The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-10-01
In The Open Forum
A Column Devoted To The Task OF Keep,
ing UP With North Dakota Editors

The Tower City Topics sends this to the ad-
dress of the local Townley organ:
The big boss, Towney, is commencing to
see the handwriting upon the wall. At least
that is the conclusion one must draw when
we note the deliberate lies of his papers, The
Fargo Courier-News especially leading in the
butchering of the truth. A glaring example
of the falsehoods uttered is found in the
Tuesday morning issue when among other
things 1t stated that u. S. Attorney Hildreth
stood alongside Mr.. Mills, the socialist ranting
agtator, and several times applauded the
patriotic utterances Of the speaker. Mr., Hill
dreth Immediately calls the lie and denies
that he applauded a single statement, eX-
cept to raise his hand when the audience was
asked to state how many owned Liberty
bonds. Furthermore, Mr.. Hildreth states
that he was there with several secret serv-
ice men for the government to KEEP tab on
the speaker, who comes up for trial next
week on seditous utterances. Mr. Farmer.
will you not see through the light and realize
that the fight against Towhley is in your in
terests and in your favor Why don't they
Frazier meet Mr.. Doyle and discuss the is
sues Of the day, thus allowing you to draw
for it, They want to do your thinking for
you and all you have to do is to swallow
their preachings. Read the Doyle to Frazier
letter in this issue and draw your own con-
illusions, Be American. Be a free think
er and a free actor
why not German?" asks The Bismarck Trib-
une in the following EDITORIAL
There ought to be no need of explaining
why the German language must net be
taught in American schools-even though P.
P. Claxton y. s. commissioner Of education,
SAYS 1t should.
However, we'II explain
We teach foreign languages in American
schools because we expect the pupil to make
some use of them.
It is obvious that the languages thew can
use most will be the languages most widely
distributed. The languages most widely dis
tributed next to English are Spanish and
French Furthermore, our nearest neighbors
arc people who speak Spanish and French.
Yes there are a few more people IN the
world speaking German than speak either
Spanish or French; but the German speakers
are confined to restricted district in central
Europe; the languages Of the new democra-
cies in America and elsewhere are English,
or Spanish, or French--or Portuguese in one
case.
If we expect that these free nations, our
present allies, our future partners, will drop
their speech and adopt German, we then
must expect that German influence will dom
mate these mocracies-Which would mean
that German influence would dominate sheS
And that won't happen!
Therefore, the teaching of German as
foreign tongue in preference to Spanish and
French. Is not only unpatriotic, 1t is non-
sensieal,
Ii is nonsense to teach German in the
schools-unless we expect German victory
The Mountran County Promoter discusses the
amendments ais follows:
Some of the Towney papers argue that
because a large number of the voters OF the
state signed q petition that certain amend
ments should be placed on the ballot In the
general election is sufficient evidence and
grounds for their adoption. Amy thinking
man knows that II is easy to get signers on
petitions. However signatures on a petition
do not always mean that the matter con-
tanned in the petition is of any great Faer~
torious value. We have ample evidence nf
persons attaching their signatures to d GER
tain petition one day, and the very next day,
after having thought the matter over more
fully, these same men sign pemoaatganes
petition.