
Judge Robinson also intimates that the court
VIII probably abide by the decision of the
attorney genefal and uphold IL making the
action of that board legal so far as the su-
preme court of this state is concerned If
Judge Robinson votes on the bendh as he
talks In the newspapers, the court is liable
decide the question to 2 if it comes up for
argument in the supreme court, but there
may be another judge on the bench that
might view the action of the canvassins
board in the same light as Judge Robinson
and the whole thing may be declared wrong
The Wahpeton Globe Gazette:
It's very simple, and we wonder why we
never thought Of it before. If we want to
do something which the constitution forbids
all we have to do is to declare the constitu-
ton unconstitutional-and then do it. That's
the way Trotsky and Lenine conducted the
Bolsheviki affairs in Russia. Funny we
didn't realize that Townley might do the
same thing in North Dakota.
Evidently it is a recent discovery on Town
leys part that this might be done. Other
wise. why all the fuss and fume about the
election and the passage of the amendments?
All during the recent campaign the League
papers were urging the voters to vote for the
Il
OF all the votes cast at the election to carry
the amendments, and failure to vote yes
counted as vote no
The Grand Forks Herald:
A few months ago it was easy for the nom
military man to work up a good deal of en-
thuslasm for compulsory universal training.
We could see at a glance that a good deal
OF valuable time had been lost because of the
fact that we had not employed such a sys-
tenn in the past. Now the war is over or we
are at least done with the heavy fighting,
and to a good many people the military
training does not look quite as 1t did.
While the war was our soldiers in the
camps drilled actively and eagerly. They
had something in view. They expected to be
sent abroad to fight the Hun, and they
wished to be in condition to give a good
account of themselves. They put some gin
ger into their work.
The signing of the armstce agreement was
followed Immediately by lessening of inter
= est in drill all over the country. The purpose
for which the drilling had been done had
vanished, hence there was disposition to
let the drill slide.
1t is evident that there would be no war
like incentive to stimulate interest in mill
tary training after this is all wound up.
And it is also certain that system of train
ing to which men were held against their
will would not be desirable thing for the
country, Whether or not something can be
substituted for actual war which will arouse
and hold interest sufficiently is a matter
that merits serious consideration
The Fargo organ of the Nonpartisan
League makes appeal in it's Sunday edi-
ton for those who have opposed the Social
istic program of the league, now that the
leaders have declared the amendments pass
ed. to bury the hatchet and join in 20 pro-
gram of constructive legislation"
Little wonder an appeal OF this sort is
sent out for the program as mapped out is
destructive OF our cherished Institutions; is
threat to every dollar invested in the state
by private enterprises, and with Utopian
promises put out, which were useful In Turing
the dollars from farmers pockets, and with
industrial disaster facing the state there lis
dire need OF some restraining hand. is it
possible that this feeler is put out in the
hope that the hated "reactionaries" may
bring order out OF chaos2
Something has happened or threatens. else
this appeal would never have gone forth.
Even the most liberal of the regular Repub
leans would have received q slap In the face
a short time ago had they suggested modera-
tion In the program Of German made Social-
ism into which the state has been committed
by ToWnley and LIE Sueur.