The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-08-05
In The Open Forum
A. Column Devoted To The Task OF Keep
ing UP With North Dakota Editors

The Dickinson Press wonders whether it is
Socialism or Big Biz as follows:
1T is rather hard for the average person
to figure out whether the Townley orators
are favoring a socialistic regime or re-
gIme Of Big Big. The following excerpt from
an address made by Judson King, Nonpar-
tisan speech maker, at Kennlare, brings the
everlasting puzzle to the front again:
There Is just one way successfully to
fight monopoly OF public utilities In these
modern days-to let them be owned by the
whole people. There is, one way to fight
monopoly in business lines-to organize a
bigger monopoly than the one you fight.
Sure, and that's what Townley Is attempt
Ing to do-organize bigger monopoly
The Lisbon Free Press has this comment on
Mr.. Townleys finances:
Evidently not all of Towney's lieutenants
stay tied. Evidence Of men formerly connect
ed with him. would indicate that he is the
richest bankrupt ever brought to view. Re-
Gently Townley made the statement that no
matter whether the league was success or a
failure, he needn't worry about his livelihood
in the future. The fun Of it is, that while he
has it all over the men who contributed to
his great affluence many Of them are per-
fectly willing to contribute little more.
The Valley City Times Record discusses the
harvest help problem and the aid given by the
city men, as follows:
THE harvest is upon us and the question
OF harvest help has been a vexatious one be-
cause Of the shortage of men occasioned by
the draft. To help out many business men
and working men Of this city have signed up
to go out and work in the harvest fields
from four o'clock in the afternoon until 10
in the evening If they called upon. This
may occasion some degree Of skepticism
among some farmers who do not think that
a town man can do this work. but they
should undeceive themselves. 1t is true that
the town men at the start would be soft and
the work would be hard them, but we
have an idea that after a little, steady work
at the farming game they would steady down
and do just as much work as the regular
farm hands-and more work than many of
sionaly shocking in the field. It is not so
much the question as to how much these
men will do but to whether they will give
reasonable service for the money paid-but
the real point is that these men have cheer
1ully signed up to go and help out IN a pinch
stop to think about it, a who has put
in several hours in a hot, sitting office, up
to four in the afternoon, then jumps out
into a harvest field and puts in five six
hours more shocking grain cannot be called
Stacker very well, we think. The real
thing is that the town want to be Of
service and have offered to go out and help
and we believe that If they go they will give
a good account Of themselves"
The Grand Forks Herald has the following
timely and sane comment on keeping our bal
ance":
stirring things are happening over in
France, and when stirring things in prog
ress it Is highly important that we keep our
balance. Otherwise we are likely on one day
to rise to the very heights Of exultation only
to be plunged the following day into the
Q6pLAS or despair.
"Cn Thursday evening reports became cur
rent in Washington that the entire army of
the German Grown Prince had been captured
and with it the Crown Prince himself It was
impossible to ascertain the source Of these
rumors, but they so general and so per-
sstent that the men in charge Of the Asso-
cated Press service felt warranted in sending
out to the country the information that such
rumors were current. That was DONE and
the Associated Press papers published the
fact that these reports were in general cir
culatton at the national capital.
I'm spite Of the fact that it was specifically
stated that these reports were given as re-
ports only, and that there was nothing in the
nature Of confirmation Of them from official
sources, many people jumped to the conclu-
sion that what had been reported as flying
rUmor was an actual fact. All day yesterday
The Herald deluged with telephone
calls from the city and from various sections
Of the country asking if the story were cor
rect. In many cases inquirers were inclined
to be a little resentful when they were in
formed that the report Of the capture had
not been confirmed, and that there was no
reason to believe that it was true. The Her
AIDS experience was undoubtedly similar to
that of every daily paper in the country"