The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1920-01-29
MONTANA CLASS PREJUDICE

1t always did make a difference whose OK was
gored! When the farmers of North Dakota
formed an organization of farmers only to Sc
cure by political action what they believed to
be a fair deal for their products, Immediately
they were assailed by the cry of "class prejud-
ice' and later were accused of enacting "class
legislation" Nor did the outcry stop with that
1t went further and the farmers were told
they were socialists, Bolshevists, "reds', free
lovers and disloyalists.
We now have an example of how the game
works when the shoe is on the other foot and
when class consciousness stirs another class. 1t
is in Montana, where the Loyalty League
flourished and spent it's slush fund in abuse
OF the farmer and his organization. To hush
and quiet the discomfort of the public-and to
steal the League thunder-a law was enacted
to curb profiteering. It's main clause was that
which required merchants to fix to the price
tag the cost price of the article offered for sale.
When an attempt was made to enforce this
law, the Loyalty League died incontinently! It
was a swiftly replaced by the Montana Develop
ment association. More than three thousand
merchants organized with a most determined
class prejudice and raised between 100000
and 100000 to fight the Objectionable law.
The case was taken to the courts and the law
was declared demonstrations" 1t was a glori-
GUS class victory!
But there remained quite a sum of money,
after paying the expenses of the litigation. That
uIOucy is uOW W NC uSVO, DIS duuOuuCeu ny tnS
Montana Development Association, to oppose
anarchy and bolshevism! The Association de-
clares that the law, which has just been de-
clared invalid, is only a "sign of the disease of
our body polite. It's that disease we want to
cure. Remember" adds the Associations mani
festo, 'ours is the cause of American freedom
under the system set forth in the constitution
of the United States"
Quite a pompous proclamation over the mere
matter of being required to set down in plain
figures the cost of an article offered for sale.
Quite grand and vainglorious language to use
over the sordid question of a few cents extra
profit on a suit of clothes, a package of soap
or a tin wash basin! The merchant class of
Montana demands American freedom and will
not be denied-if money can buy it! It demands
American freedom to plumber and steal, with
out any un-American restraint. It demands
freedom to rob the widow of her mite and the
orphan of his last cent-without having the
theft exposed to the eye of a nervous and sus-
picious public.
Yet the Montana farmer has not accused the
Montana merchant of being disloyal or I'M
American. He has not raved because the Mon
tana bushes men combined in a class movement
to retain the privilege of robbing the poor and
taking from the needy even the little he has. He
may recognize "class prejudice" in the action of
his fellow citizen, the Montana merchant, but
he has the courtesy to remain grimly silent. At
some future election the Montana farmer will
speak-and he will talk in a language that will
be as dignified as the Loyalty Leagues was
scurrilous, as plain and simple as the Develop
ment Associations is %grandiose and vain.