The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1920-07-08
BY REV. MERCER G. JOHNSTON
Episcopal Rector, Former Y Worker
in France

Episcopal Rector, Former ~" Worker
in France.
It gives me pleasure to take off my
hat to the 'embattled farmers of
North Dakota and to bid them God
speed in their great hight against the
RObber Barons Of America.
They are worthy successors of those
"embattled farmers of Massachusetts
who in 1775 fired the shot heard
around the world"
A few years ago l stood with barred
1eaG oss 90. scs.ss. ~s ~ass CSa.ess1 q
the scene q s'shs srae ErtGge 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 l 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 throats: Trough, 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 betw cen Charlestown
and Lexington started something April
10Th, 1775. And the thing they started
stopped till the overseas ex-
ploiters cried, Hold! Enough!"
The Modern Revolution.
Some day 1 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 a shot also heard around the
world. Three thousand miles away ]
heard it distinctly, and shouted for
JOY. It was like heavenly music to my
ears. MY prophetic soul revelled in it.
The American Spirit seemed to sweep
through me crying, AROUSE ye! Awake
We, who love me America is not dead !
The looters doped her, but did not kill
her. America is coming to herself
again! A New Day is dawning for
her! Be up and doing!" And what ]
heard .unnumbered thousands heard.
Many who heard it rejoiced as I did.
But som who heard it trembled. And
well they might; for to them it sound.
ed like a 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 1915 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
fancy in those days. George III was
a wee bit Of q tyrant compared with
those Robber Barons of Big Business
who infest America today. Only those
who are Economically 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 vet sing of 1t.
Townely's ride through North Dakota
may n day rank with Paul Revere's
ride in romantic interest and even out
rank it as a manifestation OF the I'M.
conquerable human spirit.
Spread the Idea.
So / 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 tc
begin this work, so I believe It to be
the will of that spirit that you should
carry it on not only until North Da-
kota and the West, but the whole M
ton and even the world itself Is per-
aaailently freed from the monstrous
.s.s.e1n that puts money above man.
heed ina ~"onlan!laod md childhood
ssI ssce..as !. t.-e.e st whatever terrific
's--r,cr cnst.