Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1918-09-26
MIR. BATES,

bih - ulNo I.tSS OPSsi IVA NSLAN'ei''itS.
ana duties.
The power to govern ourselves car
ries with it the obligation to use that
power unselfishly for the common
good.
The right to chose our public Of
ficials carries with it the duty to serve
the public when that choice falls upon
us.
l V realized so acuteIy how
closely bound UP with a citizens priv
ileges are a citizens obligations and
duties rs l nave since my brother dele
! gates in the state convention of the
Nonpartisan League drafted me as
their candidate for governor of this
great state. / did not seek the nominal
ton and have never cherished any
political ambitions. Like the most of
you here, l am Il farmer ana am proud
of it.
You farmers know what it means to
be a farmer. 1t means that you are
kept so busy raising the crops, feeding
the cattle, stopping the hogs, and try
ing to dodge the spectators in the
markets that you have little time or
opportunity for politics,
Not 4 Side Issue
Most farmers regard politics as a
side issue. AT any rate, that is the
way it was with me, until this Non
partisan League movement began fore
ing itself upon my attention, l was
reminded how interested my father
used to be in the Farmers Alliance
and the political issues of his day, and
some of the old issues and arguments
of my boyhood began to sprout in my
mind. l began to see and feel the rela-
ton between our problems on the farm
and the problems of politics to which
we farmers OF the younger generation
mad been careless and indifferent. J.
began to see more clearly the necessity
and wisdom of such organizations as
the farmers elevators and farmers
unions, and why we were not getting as
much benefit from them as we should.
SO II day, when a fellow rolled on
to my farm in a Ford car and began to
talk NonDartisan League program to
me l was ready. 1t was clear as
day that if conditions We're to be made
any better for the farmers and CON
Sumers, we had to get together CO.
operatively and elect men of our own
80 - : 80 : = - a'iu
est neceSsity-food.
80, 80
u VI
- p"itS' "a Il lisaiiS
- 10y "ouI' eiia1t iesh9ia-
= ~ s'itoioe as avs Witch are
: ~ /" ~ ootaiii !us' 'lio
'"'tl eono1lto'7. ~ |
CIV ~ - pao ny 9io'oo anu
: 9 oo.e my par tAl
: ~ "Neil "ouia ~ " 'he
polt' atf0 Sote 1oi tne No'ipailisal
= an 'na' "ouiu Ne
- 80 " ~ 1le
= JOY U setthis What we al
"Nn' : ~ Alii ~ oe1ei.
- ii'Ns ~ on osaiei iiah'
DutJ 40 Serve
/ never had thought of the duty
of serving till my Nonpartisan
~neighbors nominated me as their
candidate for the legislature. /
didn't want the lob and [ am
a busy man on the farm. But the
way they nut the proposition up to me
as a duty, left me, no choice. If that
was the way they felt about it there
was nothing to do but consent. The
same thing happened at he state con
vention and when the convention nom
mated me to be the standard.bearer
at the head OF the state ticket, I had
to do some quick and serious thinking.
All at once it came to me that if / had
been so willing 10 nut that lob on some
other man. / had no right to dodge,
if others M the iob on me: that nv
right to. choose somle one as nv candi-
date for governor Of South Dakota
carried with IL tbe dutv to accent that
responsibility when my League
brothers. in the exercise Of their rights.
chose me for the responsibility. That
Is how / stand before YOU TODAY as the.
independent candidate with tbe an.