The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1918-02-28

important that we should do nothing
that may cause the German people
to doubt the honesty Of our democrat
ic professions.
"The Russians, for instance, could
not believe in our democracy so long
as Big Business was trying to hang
Tom Mooney in San Francisco on
framed-up evidence. In Petrograd
they cried fro justice for Mooney.
Thanks to Presidents Wilson's inter-
vention, Mooney will get new trial
and this has done much to gain the
confidence of Russia.
Autocratic Acts in Minnesota.
"In this connection, cannot refrain
from calling attention to autocratic
actions in Minnesota which the Ger
man junkers would take great delight
in publishing as evidence that our
democratic professions are insincere.
l refer to illegal and sometimes vio-.
lent attempts directed against the
farmers in their efforts to organize.
One Of our speakers was mobbed, sew
eral have been threatened with vio-
lcuCc dIu OCItCIS have UCCll 0ILCSICu
arbitrarily and without warrant mere
ly because they discussed economic
problems at farmers meetings. Many
of these farmers meetings have been
forcibly prevented. Self-constituted
public safety commissions have been
forbidden our organizers to enter cer-
tain counties.
eve have proof that these acts are
part of carefully pre-arranged plot
to deny the farmers equal opportunity
for political expression. Big Busi-
ness and politicians who fear the unit
ed power of the farmers and workers
are directing a concentrated attack
against the Nonpartisan league. Ger
tain public officials of Minnesota,
men who have taken an oath to i'm
partially administer the law, have
connived at and actually encouraged
this law-breaking. These men mas
querade as patriots because they think
they can fool the public if they hide
behind the flag.
League Pushes Liberty Bonds.
'The Nonpartisan league is loyal,
although it does not parade it's patri-
otism. It has held more than 100
meetings in Minnesota and local pews-
paper reports agree that it's speakers
pushed the sale of Liberty bonds and
advised complete support Of the gov
ernment. But at the same time we
exposed profiteering, which has done
so much to cripple the nations war
efficiency, and demanded economic re-
forms which hit monopolistic COM
bines like the Packers Trust and the
4 Milling combine. The packers, the
millers and the Steel trust are strong
;. ly entrenched in this state. It is these
interests, aided by few subsidized
newspapers, that are stirring up all
the agitation against US.
"This will not stop the growth of
the Nonpartisan league, but it does
have a disturbing influence at home
as we'll as bad effect abroad. The
farmers and workers who are sacrific-
ing freely to win this war resent this
illegal interference with their consti-
tutional rights of free speech and
peaceable assemblage. It naturally
makes these men suspicious when they
find that these professional patriots
who are shouting that we must fight
liberty and democracy abroad are the
first to resist any attempts to extend
democracy into industry at home.
/ Suppression Worse than AutOcracy.
"This attempted suppression of
fundamental American rights is worse
than autocracy. It is the administra-
tive anarchy. There is no quicker or
surer way to undermine the very
foundations of the state than for a
small set of men to usurp or pervert
the rightful functions of the law. 1t
breeds disrespect Of the law in 9th
ers and leads straight to revolution.
Those who are behind this illegal
conspiracy are more dangerous foes
to their country than the most active
Teuton propagandist or spy.
i sIf these Big Business tools were
4 wise enough to realize the full signif-
icance of their actions, and half as pa
triotic as they pretend to be, they
would frantically back-peddle before
they get too far along the dangerous
course they have started. They not
only are ham -stringing President Will
sons policy of encouraging the Ger
man people to revolt, but they are
creating conditions here at home
which in time may lead them to wei
come the Nonpartisan league as a sort
Of social shock-absorber."
The Allies today ask for Is per
/ cent more fat and dairy products than
we can spare unless we contrive to
consume less. And they are not ask
ing for anything more than they ac-
tually need.
For the least bit Of heedlessness on
your part in food conservation some
one somewhere in the world must suf-
N-yA