The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-07-16
\ D RTH DAKOTA
CASE SIGNIFICANT 7

about the significance of the recent
decision ty the United States supreme
court concerning North Dakota, out
side the state, though no doubt
enough has been heard inside it. But
the supreme courts action in declin-
Ing to interfere with the decisions
which had declared constitutional the
series Of state constitutional amend
ments and statutes enacted by the
non-Partisan League for the estab-
lishinent and development by the state
Of various Industrial and economic
enterprises, seems to hold a deep
Political and economic meaning for
the nation. II Is, naturally Of "A
character to be of the greatest inter
est to persons dissatisfied with the
present economic and Industrial sys-
TEN, and 1t is to be hoped that it's
full import will be perceived by all
such elements in the country. For
this decision by the highest court
In the land plainly indicates that, in
the United States, when majority
becomes convinced that conditions
make it advisable for the state to
manage, and even own, the facilities
for caring for, preparing and market
ing what the people produce, and for
financing essential enterprises, the
present governmental machinery is
elastic and expansive enough to admit
Of such methods. Time after time the
public has been told this but now
the supreme court makes 1t clearly
known, to all the world. that 1t sees
no reason why it should undertake
to prevent the people Of a state of
the Union attending to their own JIM
dustrial and commercial business. II
they would rather carry 1t on them
selves, or through agencies Of their
own choosing than leave it longer
in the hands Of individuals or cor
poations with whose service they
beyond question, that in the United
States there is absolutely no need
Of, or reason for, any such methods
es direct action" or physical violence,
or the use Of force in any form to
orlng about radical changes In the
economic mode OF living.
The political innovations In North
Dakota during the last year or two
have to do almost wholly with agri-
cultural interests, for the popula-
ton of the state Is made up almost
Of farmers and their families there
being few mechanical industries; but
the political aspect Of the situation
Is not essentially affected by this
fact. 1t is NO doubt true that, as has
been said. the state assembly last
year gave to America it's most radical
experiments, thus far, in farmers
legislation. The states undertaking
to buy and make into flour the $50, 900
900 bushels of wheat annually raised
within its borders, to establish state
bank, this also to be a farm loan
bank: to operate grain elevators and
flour mills, and to carry on various
other ESSENTIAL activities, entailing
an expenditure Of millions Of dollars.
quite naturally was not launched with
out opposition. But when the acts OF
the assembly, placing such enterprises
On a public footing, were attacked by
groups of citizens who claimed that
10 raise taxes for such purposes was
unconstitutional. those legislative acts
we're sustained by a substantial ma
jority in a special referendum vote.
The right OF the state to engage in
industry was challenged in the courts,
while much was made OF the claim
that the purposes for which these
public funds were to be expended were
private purposes. and that the state
was without authority, under the ma
ticnal constitution. to incur indebted
ness for any but public purposes.
The United States supreme court.
however, decided that it did not come
within the purview of that court to
examine the economic aspects Of the
program modelled by the Non-Partisan
League, and that the question Of con-
sltutionality Of the state taxes com.
planned Of hung on the state consti-
tdtion and the statutes already sus-
tanned by the highest courts OF the
state.
Thus the people Of North Dakota
are more than ever consciously free
to go forward with their economic
experiments. How these experiments
will succeed no one can yet say and
the question of their soundness Is
not at this moment under considera-
ton. The point which it is desired to
emphasize at this time is that the
citizens of North Dakota find them
selves at liberty to work out their
economic salvation according TO their
own ideas. radical though these ideas
may be, and according to the peoples
courage to venture in untried paths.
1t is true, as has been claimed, that
the causes of unrest are being re-
moved In North Dakota. and that the
dissatisfied there now are mostly
wealthy anarchists" SPECTATORS, and
exploiters OF the farmers, there is
ut least something to be said, already,
for these experiments In government.