Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1919-01-01
A IONS
lBy Cornfield Philosopher
xvlu-oUR GREATEST DANGER

worthy OF support. L. ~. ~ BID. q.
The editor may have individual opin-
tfons, as see is the unreliable
express in his editorial columns, but
in his news columns, he should give
impartial reports, especially along poll
teal lines.
The people are perfectly capable of
making up their own minds and form
ing their own judgments, when all the
facts are fairly presented. We are all
products of our associations. and large
ly Of our environment take it for
granted that the great mass of the
common people are honest and fair
minded and would not unjustly con-
denim movement that appears right
and proper. But when the sources of
their information are poisoned and
corrupted, the voters will be deceived
and mislead and reach wrong conc1u-
sions, be they ever SO honest.
See Ono Thing at Time.
A good many people are so consti-
tuted that they can see only one thing
at time and for this reason are east
ly imposed upon by designing men of
superior intelligence and reckless
disregard of the truth.
While the war lasted, the Kaiser
and the German war lords, were IN
doubtedly our greatest enemies.
I can conceive Of no greater offense,
| of no more serious crime, than for
an American citizen to wilfully and
! knowingly give laid and comfort" to
the enemy at such a time. And, if in
addition to his perfdy, he should &C.
cept money for his services, no punish
| ment that could be suggested would
seem to be too severe.
But to charge a person with "dis-
floyalty" without any substantial foun-
dation for the charge, and to cast
doubts and insinuations upon ones
! actions in order to gain a political
advantage, and to discredit him before
the people is of itself the basest of
offenses against fair play and good
morals. Newspaper editors that lend
themselves to such baseness in order
to mislead and to deceive their read
ers, are wholly unworthy of confidence
or support.
Intensely Loyal.
The people of Minnesota are intense
ly loyal to their country and it's insti
tutions Down in their hearts they
desire good government both for the
state and the nation. I verify believe
that we have more horse thieves (theJ
are just now turning their attention
} to the theft of automobiles) than rea
friends of German junkerdom.
, Yet the newspapers controlled, sub
sidized, or Influenced in some way BY
, big tax shirkers, beneficiaries of spe
cial privileges, and professional poll
ticians and Office seekers, by raising
the cry of disloyalty we're able to pla,
upon the feelings Of many Thousand
Of our most loyal, but too credulou'
voters and induce them to cast thei
ballots against their own best inter
ests.
Does anybody want the great mining
properties to escape the payment o
> their just share of taxes? How man,
people approve of the packers com
bine as revealed by the Haney investi
cation? What ordinary citizen is il
: favor Of the Minneapolis grain dealer
Y prescribing the conditions under which
!, the farmers grain shall be handled, O
r the big millers fixing the price O
r flour? Who likes the idea of tn
states selling it's valuable timbers t,
l the lumber companies for mere pit
tance-at from one tenth to one fourt]
l Of its real value? And thus I nigh
!, continue.
And yet thousands of honest bu
D misguided voters aided the MALE,
t hand of corporate power-of big bus
3 ness-in striking down at the prim
' aries and at the election, the tru
: friends Of the people, and opponent
: OF these interests, because the suspj
cion had been instilled into the1
4 minds by the reckless newspapers tina
: they read, that the League endorse,
: candidates were fighting for good gov
r eminent in Minnesota because the
Y wanted to aid the Kaiser or that thei
l success at the polls would somehow
! hamper the government in the prose
cution aof the warH With the BIZ
dailies lending their support to thi
j view, and at least ninety per cent 0
8 the country weekl1es taking their GU
s from the same source do not wonde
/ at the result. How any League cand
/ dates pulled through is almost mil
i acle.
1t Can't Happen Again.
But, while the great reform move
ment is temporarily delayed, there i
Q some satisfaction in the thought tina
it can't happen again. The countr
: editor who won't "play fair with tn
organized working forces, will fin,
r rival papers financed by the farmer
D springing up everywhere, and will fac
a fast 'dwindling subscription list
: while the papers that give the agri
: cultural interests a square deal" viii
: war fat and prosperous.
3 This condition of affairs has alread,
been brought about in our sister stat
q | of North Dakota and is bound to fo]
Q low here In Minnesota just as fast a
r the people: wake up to the 1mportanc
r of the matter. L predict that in tn
next campaign, every county that ha
a we'll edited farmer controlled loca
paper will 60 over the top In the SUI
! port of League principles and cand
a dates just like Douglas, Kandiyohi an
p Todd did because they had honest an
= fearless editors who dared to tell til
? truth. $50.
: A Campaign Of Vilifcation.
0 Never before in the history Of thi
|. state or OF this country, has q more IL
+ decent, reckless, slanderous, abusiv
4 or lawless political campaign been cal
. ried on-not even in the dark days @
: the Civil War in '61-than was wage
l. against the farmers in the campaig
just closed. An army. OF paid liars
: reckless and interruptions, were O
. the Job every minute and they appal
entity had access to the columns q
about ninety per cent Of the news
papersD f. 70 r e. '.. .
Fl These selfsame editors III many cal
es denied the farmers side q l1earin