The Hope pioneer., 1920-09-23
TACTICS IN NORTH
DAK0TACAMpA A|CN
STRONGLY FLAYED
Nonpartisan League Leaders
Charged With Dodging Issues
and Resorting to Abuse.
FOURTH ARTICLE.
BY L. j. SiIjan 1,


II Il diSinterested and unbiased pO-
Altical writer, or Qnother student of
politics. should come into our state to
look over the political activities in the
present campaign, he would ut first
become amazed and then the amaze
ment would turn to disgust with the
tactics pursued by the leaders of the
party in control of state affairs. This
would also be the case with every fair
minded voter in the state if he would
nnly shake off the fetters Of partisan
ship and look ut things as they really
are.
This, in nutshell, is the situation:
u'he Noupartis:tn league is the govern
Ing political party in the state and ac-
Cording to assertions and statements
of its leaders in and outside of the
administration it has inaugurated the
greatest and most far-reaching system
pf reform in the history of North Da-
kota. The state has taken upon itself
number of paternal obligations such
us insurance against hail losses, work.
snehs compensation for loss of wages
OF service, home building on the amor
lization plan. protection of women
workers through an eight hour work.
ing day, rules and specifications for
grading. ETC., and Il few less impor-
tant reforms of political significance
exclusively.
Besides these measures the purty in
power is chiefly responsible for start
ing the state upon Il business career
pm large scale. The already author
1Zed capital for state industries is
nineteen million dollars with plenty
OF chances to branch out beyond the
present ranificationS. AS state
North Dakota with it's less than seven
hundred thousand population is stalk
Ing more millions on the success of
business ventures in competitive mar
ketS than any other commonwealth in
the uniOn
The natural mode of procedure on
the part of the administration forces
would be to go to the people with
their, record and show cause why they
should be returned to power. 1t NAV
tie granted that they can produce, a
somewhat sufficient mandate for their
administrative and legislative acts as
far as their industrial program is con-
cerned: it is hardly an issue any long
ar whether the authorization given by
the people was obtained through
trickery or not. The fact is that these
things exists, although it would be
difficult to prove that the people have
expressed themselves upon such ques-
tions as the Bank of North Dakota
and the million dollar mill.
But the league leaders are doing
everything else but discussing issues,
or the record Of the state administra-
ton. or the public records Of their
men. Instead they attempt to detract
attention from the paramount ques-
tions by calling names by cheap SLAM
derous charges of slusl funds. by fake
stories of saving money for the farm
ers by fake cases in court such as the
one pertaining to the increased rail-
road rates. and other like things.
They erect awe-inspiring scarecrows
only to knock them down and praise
themselves for their bravery and for
being on the job
There is, Of course nothing to the
story in the Fargo Courier-News to
the effect that one article published
In that newspaper on the alleged con-
sspiracy to defraud the farmers by
NSing December future quotations as a
basis for wheat prices saved the farm
frs millions Of dollars. AS a news
paper man l should be pleased if it
was so but, unfortunately, the power
OF the press is not that great. If,
however. the expose Of the grating
in futures had anything to do with the
increase in wheat prices, credit there
fore must be given particularly to the
Daily Times-RecOrd of Valley City,
an unti-league paper which started
the ball rolling by publishing letter
from Colonel Peake. and commenting
thereon editorially Then the Courier.
News took the matter up for discus.
sion.
On only one issue in the present
campaign have the league managers
taken an open stand and that is on
the initiated measure calling for ar
examination Of state institutions by &
board of auditors. This proposed
nleaSute reads as follows:
BE 1t Enacted by the People Of
the State Of North Dakota:
Section 1.-That Section 1863 of
the Compiled Laws Of the State
Of North Dakota for the year 1913
he hereby amended and re-enacted
to read as follows:
Section :'69.-(MEMBERS OF
BOAItD.) There is hereby Great
ed board of auditors for the
state of North Dakota which shall
consist Of the secretary OF state,