The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-05-30
THE WEEK
Soldier Insurance in Danger
North Dakota Avoids Trap
Secret Treaties Win
The Presidents Message

The Presidents Message
The good things in the president S
message to the special session are
probably more than counter-bal-
anced by his recommendation for
speedy return of the railroads and
the telephones and telegraphs to pri-
vate management. What is the rea-
son? It may be that Wilson is a
so-called individualist at all costs ex-
cept that of war efficiency, but moro
likely it is the great pressure brought
upon his party by the special inter
ests. We must never forget that
Wilson is a party man and not a
prophet like Garrison, the abolition
ist, Or Tom johnson, the Cleveland
mayor, who would place principle
above power. The people returned
reactionary congress in November,
1918.
The shifting of taxation from pro-
duction to incomes, profits and in
heritances, on the other hand, is a
splendid piece of advice. In the same
class we would have to put his re-
commendation to maintain the fed
eral employment service, aid for sol
diers, and his emphasis of the point
that labor must be given a share in
the control of industry.
The discussion of the peace treaty
We have had for the past week shows
that the world has made good those
secret treaties which all the allied
nations said had been renounced
With the enemy beaten it appears
that the representatives of the vic
torious nations felt they could go
back to the imperialistic vomit Ev-
en- Italy's success in the Fiume case
is not a violation of a secret treaty
because it was an extra claim be-
yond what Italy was promised for
participation in the war.
Only in regard to those parts
which favored Russia have secret
treaties been abrogated. And it is to
the credit of the Russian revolution
however much may. be said against
it, that one of its first acts was to
renounce Russia's share in the pos
sible plunder, including the much de-
sired, allthe-year-round port of Con,
stantinople. More than this, the
Russians at that time performed the
great service to the world Of publish
ing all the secret treaties in the
governments possession, and there
by brought down upon themselves
the most intense hatred of oul
scheming world politicians.
The secret treaties were made pub.
lie six weeks before we entered the
war; Wilson, therefore, knew OF
them. Why did he not get more
binding remuneration as part of oul
bargain for entering? Did he not
know better than to trust the private
assurances of special ENJOYS such as
Lord Balfour?
A very large part of the success
of the, Nonpartisan league in Nortl
Dakota is due to the fact that the
League leaders have surpassed rea
sonable expectations in avoiding
traps. Some of the best brains that
can be hired for money are working
on the problem of outgeneraling the
League, and the conspiracy extends
from one end of the country to The
other.
Governor Frazier has just sn1ashec
another one of these traps that looked
very innocent on the surface. The
I>,oT-o-a- ,a L1,r n7,~y7 n, ~, ~, A.,
! farmers legislation also wanted tt
initiate some bills which were hk,
/ the League laws in many respects
'rbetter ways of doing the SAM
! things" as the anti-farmer propa
4 gandists would saw. These bill:
would SO confuse the voters that :
! very large number would vote jus
the opposite Of what they would in
tend. With nothing to lose, the plot
/ ters had much to gain bye confusion
When you can't influence the voter,
the next best thing is to confuse
them.
But this next best thing met som,
plain farmer sense. Governor Frazie-
has refused to allow the fake initia
/ tive UllIS, anu SO Feuuc U the WnOl'
special election to a straight Eyes
and "no" proposition. Democracy il
workable when it is simple. The an
ii farmer interests arc going to fine
out on Juno 2e how the people lool
OH their tactics of ohetructing de
mocracy.
What s. aH We t'int of the bis
shakeup IN Ito eo1diars' insuranc,
bureau To'on~' T1o~-v n. Lindsey
the director hae cte ~ood the secre
tary of t'o t. = ar-,--r 18th nlacing re
straints on fhe ri,~oar which wer
making = 4 '"cc'oeee' failure" an,
has resigned
Eithe r'o~~ 'e nlayin,
up to t'5~ - - ~uppor
! for 1922 - - ~c'7. insur
lance or -1o1 rdslev
In eitl ;--',--e-ce i
in. gre 'aroar