Grand Forks herald., 1919-12-30
TO WAIT OR WORK.

To WATT OK WORh.
The Herald finds itself in entire
sympathy with the desire for peace
and good will expressed by Rev. DR..
Gallagher in his Sunday evening SER
mon. That desire Is in accord with
the scriptural spirit and it is pardcu-
larly appropriate to the season Of the
year. But when it comes to a prac-
tical application there are some fea-
lures of DR.. Gallagher's sermon, from
which this paper must express a most
emphatic dissent.
DR.. Gallagher says quite correctly
that extreme views should not be held
on public questions. and he pleads for
more temperate judgment and better
understanding between individuals. So
far so good. He urges that the Nom
partisan league program be tried out
for two years or so without opposition
SO that the people of the state may see
just what its effects are to be. If the
plan is found undesirable he thinks
that fact will make itself known and
then, as he puts it, I'VE can kick it
out bodily"
There seems to be some difference
of opinion as to just what the Nonpar-
isan league program is. 1t has been
| variously described, and in the state
| ments which have come from official
| league sources, what has been describ-
cd thn noc hoe,, NJ
constant expansion. The announced
program of four years ago bears little
resemblance to what is being set forth
as the league program Of today, al
! though only small part of the indus
trial program originally announced
has been put even into preliminary
operation. The men who shape the
policies Of the league have not been
content to await the result of exper-
iment in any line, but have constantly
added to and nagnified the original
list until the process has rcsembled
that of blowing a bubble.
| Presumably DR.. Gallagher has ref
| erence to what is commonly under
stood to be the league industrial pro-
gram. That is, the entrance Of the
state into a number Of lines Of bus
mess which have usually been carried
on by individuals. II that were ALL
there would be little difficulty in get
ting together. There has been Great
ed very geneSal desire for the as
sumption by the state of certain lines
of business activity and nowhere, sc
far as we know, is there any strong
opposition to reasonable experimental
ton in these fields Many citizens be.
lieve that these experiments will b<
somewhat costly and will ultimately
demonstrate the unwisdom Of furthe,
progress in that direction, but ever
with this conviction most people art
perfectly willing that the experiment
be made on a scale large enough tt
afford convincing illustration.
| That, however, Is but an insfsnifi
cant part Of the real league program
and when The Herald speaks OF thu
league program in this connection i
refers not to any program originating
with the masses of the people Of tn,
state, farmers or otherwise; but will
the program originating in the mind
Of A. C.. Townley and his immediat,
associates, all Of them active socialists
most Of them professional agitatora
without character, and a good man.
Of them convicted Of crimes. The
gram which these men propose is on
in which the Industrial feature 1
merely incidental. It is program
which proposes the overthrow Of tn
American system Of government an
the substitution therefore Of an au
tocracy in which the controlling pow
er shall be welded by men Of th
Townley type, and il 1t is propose
that such a program be experimente
with or that such. leadership be &C
!: Icepted even temporarily, then ther
:. Is presented an issue which admit
Of no compromise. Experiment4tio
with such program for any time q
y any terms Is unthinkable. and 1t
Z The business Of every good citizen t
: declare war on It and to wage wa
8 fagainst IT increasingly and unflinch
9 j insly: In such 4 contest there is n
= such thing a. neutrality. and me
:, must take their places as being for .
= against the American government.
= Or. Gallagher Il NOT fortunate in ii
? use Of some cf hls .illustrations, n
4 hopes that II there are eytls in III
= Honpartisan league the league VI
g Ichoke Itself out as slavery and ii
\ liauor traffic did. slavery and II
niliauor traffic I'D not choke thsls
= tselxsa ont. They we're areenhpaais
sJbys aGErAyafio which tended u u