The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1918-03-14
borers of our state as they are to those
who have had more experience with

borers of our state as they are to those
who have had more experience with
them.
"Another reason for declining your
invitation is the possibility of constru-
ing my presence at your nonpartisan
campaign rally, by some, as an In
dorsement Of your propaganda. It is,
of coure, the duty Of the governor to
be fair to all classes, and to oppose
any program which is apt to result in
a division Of our state into classes.
Such arraying OF class against class
would be welcomed by the enemies of
our republic, for such a course will
tend to defeat our nation in this war,
and will eventually mean the dissolu-
tion of our form of government and
the undermining of the economic and
political freedom of our people. He
who, in normal times, needlessly ar
rays class against class, is most often
the ambitious demagogue, but any in
dividual who will do so when our ma
tion is in life and death struggle is
knowingly or unknowingly a traitor to
his state and to his country.
"ln declining to speak at your par
tvs rally, l wish to say further that
for me there are during this war but
two parties, one composed of the 10y
alists and the other Of the disloyalists.
The only party VIII, Sc cause l shall
strive at this time to advance is the
party composed of those Americans
who heart and soul are loyal to their
country. The only issue that to me is
paramount at this time is the winning
Of this war, and that cannot be done
if our house is to be divided against
ITSELF through false accusations on
the part of political agitators such as
those who head your organization.
The only party and politicians
whom l am in this campaign going to
oppose are that parry and those poll
ticians who for party purposes by in
nuendo or otherwise, are discouraging
our people by claiming this is war
begun by the rich, or that the burdens
of the conflict will fall more heavily
on one class than another, or who
make statements which in some other
way will lengthen the conflict, by cre-
ating dissatisfaction at home, and thus
indirectly cause the death of addition
al thousands, if not millions, Of our
fellow citizens, on European battle
fields.
"We all agree that war profteers
! should be dealth with as drastically as
it is possible to deal with them, but
! it cannot be said this is rich mans
war; for those who have gained most
from it would have made greater pro-
| fit if the United States had not en-
tered it,
81 hold no brief for any class, but
to make the farmers or laboring men
believe their sons are Disseminated
against in this war, as implied in your
able conduct, for the rich mans sons
are conscripted proportionately to a
greater extent than the sons of the
farmers and laborers.
"This is apparent because Of the ex-
emption Of those needed to support
their dependents, and the exemption
allowed because of agricultural and
! industrial pursuits. Up to this date
about per cent Of the male popula-
tion Of this country has been called,
and 80 per cent of che war taxation
has come from business profits and in
come, falling mostly on those best
able to pay it. If anyone, for money
reasons, would strive to continue this
war, or make unreasonable profit
through the carrying on of the same,
such an individual is as much of a
traitor to his country, but no more of
traitor, than he who would use this
time to divide our forces through the
creation of class hated and factional
discomfort.
"Your leaders are continually at
tacEing what you term big business.
Personally am as strongly opposed
as any one to what is known as gov
ernment by big business would be
equally opposed to government by
any particular industrial class. The
public official who would allow HIM
self to be controlle by the self-ap-
pointed guardians of some certain ele-
ment Of society woult thereby render
himself unfit to hold public office.
"If I, as governor of this state,
would permit myself to be put in po-
sition where l could be compelled to
cater to any particular set of menL
or where | could not be fair to organ
lied or unorganized labor, to farmers
organizations or any other organiZa-
tions, to big business or little business,
I would be unworthy of the confidence
of the voters of our commonwealth
who can freely or secretly exercise
their right of franchise without the
payment of SIG to unscrupulous
schemers for the privilege of voting
or being told how to vote.
knowing as do the political am
bition of your organization, and the
false charges that some Of it's leaders
and agents have made through your
official newspapers against honest
and patriotic public officials, cannot
believe that back of the invitation you
have sent me is any sincerity Of pur-
pose. The failure on the part of any
one to turn over the state government
to those of your officers who have as
sumed the organization of the alleg-
ed Nonpartisan league, and the con-
troll of the millions Of dollars collected
from it's members, will undoubtedly
create opposition, but I know that
such men, pretending to be friends of
some particular class, and deceivlng