Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1920-07-01

Gas a result of this condition the
world is going to pieces. We car
save it. We can do it if we want to.
We must think clearly about it, frank
ly, coldly, and when the voting time
comes, cast u ballot for the common
good" -
BY REV. MERCER G. JOHNSTON
Episcopal Rector, Former ny" Worker
in France.
1t gives me pleasure to take off my
hat to the "embattled farmers" of
North Dakota and to bid them God
speed in their great tight against the
Robber Barons of America.
They are worthy successors of those
'embattled farmers" of Massachusetts
who in 1875 fired the shot heard
around the world"
A few years ago 1 stood with barred
head on the bank of the Concord at
the cen of "the rude bridge that
arched the flood" of which Emerson
sang in his Concord Hymn, and
thanked God for the heroic farmers
of Revolutionary days who knew when
they had enough and to spare of ex-
%ploitation, and who put to rout the
Red Coats sent to lay violent hands
on their leaders, and by doing so wrote
a magnificent chapter not only in
American but in Human independence.
Bless their brave hearts and horny
hands, it seemed to me as I stood there
on the historic road along which Paul
Revere dashed like an angel of indie
pendence ~summoning the manhood of
America to make it's mark and stand
upon it, I could hear some such fine
rebel chorus as this coming from their
lusty threats: Rough, tough, we are
the stuff; we've had enough; we call
your bluff" They may not have been
much to look at, they were not dolled-
up according to the fashion of the day
in military circles, but, believe me,
those farmers between Charlestown
and Lexington started something April
10th, 1T5. And the thing they started
never stopped till the overseas ex-
ploiters cried, Hold! Enough" !
The Modern Revolution.
Some day I should like to stand
upon the bank of the majestic Missouri
where it flows past Bismarck and
thank God for the farmers of North
Dakota whose sleeping spirits were
rUdely awakened in 1915, and who
fired & shot also heard around the
world. Three thousand miles away I
heard it distinctly, and shouted for
JOY 1t was like heavenly music to my
ears. My prophetic soul revelled in it.
The American Spirit seemed to sweep
through me crying, "Arouse We! Awake
ye- who love me! America is not dead!
The looters doped her, but did not kill
her. America is coming to herself
again! 4 New Day is dawning for
her! Be up and doing!" And what I
heard unnumbered thousands heard.
Many who heard it reiOiced as l did.
But some who heard it trembled. And
we'll they might: for to them it sound
ed like Il Big Ben alarm clock to a
burglar about to slip his hand under
the pillow of a sleeping giant.
A Manifestation of Human Spirit. !.
There was just as much justification
for the firing of this shot by the farm
ers of North Dakota in 1919 as there
was for the firing of that famous shot
by the farmers Of Massachusetts in
1875. Indeed, there was more justif-
cation. Exploitation of the unprivi-
legged by the privileged was in it's in
a wee bit of a tyrant compared with
those Robber Barons Of Big Business
who infest America today. Only those
who are democratically deaf and blind,
or natural born poems of plutocracy,
fail to see this. History will make
honorable mention of the inception of
the Nonpartisan League in 1915.
American poets will yet sing of it.
sTownely's ride through North Dakota
may one day rank with Paul Revere's
ride in romantic interest and ever OUT
rank it as a manifestation Of the UNI
sconquerable human spirit.
Spread the Idea.
So l take off my hat to you farmers
Of North Dakota who are laying the
axe to the root of the deadly upas
tree of predatory wealth. You have
begun a good and necessary work.
Finish it. AS believe the genuine
American spirit has inspired you to
begin this work. so l believe it to be
the will of that spirit that Won should
carry 1t on not only until North Da-
kota and the West, but the whole Ma
ton and even the world itself is per-
manently freed from the monstrous
system that puts money above man
hood and womanhood and childhood
and keeps it there at whatever terrific
human cost.