Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1920-02-04

! doubt in the minds Of the readers of
| The Tribune about the attitude of the
editor towards that organization? We
| think not. We have tried to treat it
fairly from the start, reporting its meet.
| ings and defending it from unprincipled
attacks of such political jackals as the
| Dassel man is proving himself to be.
"Smoked OUT indeed! When he made
his first foul insinuation that we had
sold out our principles for gold, we re-
scented it and told him what we thought
| Of him. He then took it back, acknowl
| edging that he could not substantiate
| the charge. He comes now and claims
we are taking money from both Sides"
that he has tagged u.s." that we have
! 'swallowed socialism," that we have
! tried to carry water on both shoulders,
etc. Charges supported by no evidence
have no weight. We are giving our
readers everything you say about us.
! Come now with your proofs.
| (2). Isn't this paragraph the limit Of
indecency? Here our assailant adds dis
honesty to his other accusations against
| US. This is sample of what anyone
may expect to hear from the tory edi-
| tors during the next campaign. When
our citizens have awakened to the nee
J essity of organizing for their own pro-
lection and of financing their own poll
teal campaigns instead of depending
| IN, hx, bo11
ers and seekers of special economic priv
ileges, they are suffering from "delir-
um' and are "misled by demagogues"
Our honest advice to our readers for
twenty-five years has been to vote indie
pendently of the old party machine
bosses and we may be pardoned if we
| take pride in the progressive spirit of
independence which prevails in our COM
munity. 1t is because we have refused
to betray the trust that our people have
in us that such political whelps as Edi-
tor Henke howl and growl
(3). No camouflage about it, sir You
have and are now deliberately trying to
besmirch as fine bunch Of American
| farmers as can be found anywhere with
the false charge of disloyalty to their
| country. And all for the sake Of trying
to secure a little rotten political advan-
tage. You and other country cuckoes
| of the city press are sowing the wind
and will soon begin to reap the whirl-
| wind that is coming.
| (D.Perhaps more truth than poetry
| in hot hoS
| cent following among all classes of Am
erican voters in the past. But the re-
! fusal of the sheep to follow the old
bell-wethers any longer, is what agi-
tates and alarms the Henkes, ct. al.
90. That the Nonpartisan League
did anything to hinder the war program
after our country declared war is
| da1pnable falsehood. On the other hand
the organization did much to help along
! the various war drives" and was COM
| mended by the federal government for
so doing. AS for Reconstruction the
y. P. League program is the only one
| we have seen so far that offers any So
luton of reconstruction problems. Pri-
vate ownership Of many public utilities
failed miserably in the emergencies of
| the war, and the government had to
take them over in order to be able to
J get efficient service On the return of
| peace the problem of reorganizing these
| instruments of commerce confronts the
nation. We have failed so far to see
| any comments in the press owned by
big business" and their country cuck-
oes about the "disloyalty" of some rail-
road managers who did everything they
| could to discredit government ownership
| while they were in the government SER
| vice. This will be investigated in due
| time, we predict. Some people are SIM
| ple-minded enough to think that we will
| have "competition" when the roads are
| restored to their owners No, the own
| ers demand practically that they shall
| be given the right to combine into large
! systems, and some such scheme will, no
doubt be adopted. Would you tolerate
a private monopoly in public necessity,
Mr.. Henke? If not, how do you propose
| to avoid it? Our congress is now COM
| posed in the main of lawyers, many of
| them corporation lawyers. Is it "stir-
ring up of class hatred to demand that
other classes Of our citizens be given
more fair representation in the halls of
| legislation?
| 60. Indeed! And hasn't the League
| proceeded to work out these problems
| in manner that has challenged the ad-
| miration of friend and foe alike? Now
| YOU finally spoke of something real and
| tangible-the economic program of the
League. 1t constitutes the "crux'' of
| the whole question regarding the Non
| partisan League. Now, tell us, Mr..
Henke, which part of it's economic pro-
| gram is so "dangerous". Name one
| thing that is SO dreadfully wrong.
| Here's your chance to convince our read
ers You pirate about this and about
| that, insinuate and charge wrong mo-
tives and fuss around in most indie
cent manner. Would it not simplify
matters to tell the farmres where their
| demands are in the wrong? That is the
| only way that we can accomplish any
thing or get anywhere in this discus
| sion.
| The remaining paragraphs of Henke's