The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-03-28
WITH THE EDITORS
NONPARTISAN BOSSES AT WORK

Loudly proclaiming it's neW-tound patriotism,
the Nonpartisan league in st. Paul pushes on with
its self-appointed task of arraying class against
class in Minnesota.
Protesting it's newly conceived support of the
republics war policies, it names tor governor a
confirmed pacifist who has published book to
demonstrate that American participation in the
war is a criminal mistake.
What is the precious plot the bosses OF tins
secret political conspiracy have hatched OUT /:
Very simple. let us organize the farmers IN the
country, they have said to each other, and let US
capture the organized workers in the cities. lnen
let US Join the two classes together, and march
them to Boshevist victory.
In other words, they seek to combine the capt.
talists of the country with the workers OF the
cities, by program that will in its halves appeal
to each. They promise the urban workers the
eight-hour day; but reassure the farmers by DENY
ing the eight-hour day to their hired men. For
the men who work on the farms are not entitled
to the consideration due those who work IN FAC.
tories and shops-for they are less numerous, and
they are not organized.
AS for taxation, take it off the improvements
on the farm, but let it stay on the little home the
workman builds on city lot. For perhaps the
workman accustomed to paying urDan taxes' VIII
not notice the inconsistency.
AS for the rest, the conspirators make gran
diose platform of alluring but mpractcable social
list panks-government-oW railroads. govern.
ment-owned factories, government distribution OF
necessaries by parcel post, state-oWned elevators
warehouses, flour mills, stock yards, packing
houses, creameries, cold storage plants and paper
mills.
These are but the beginnings of socialist pro-
gram such as has wrecked Russia. But the Boil
shevsts at least have been consistent. They have
demanded government Of the proletariat, from
which the bourgeoisie must be vigorously excluded
Wrong idealists as they are, they have never at
tempted such class combination as the Nonpar'
tisan league is trying to put over in Minnesota
that of the capitalist farmer and the industrial
worker 1t was beyond their ingenuity to construct
platform on which both could stand.
But logic and common sense 90 not at all ootnel
the choice little junta that has come from North
Dakota to reconstruct things for US in Minnesota
Their browning inconsistency is the holding OF
'boss-controled convention-they being the bosses
thereof-in order to make the direct primary dis
charge it's vaunted function of preventing bossisn
in politics!
The plot will fall The ears of the pro- German
donkey stick out from the skin of the lion. 1t is
true the Nonpartisan league leaders profess to be
loyalists at last. But they were disloyallsts anc
seditonists, until they learned that the people Of
Minnesota wouldn't stand for it. Their present
loud shouts Of support for the president do not
conceal the real character and purpose of thei,
4 plans of wreckage.
f. The farmer who follows Townley is simply
deceived; he will reject him later-Minneapolls
Journal.