The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1920-07-01
GOOD POLITICAL SENSE

fact that the lawyers and middlemen
Of North Dakota do not credit the
farmers Of the state with any politi-
cal intelligence. In fact, the infer
ence, that the farmers do not have
sense enough to know what they
want. Their thoughtful friends, the
errand boys of the Twin City, inter-
ests, alone r. capable of deciding
what is good for the state. Let him
who doubts this read the platforms
adopted by the men who would starve
were it not for the farmers from whom
they suck their support.
Both platforms recognize the i'm
portance of agriculture. They con-
cede that agriculture is the basic in
dustry of the commonwealth, but they
DO not concede that farmers have
n enough to know when they are
being exploited, nor how to defend
their interests. That must be left for
lawyers and middlemen to determine.
1t should be patent to anyone the
the muddle the country is in-what
of ~profiteering, speculation and ex-
ploitation-is the result of the very
economic system which they are ad-
vocating, but which farmers and lab
orlng men are striving to remedy.
Both l. V. AS. and Democrats would
leave the chief industry of the state
at the mercy of exploiting corpora
lions. The platitudes their platforms
indulge in are meaningless so far as
relief can be expectd from the evils
farmers have struggled against since
They simply oppose, in
untruthful language, everything the
Nonpartisan program contains, but
offer no solution for the economic
evils the farmers program will rem
edy. Moreover, they ignore all the
political principles which divide the
Republican and Democratic parties for
the sole purpose of getting into office
But so far as ~capitalistic interests
concerned it makes no difference.
Those interests control both parties
and furnish the motives and, doubt
less the money, to carry on their cam
paign against the farmers of the
Would it not seem more ap-
propriate to recognize what is good
in any administration and suggest i'm
provements where needed? Or, as po-
litical opponents, outline a distinct
and understandable program that will
appeal to the judgment of those who
long have been exploited, but who
demand relief?
A negative platform at best is sus-
picious. The people want something
positive and would prefer to have that
emanate from other than professional
politicians or from those who consume
but do not create, wealth.
In the last analysis the chief indus
try of the state must not be made the
foot ball of professional politicians,
Those who create the wealth of the
should protect their business, as
they propose to do. The puppets c
corporations, pirate they
never so much, must keep hands off.
The farmers a be trusted. They are
in the n ajority and pay the bulk of
the taxes. The wculd-he dictators of
economic conditions for agriculture,
but who live off the farmer, are med
ding with an issue that has teeth.
There is no sense, however, in di-
on the vital issues Of this state,
for they are economic rather than po-
Whatever is good and fair for the
farmer is equally good for business
men. 1t is an outrage that farmers
are compelled to organize in order to
get their fair share of the value of
their products in order that they may
have more money to spend with bust
ness houses. But it is a greater out
rage for those interests that depend
upon the farmers for their prosperity
to bitterly antagonize their every eff
fort to safeguard their interests.
The charge Of class legislation and
action would not exist if those
who live off the farmer were to help
his interests instead of pulling
the chestnuts out of the fire for
bunch Of politicians that would sacri-
flee every state interest for the sake
Of getting into office.
U. S. Senator Geo. w. Norris of
Republican, has given an
interview on the Nonpartisan League.
Senator Norris fought the meat pack
ers and championed the Federal Trade
Commission and is q keen student of
rural problems.
He said-"I believe that the League
Of North Dakota are abso-
lutely right in their determination to
their principal product, which
IS wheat, from the farm TO the con-
sumner, in order that producer and
consumer may exclude the profiteer-
ing middleman who for years has OPP
pressed both BY blocking the channels
81 trade.
I have always sympathized with the
program Of the farmers as expressed
81 this point BY the Nonpartisan Lea
gne, Where private mronopolistics il a