The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1920-08-19
NOTED CLERGYMAN
AND THE n. P. |.

nlVD I'LL Vs - L.
REV. HARRISON BAREs MOTIVES
BEHIND ATTACKS ON THE
PROGRAM OF N. P.
Analyzing the Nonpartisan League
program from the point -of-view Of a
clergyman, Rev. Fred Harrison OF
Elkhorn, Wis. came out an unsolicit-
ed statement this week, warmly prais-
ing the Leaguers and wishing them
success in their efforts to redeem
North Dakota entirely from the
blighting influence of Special Privil-
ege. Following is copy of Rev. Har-
rison's poignant thrusts at Big Busi-
ness:
| BY Rev. Fred Harrison, Elkhorn,
10 MY FRIENDS OF THE NON
PARTISAN LEAGUE.
| feel that a word is due to the
many friends I made in your state
during my stay in the month of June.
It was delightful news, the word of
your victory in what was probably
the hardest fought election in the his
tory of American state politics.
You ought to be very jubilant over
the result. The forces of reaction did
their very worst and yet you beat
them in handsome fashion. 1t ought
to put the fear of God in their hearts
for the future.
I count it one Of the privileges of
my life to have had a little part in
your well fought campaign. There has
been plenty Of time for reflection
since returning home and what I am
saying in this article is born out of
calm, sober thinking away from the
atmosphere and passion of politics.
Those Awful Leaders
Before l went to North Dakota
some of my liberal friends expressed
their fears Of my associating myself
with the league. They agreed, so far
as they knew, with the principles but
the leaders, we'll! l was in for a great
disillusionment when I met them face
to face. And let me frankly confess
I shared their fears myself. You see
neither they nor I had anything to
Judge from save the American Press.
A man who has lived for twenty
five years in the great cities of the
world and kept close to the human
movements of his day on two contin-
ents ought to know little about men
and things. And I give without reser-
walton my own judgment that the
leaders of the Nonpartisan League as
I ret them in North Dakota--and
had as fine an opportunity as man
could wish to come into intimate re-
lation with them all with the excep-
tion of Mr.. Townley-are the equal in
character and ability to any group of
men that have ever met or been as
sociated with in the church Or out of
it. If this testimony is of any worth
to the League you are welcome to it
and I give it with all my heart.
A Deliberately Lying Press
But it is of some other things re-
lated to the League that I would es-
pecially speak at this time, things
that astounded and appalled, me. Is
it possible for men of ideals and a
movement of ideals to be deliberately
misrepresented by the American
Press? I was loathe to believe it and
am typical of millions of others.
And yet I am forced with reluc-
tance to the only conclusion / can
reach-that the press of America is a
deliberately lying process. It is an ap-
palling fact full of evil portent for the
future, that a democracy dependent
almost absolutely upon the printed
word for facts from which to form
an intelligent opinion should be al
the mercy of an agency which delib-
erately swithholds the truth and as de-
liberately disseminates lies. If some
thing is not done to render such sys-
TEN impotent then with all our boast
ing of democracy and Americanism
this country will surely go the way
of all houses of civilization which
have hitherto been built on the sands
of the unreal and the false.
False Leaders Cause Mischief
And then am concerned about the
church. We have talked about recon-
struction and new world. We have
believed that nothing less was worth
the giving of ten million lives. in war
Did we mean it or was it only prac-
ticing hypocrisy? Most of us meant
it. Yet what are the facts In my es-
timation the church today is not liv-
ing in the same world with vast mul-
titudes Of men and women whose only
ideal is humanity I wonder if it is
because the church has grown rich
and is suffering from the great il
lusion, the deceitfulness Of riches?
What Gladstone Said
It was churchman, William T.
Gladstone, the great English states
man, who said that in all battles fol-
human progress and betterment the
rich classes had invariably been on
the wrong side of the field. Does 9
rich church ever see any relation Of
this truth to herself? History is full
Of the wrecks Of such ecclesiastical
organizations blinded by the god 81
t. Wi id.
Let me be specific. Has the church
ever tried even to understand the
Nonpartisan League? !? Have the So
called lead : : organized Christian
ity in North Dakota, or have they
only learned to parrot what rich men
or interests have told them ? ven
Il " .