The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1920-05-20

grading oct, its st1ee bank, or itB>om-
Urgency mining of ngnitg coel.
We know, however, that many cred
ible witnesses speak in earnest praise
of the achievements Of the state Cd
ministration. II they are right, the
supporters of the League have at hand
the very best proof Of the value Of
q peoples government as distinguish
ed from the old "happy-go-lucky" lais-
seq Faire system, the evils Of which,
in waste, in gambling, in profiteering
and in heartlessness, have never been
so evident in America as they are to-
day.
When until now, it may well be
asked, were manipulated profits of
several hundred and even of several
thousand per cent on the useful
things of life exacted generally from
consumers and accepted as common
place of American business?
Anarchy Must Yield to Law
1t is as vital in business as it is
in personal relations that anarchy
shall give way to law. Particularly
where the public interest is paramount
for example in transportation, the dis
tribution of food and the use Of nat
ural resources, speculation and monop-
oily must be made to yield to a govern
mental trusteeship which will guaran-
tee the rights of all as against the un-
bounded privileges and profits Of those
individuals who build on chance rather
than on some worthwhile contribution
of their own to their fellowmen.
The extent to which the government
should go to show the best results
for all concerned can only be worked
out in the long run Of practice, during
which mistakes are bound to occur and
the successes of different methods and
systems can be contrasted in reaching
final judgment. Certainly in such gov
ornamental experiments the people who
have suffered from the mistakes of
others ought not to be unqualifiedly
condemned if they themselves happen
to fall into an occasional error. .
Nothing is more certain, however,
than that every effort to establish
greater equality of opportunity will
be fought with unreasonable bitterness
and with the unlimited resources at
the command of those who have made
gains and expect to add to them at
the expense of the less fortunates and
unprotected members of society.
Conditions at our very doors show
how clearly this is to be expected. If
there is one thing o. which we all
agree, it is that childhood deserves a
fair chance in this world. Yet the
elimination by law of ~indefensible
child labor, north as we'll as south, is
being as adroitly resisted today by
those who profit from it is black slav;
cry was cleverly defended in the gen
Grafton preceding 1860.
To make a single illustration, fol
some years in Colorado, in the face Of
indignant public protests based on
proven physical, mental and moral de-
terioration of the children affect, stats
legislatures, which have grown indif-
| ferent to the power ola peoples
movement, have permitted thoroughly
vicious, child labor conditions to work
out their evil consequences in the beet
sugar fields.
Similarly, in other states Of the un-
ion, legislation promotive Of the well
fare of women is being driven forward
against an industrial opposition as Dr.
ganized and resourceful as was the
military resistance Of the German lines
to our advancing armies in. the fall of
1918. AS for economic justice to men,
we have seen that pressed time after
time even to the verge Of grave pub
lie disorder against farmers, indiastrlA
al workers and consumers. &a
It is to be presumed that the sup
porters of the N~onpartisan League
understand all this. They doubtless
know a good deal about the unfailing
c~leverness of their adversaries. Much
of the record of public administration
be without the blemish Of a single
fault, which is hardly to be expected.
Their program disturbs manipula-
tors and monopolists who formerly
flourished unquestioned and are now
being checked, and numberless hostile
critics selfishly interested in the same
| game desire the failure of the changed
system inauguarted by an abused and
an aroused pubic.
It is to be hoped that this North Da-
kota innovation will be fairly tested.
In large measure the west still hears
and heeds the leadership of it's orig
inal pioneer spirits. The west is there
fore the proper theater for this exper-
iment 1t is not afraid of new ideas
so long as they promise a better and
more just order than that which they
displace."
| H1vnr nnEC TN DnITT