Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-10-28
THE DEMONSTRATIONS PROGRAM

Some of the speakers at the Reconstruction, pro-
gram. held last week under the auspices Of the state uni
versity, were unknown to the general public Of Grand
Forks, even by name. but. there were some expressions Of
surprise that all Of those who had been secured to speak
on economic subjects and who were conspicuous enough
to have attracted any considerable measure of public at
tention were among the most extreme advocates of state
auditorium wondering II. in a program devoted to a gen
eral discussion. of business and social problems. the sub
ject was to be presented from only one angle, and that
the most extreme one.s
The result confirmed the impression created by the
original published announcements. The known speakers.
spoke as they were expected to speak, and those who were
unknown speedily made 1t clear that they stood on the
same side, and were engaged in spreading the same doc
trims. One speaker described the provisions which are
being made in Canada for. the apportionment of public
lands to returned soldiers. and another presented some
facts concerning the operation of the federal reserve
banking system. Neither of these speakers, participated
in any way in the discussion of questions involving the
principle of state socialism. Those who did touch on that
subject are avowed advocates of the most extreme form
Of socialistic doctrine. i
If there existed the need for anything In the nature
of q reconstruction meeting that need most certainly
could not be met by the Importation of propagandists
all aligned on one side Of great controverted questions.
The alleged reconstruction program was in fact a social
list love feast - E#
In the popular mind the university itself is held re-
sponsible for this program The Herald Is informed that
because of its obvious one-sidedness it was highly unsatis-
factory to many members Of the faculty Of the institution,
and that these members did not participate in the max
ing OF the arrangements. Unfortunately, this fact does
not appear, as 1t could not we'll appear, in any of the an
nouncements made to the public. The meetings were
called under the authority ofithe university, and was held
under its aucpices. So far as the public is concerned, the
university is responsible for it. first, because the school
has been placed in the attitude Of carrying on a propo-
ganda rather than conducting an unbiased investigation:
second. because the incident associates the institution in
the public mind with that species Of radicalism which is
today the most dangerous and destructive force in the
world. --nEt
This comment Is made in full appreciation of the diff
ficult position in which those whom we believe to be
largely in the majority in the university faculty were
placed. The program having been prepared, it was con-
sidered. we take ii. that there was nothing to do but go
through with 1t and hope fol, the best But an institution
of learning cannot carry the burden which this sort of
thing imposes on it and perform the service for which it
exists. A course Of action which reverses everything that
is worth while in university life had better be stopped and
repudiated, even though such action may cause an explo-
sion in the faculty and lead to unpleasant notoriety.