The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1918-07-04
From "Rube" in Camp.

Just suppose, for a moment,
gentle reader, that you were in
one of Uncle Sans camps train
ing for the important position
of a soldier who is to help win
democracy. Supposing while in
that camp you should read
of how a group of so-called sup
porters of this government that
is now battling that democracy
may exist in this world, that
free men may determine the ac-
lions of their governments, that
all men are born equal, that the
poor man shall receive equal JUS
tice with the monied interests,
take an elderly gentleman down,
cut his silvery locks of hair off
and then order him out of town;
supposing that you'd read Of
another mob that took a farmer
from his home simply because he
believed in and advocated the
principles Of the Nonpartisan
League, an organization which
George Creel, one Of President
Wilson's principal appointees,
declared is a patriotic organiza-
ton, and smeared him with hot
tar; supposing you should read
of how men are organizing, seek
ing members, for this patriotic
organization were thrown into
jail without any charges; sup
posing you should read of how a
group Of farmers are driven out
of a public owned school build
ing because they endorsed this
Nonpartisan organization; sup
posing you should read of how
a candidate endorsed by the
farmers for the position of Gov
ernor. in a state, who had pur-
chased ten thousand dollars
worth of Liberty bonds and who
had a son in the service of his
country, as a soldier, were ridi-
culed and refused the opportun-
ity of delivering thrue Ameri-,
can speeches in favor of his can
didacy in certain parts of his
state? Do you think, gentle
reader, that you would consider
those activities as being true
moves in favor of democracy or
would you consider that they
were stabbing you in the back;
destroying the structure of de-
mocracy which you are giving
your best energies to erect?
Surprising you should read also
that those mobs, who are held
up by the kept press as example
patriots, should chase and hold
up the farmers and tear off from
their cars and destroy banners
bearing the name Of the farmers
candidate for Governor, thus
destroying property. Do you
think, gentle reader, that you
would consider the individuals
making up those destroying
mobs real patriots or good cit
liens? Would you not believe
that their actions were aiding
the kaiser rather than you that
they were giving the kaiser an
opportunity to say to his people
see the kind of democracy that
the people of the United States
are fighting for" Simply be-
cause they have political beliefs
which differ from those of these
mobs they are tarred and feath-
cred and subjected to other UNI
speakable cruelties. Do you
want such democracy? Don't
you think that by giving the
kaiser and his junkers an OPP
portunity to say those things,
gentle reader, that the individ-
uals making the aforementioned
atrocities, are causing the war to
be prolonged and consequently
increasing the chances Of your
being injured or killed You
may draw your own conclusions,
but as far as we are concerned
we are forced, through the real
facts, to believe that activities
Of these mobs which have used
tar and feathers on patriotic.
farmers for standing up for
their rights are such and every
one an aid to the kaiser and the
cause of prolonging the war.
Val: Il. Cowles. Camp Dodge,
July |. s.,
ISL. Rubbing II In.
Editor Courant: After look
ing over the situation ia North
Dakota for the last twenty years