Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-12-30
II lalsrAxE ABOUT -

NO MnsirAKE ABOUT -
I the appeal OF MI. Lesueur to
the officers and Legislators ofsNorth
Dakota, the final installment 81 which
has just been pubAshed In The Herald,
one Of the many interesting features
b the demonstration afforded that the
most dangerous and obnoxious fea-
lures Of the Industrial and eco
monte legislation recently enacted
in this state were not included by any
accident or inadvertence.k but were
forced upon the state by Measrs.
Townley and Lemke after full dslib-
GRAFTON. and after the evil in these
features had been pointed out BY q
member Of their own ORGANIZATION.
MI. LeSueur, as has been mention
ed. was and is committed thoroughly.
to the policy of state ownership and
operation of industries, There has
never been anything doubtful or
equivocal In his attitude on this sub
ject. Long before Townley was heard
from, LeSueur was advocating state
grain handling, state milling, state
banking, state everything. And he
never has wavered or hedged in his
advocacy of that policy. But the cor
respondence which has been quoted
shows that in the formulation Of plans
for carrying his principles into effect,
he attempted to have thrown around
the business agencies which were to
be created provisions which would
separate them from the fluctuations
of politics, and which would set each
such agency upon it's own basis as an
independent business institution, and
give opportunity for business success
proportionate to the honesty inc ef-
ficiency applied to its management.
II the uccess Of state socialism
could ever be achieved, 1t would be
only along such lines ~ are indicat-
ed by Mr.. LeSueur. That it has never
succeeded, and that it cannot succeed,
is due, in part, to the fact that wher-
ever it is attempted there is. a Town
ley or q hemke, stubborn, self-opin-
AVA0SVu dAA 6lOCuy 4OI pOWCI, " u0C
the whole scheme as the mainstay of
a political program, and to involve
it in the fate of political ambitions.
Townley and Lemke were interest
ed first and chiefly in political sue
cess. For political purposes they
framed what they called g farmers
program. Confronted with the self
evident fact that such a program as
most farmers believed they were get
ting could experience nothing but dis
as Ter. if it were not provided with at
least the rudiments Of business safe
guards, they framed their bills in such
a manner that the plain rules of bus
mess were ignored, and imposed
on the state laws involving the *
penditure of millions Of dollars and
the creation of a series of enterprises
affecting the whole business life OF
the state, without even the, ordinary
checking and accounting provisions
which are required by the fairly mod
ern corner grocery
These enterprises have been operat-
ed just as it was apparent they must
be operated, planned as they were.
Three elective officers, with %constitu-
tional duties already sufficiently u
merous and important, are constitut-
ed an industrial commission. AS such
commission they constitute them
selves, directly or through. some pro-
cess of appointment and discharge at
will, q state elevator company, a state
milling company, a state bank, and
SO forth. They receive state funds
and deposit it with themselves. Using
one letterhead, they sell a few million
dollars worth of bonds, and, using
another, they buy them. They loan to
themselves and borrow from them
selves. They appoint their own au-
ditors to examine their own books,
and themselves receive and approve
the reports. Is it any wonder that
facilities of this kind should have
been Used in financing political CAM
paigns? 1t would have been marvellous
had it lot been so. And the facts
indicate clearly that in using state
funds and state Industrial machinery
with which to promote their political
campaigns and their personal politi-
cal fortunes the men who have ap-
pointed themselves bosses did not
merely take advantage of opportuni-
ties which they found ready for them.
They created those opportunities, and
their creation, and not the industrial
Improvement Of the state, was the
purpose which they had in mind from
the beginning. Industries without
politics would have had small attrac-
ton for Towniey and Lemke, and.
politics without industries to provide
the backing and the snews of war
would have afforded them but a bleak