Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1918-10-17


their personal property fsreifIbiiyy ana
feloniously taken from them;
d-Citizens have been taken against
their win and rorcfbly deported from
the state and even from particular
counties under threats OF lynching IL
they returned.
e-citizens have been forcibly and
Illegally denied the use Of the public
highways to the place they desired to
go;
f-Citizens have been restrained Of
their freedom, and without warrant.
subpoena, or other due process Of law,
subjected to arrest, to inquisition be
fore impromptu and illegal tribunals,
and by order of said tribunals imprison-
ed, held in durance by county officials
who, intimidated by the arogated
authority Of certain chairmen OF coun-
ellis or officers of guards. have held
those victims OF mob rule In custody,
without warrant or trial, in the county
jail.
Stain on Character.
Another result OF such lawlessness
and cOwardice on the part Of sworn
officers of the peace, and with the co.
operation of certain servile news
papers, is thai the unhappy and blame
less victims Of these mob outrages
have suffered the opprobrium and
humiliation Of being publicly branded
in the eyes of their fellow citizens as
'~.disloyal,,'' s'pro.German.'' senemies of
their country .seditionists and
traitors, Those thus outraged are
farmers and members Of the National
Nonpartisan league, and all of them
loyal citizens Of u country n some
of them fathers of o enlisted in the
military service of our country.
We denounce all such high-handed,
Klu-Klux terrorism and mob action as
outrageously un-American and deserv-
ing Of the most drastic penalties by
law provided for such conduct. We
assert that they, who inspired and par.
ticipated in those outrages. have for.
feited all right to he regarded as good
citizens. We brand them with u
scorn, as faithless at once to the honor
able traditions and standards of u
country and to the laws and institu-
tons of this free state n nation.
Greater and deeper than the insult and
wrong they inflicted upon their victims
are the insults they have flung in the
face of every loyal American. and the
wrong they have done to the fair fame
Of our country.
Norbeck Knows.
The several violations of citizens
rights having been brought to the
official notice Of the governor Of this
state, he took nc effective steps, nor
has he yet done anything effective to
stop such iawiessness or TO see that the
law-breakers are brought to justice, or
the victims of these mobs yindicated,
and their wrongs righted. He has done
nothing but make promises, none OF
which as he fulfilled. HE HAS EVEN.
CONFESSED HIS INABILITY TO
STOP SUCH LAWLESSNESS, AND
IN JUSTIFICATION OF HIS mac
TIVITY AND INABILITY, HAS
GIVEN CURRENCY TO THE STAND
ERS AND LIBELS BY WHICH
THOSE LAWBREAKERS ATTEMPT
ED TO JUSTIFY THEIR LAWLESS-
NESS. Hiding behind bubbles and
subterfuge, he has manifested more
the qualities of a weak and vacillating
politician than those of a statesman
and chief executive of q great state
1 NDrbeck UenOunced az
We denounce Governor Norbeck for
incompetency. We impeach him at h
bar of public opinion a. an unfaithful
public servant. His incompetency and
unf~aithfullness have compelled us to re-
sort to the federal and state courts TO
secure Justice and protection of the
most fundamental rights of citizens.
Reluctant as we have been to do this,
the use Of the power of civil officers
for the prosecution Of justice to the
ends OF contemplate trickery has left
us no other self respecting course.
We re-affirm. as by the signing OF
the program and the payment OF
fee as members of the nonpartisan
league of South Dakota we have al.
ready affirmed our desire and will
that laws be enacted by the next state
legislature to put into effect the follow.
ing demands and objects of this organi-
cation of farmers:
N. p. i. Program
redemption OF farm improve
ments from taxation.
5b.-Rura1 credit banks operated at
cost.
c.-State hail insurance.
d.-State inspection Of dockage and
grading of grain.
State terminal elevators, rare
houses, flour mills, stock yards, pack
ing houses, creameries and cold stor-
age plants
ROasts Old Parties
All Of these were the original de.
mands OF our league. They are still our
demands. Both the republican and
democratic parties have recently
adopted, almost in toto, the foregoing
program. We congratulate them for
being able. on the v of a campaign,
to see in which direction the political
wind is blowing. We raised that wind
with our $16 and are glad to e the
cob-webbed political fences and plat
forms go whirling away before it.
We recognize in the pending CON
st%itutional amendment to permit the
state t o develop the water powers and
natural OF the state and to
establish terminal elevators and pack
ing plant, one OF the leagues offspring.
though now fostered and claimed by
the political gypsies; also the other pro-
posed amendment to permit the state to
engage in works OF internal improve
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