The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1918-04-06
In The Open Forum
A Column Devoted to the Task Of
Keeping Up With North Da-
kota Editors.

A Column Devoted to the Task Of /
keeping Up With North Da-
kota Editors.
The Forman independent News has
this comment on the refusal of the
Nonpartisans to indorse Congress-
man Norton:
The Nonpartisans at their
state convention at Fargo the
other day. refused to endorse
Congressman Norton of the Third
district. One by one, our fight
ing patriots at home are being
stabbed in the back by the So
cialistic tail now wagging this
great state OF ours.
The Lidgerwood Broadaxe has this
comment on Senator Gronna's pac-
ifism:
Senator A. J. Gronna is not a
pacifist any more. He has chang
ed his mind, he declares. The
senator never was a pacifist, so
far as we can remember, when
engaged upon making a campaign
for election or waging political
warfare, and why he should ever
have strayed after the dumb gods
Of pacifism at this period in his
tory is something we shall never
understand.
The Mandan Pioneer discusses the
Norton incident in this way:
Congressman II. ID. Norton, Of
the Third Congressional district,
has stood steadfast with the ad-
ministration at Washington since
the time the war clouds began to
lower over the nation. He has
been four square American. He
has done more for the farmers Of
North Dakota during the last two
sessions than any other congress-
man from any state.
But-as The Fargo Forum COM
ments:
Congressman Norton committed
the unforgivable sin in the eyes
of the league leaders.
He was loyal!
The Bismarck Public Opinion re-
wives the "old gang" stuff in this
fashion:
The ''weH stick" slogan has
not only been adhered TO by the
farmers of North Dakota since
the league was organized, but
has also been very closely follow
ed BY the men whom. the people
put in the Office by so large
majority. The state officials and
legislators with a few eXcep-
tions have followed the platform
they were elected on from the
day they came in office. The old
gang in this state with the aid
from big business in other states,
have attacked the administration
in every underhanded way possi-
Bile. The state administration was
scored for calling a special ses-
sion of the legislature. and many
other things, but each time the
results have been so great and
made them stronger than ever.
They have stuck to their prom
ises and as results OF the con-
vention at Fargo the people have
showed their appreciation and
nominated them again.
The Valley City Courier sends this
shaft in the direction of the Fargo |
morning organ:
That The Fargo Courier News
contains a pronounced streak OF
discolored matter in its general
makeup. was evidenced in the
startling headlines which adorn-
ed its front page in its Monday
morning edition. "Haig Forced
Back: British Unable to Stand
Terrific Onslaught; Gateway to
Paris Falls to Germans" These
bold lines must indeed be sweet
morsels to the pro-German read
ers OF that paper, but it makes
the blood Of any true American
boil with righteous indignation.
This is no time to give even the
slightest comfort to the enemy
slightest advantage to the Ger
mans should be in at least modi-
fed headlines, not played up as
a great achievement. In our
opinion any newspaper in the
United States bearing such
headlines should be severely
criticised.
The future Of the Nonpartisan
eague is treated in this interesting
vay by The Harvey Journal:
what is the future Of the Nom
partisan league?" is a question
that is i'm the minds Of a great
many people these days.
no my mind the league today
faces the parting or the ways tt
may go on as it is conducted at
present. destroying public conf
dence and arousing class against
class until its leaders frankly an
nounce anarchy as its program;
or ii may. through discarding
those leaders and making 1t a real
farmers organization, become a
powerful factor for good in the
nations development.
There never yet was farmers
organization that could live un-
less it was officered and controll-
ed by farmers for the benefit Of
the farmer members. What is
good for the farmer members is
good for all OF us. But an or
ganization of this description, run
frankly for the enrichment and
advancement Of the promoters,
and the promoters alone, must die.
The jamestown Alert has this
imely call for clean up" cam-
laign.
with the arrival OF April the
jamestown citizen has an oppor-
tunity Tor outside activity ard it
is suggested that about the first
numbers on the program should
be to clean up, paint up and
plant a war garden.
la the latter line Of patriotic
effort the failure Of last years
NAAAAeA4 tRaAAA4AAA @AatAAA At4A ~ EAA@
vent q renewed determination to
try again and the planting OF
beans. potatoes, corn and ali the
winter vegetables for food sake
is a duty which nearly every
town lot owner can undertake,
for his own benefit, and to help
increase the necessary food sup
ply needed by this country and
the Allies abroad
We are going into spring work,
both on the farm and Ia the
town, with the confident expec-
tation Of realizing in full meas