The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1919-07-17
THREE WEEKS
Was ENOUGH
CHICAGO NEWSPAPER MAN ~.
PORTED INTO STATE
TO Do Trick With Finley Beacon,
Leasue-owned, sut Was a Man
With Conscience

VI course the election is over. but
mere Is something that came out LAT
week Of the campaign that shown
now man with a conscience could
not stand the plan of the Townlev
clan:
U. j. Nusser, a Chicago newspaper
man. who came to North Dakota tn
work for the Nonpartisan League fol.
lowing his discharge from the Unitad
States army with the rank oe firat
lieutenant. has quit the fold. and in q
statement to the voters of the stata
urges them to smash the league prp-
gram in the referendum election
June Goth.
Lieutenant NusEer came to the
state three weeks ago and was TEN.
porarily assigned to the editorshio of
the Steele County Farmers Press.
formerly the Finley Beacon. pub
llshed at Finley. Its former editor
was George Monteith, who disposed
OF the plant to the Nonpartfsan
League. Mr.. Nusser left last night
for North Manchester, Ind, to take q
newspaper position.
Undermine. Freedom Of Press
'Regardless Of what your opinions
are on the other six laws to be voted
on this month. smash the printing
law" said Mr. Nusser in statement
issued Monday night, and addressed
to the citizens of the state.
Never in my newspaper career
have l recognized such an insidious
attempt to undermine the freedom
OF the press" said Mr.. Nusser. II
know from experience that coun-
try newspaper cannot remain solv.
ent when all county, state and public
printing is Withdrawn.
"This proposed law does withhold
1t from all but one, and it is or soon
will be controlled or owned by the
Nonpartisap Service Bureau and ed.
tied by rubber stamp editors, some of
whom came from other states as I
did. and who will sell their inherited
right of free thought and free ex.
preston for thirty pieces Of silver.
DO you want that kind of press?
DO you want your home newspapers
policy dictated solely and wholly by
few men seated in Office in Fargo.
who are controlled by a clique of
men who are plunging your state in.
to rank socialism? If you approve
this printing law. you will never have
another unbiased editorial so long as
Townleyism reigns in North Dakota.
so far as his controlled newspapers
are concerned And mark you-once
you turn the press over to your Bis.
marck politicians. they will remain in
power, no matter what they will do.
1t will be veritable sheepskin for
the grey wolves.
Something Wrong
|, When clique of politicians seek
to control the press-when they pass
legislation to freeze out all news
papers who differ with their program.
when they attempt to stife every hon.
est criticism, and when they are
afraid Of the daylight-look out, there
is something the matter with the
whole program
| 81 have no particular interest in
either political faction of this state.
l came here three weeks ago, almost
direct from France, and l was ignor-
ant Of what had occurred in North
Dakota during my absence. was
unbiased and ready to accept the
management Of any paper. provid-
ing believed in its policy, and pro-
viding wouiu be granted the right
to express my honest convictions ON
any subject.
1T did not take long to feel the
undercurrent of this so.called reform
movement. 1t did not take me long
to find out that would be but a ng-
ure-head editor without opinions.
without convictions and without
principles. And the league leaders
haven't enough money to hire me ON
that basis.
Il have nothing to gain by making
this statement. do it merely be-
cause do not want to see men who
have made such a success of their
farms, and in their various bust
nesses, victimized by these pretend
ed reformers and socialists"