The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-09-12
THE GERMAN" VOTE.

THE GERMAN" VOTE.
If we were a good, loyal American of German
birth or descent we would prove our independence
by rejecting the sop thrown the German vote
by the Nonpartisan league in the platform which
it adopted in its state convention here last week
The myth of German" vote in North Dakota
was exploded long ago John Wishek proved to
his own satisfaction that it didn't exist when he
went before the people for governor on platform
Including all the so-called German panks.
1" The German American alliance in the olden
days did succeed in frightening our legislative
assemblies with this bogy of a German vote
into enacting laws giving the German language
and German history place in our school system,
but no one has ever been elected or defeated in
North Dakota because he got or because he didn't
get the German" vote, and we believe the league
makes political mistake in endeavoring to per-
petuate the idea that there is a German vote
in North Dakota which must be catered to-
The league reached out for this mythical Ger
man. vote when it offered in it's state platform
a lukewarm endorsement of equal suffrage"
I'VE favor equal suffrage" says the league plat
form. Equal suffrage" may mean a number of
things 1t may mean equal suffrage for all males,
for white, black, red and yellow. 1t need not
necessarily mean universal suffrage applied to
both sexes. The league quibbled on this point
because the German vote in North Dakota has
been believed to be opposed to votes for women.
The league catered to this German" vote when
it carefully withheld from it's platform any en-
dorsement of Wilson and his war policies, because
the league would still brand the loyal American
stigma of pro-Germanisn,.
NV cbo,,l Mr. hold
American of German blood or birth any less loyal
or any more pro-German than are the citizens of
Scandinavian descent pro-Scandinavan or our citi-
zens of Scotch lineage pro-Scotch or our citizens
of Irish blood pro-Irsh. We believe that the aver
age man and woman in North Dakota whose veins
contain Teutonic blood are just as loyal and just
as anxious to be considered loyal as are the cit-
zens whose forefathers came to our shores from
other old world lands The Tribune doesn't be-
ieve it good policy to insult these loyal Ameri-
Vans of German descent by saying to them as the
league apparently has done
Here, you Deutchers, is concession to you, as
Germans. We are appealing to you for your vote
not as 100 per cent Americans, but as Germans
When you enter your polling place on November
S, we are convinced that you intend to vote as Ger
mans and not as Americans, and we want your
German VOTE"
No, we don't regard such an insult good pol
icy nor good politics, and we believe the Hooper
cent Americans Of German descent, whose boys
are now in France fighting the good fight for free
dom. and whose money is invested in Liberty
bonds and war savings stamps and Red Cross and
Y. NJ c. A. and Knights of Columbus war work,
and whose hearts and hopes are with America
always and forever, are going to give the league
It's answer November 5.
We give these Americans of German birth or
blood credit for sufficient intelligence as we'll as
to believe they will not relish being
exploited for political purposes as knaves and in
rates. which they are not, and which the league
Eives them an excellent opportunity to prove they
ire not.