The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-09-28

to this to justify those headlines. and
I am morally certain now that there
never will be any news from over
there which Will Justify any such
outrageous statement by any Ameri-
can newspaper.
Now let us for a moment analyze
the purpose or possible reason which
could prompt an editor TO print such
ia headline in an American daily
newspaper at that time. Do you sup
pose on that night in his ONCE in
Fargo, when he directed the setting
up Of that paper. he was prompted
by desire to do something which
would give courage to the fathers and
mothers Of the boys who were over in
France fighting their countrys bat
ties; or was he prompted by the
same sinister influence that the
June before was guiding Townley's
brain when he declared that this was
a war Of the rotten rich and that the
sons and daughters OF America were
being sacrificed in the interests Of
prohteers?
While The Courier News is pro-
testing it's own purity and the great
ness Of Mr. Townley and his hand
picked state administration, I chal~
lenge him TO explain TO the people Of
North Dakota any or all Of these
incidents. There are many Of these
incidents which have caused the pre-
JUDGE now existing against these
men in the state. II is not because
any one believes that any substantial
number of farmers. or any substan-
tial number Of any particular class
Of citizens in this state, are now or
were at any time disloyai in their
allegiance to the federal government
but there Is a belief that these So
cialist leaders felt they owed great
ar ALLEGIANCE TO the platform Of their
party. as promulgated at st. Louis,
than they did TO their country. In or
der that you may have better ur1-
Outstanding Of why these men might
be disloyal, I am going to read TO
you the last Socialist national plat
form.
CRead Socialist platform which
urges continual opposition to all
movements to raise money for war
purposes.)
Winning The War, The Great Issue.
While the economic issues here
presented are OF vital Importance to
the citizens Of this state, 1t should be
borne in mind that their settlement
is OF secondary consideration in com
parison to the one great issue and
program which we have before us
and which we must carry to sue
cessful and victorious conclusion and
that is the winning of the war. We
were driven into this war, driven into
1t because Prussian autocracy and
a democracy such as ours cannot
live side by side in the world. The
two ideas are Numerically opposed
one or the other must fall. And
democracy is not going to fall. We
are not fighting for territorial gain,
for commercial gain or for military
power, but rather, for the great prin-
ciples upon which our country was
founded and upon which 1t will en-
dure long after Prssian militarigm
remains but detested memory in
the minds Of men. But in any kind
Of a contest It is well to never UNI
derrate your adversary, and IN this
contest our nation is facing the
gravest crisis in its history. The
last four years have been the darkest
period in all the years Of progress
and accomplishment Of mankind. We
are dealing with a powerful and I'M
scrupulous adversary, who knows no
law but force and who Ill yield TO
nothing but force. We have accept
ed the challenge and will fight this war
through to a successful conclusion If
It takes the last dollar and the last
man, for without the freedom In
herited from the founders Of the re-
freedo mwhich cost the
lives of hundreds and thousands Of
Americas bravest sons-life would
not be worth the living. The issue is
clear and must be met by the Amer
lean people regardless Of the cost.
No American need have any doubt as