The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1920-09-16
BY L. J. siIjan

BY l.. J. Siljan
Many important and interesting
chapters in the histories of the world
are devoted to battles. by the various
peoples, with the knotty problems of
government. One after another differ
ent systems have been tried and dis
carded: different combinations have
been attempted and found wanting;
paternalism. communism. socialism,
autocracy and more or less restricted
monarchial forms of government have
been adopted and thrown on the
scrap heap in turn. until practically
all the civilized peoples on earth now
recognize a centralized government.
delegated by the people, as the best
average in the long run
This nation has been the standard
bearer of the latter principle but we
have also come to recognize the fact
that u%surpation of power is just as
possible under this form of government
is under any Of the older forms. We
have had, and we still have, our
troubles with predatory interests and
with ambitious politicians and politi-
cal machines, not to speak Of the
many other obstacles in the way of
modern democracy. If W. would only
stop kidding ourselves about the in
terest the average man takes in af-
fairs of state, we would soon be MAX
ing better progress. If all who are
commonly accepted as leaders of pub
lie thought would have the courage to
tell the voters that it is due largely
to their apathy and neglect that
'scheming politicians gain their goal,
the voters would soon wake up to
their responsibilities and not permit
'wOuld-be political. dictators and office
hunters to get by with cheap flattery
and hypocritical %avernent of or de-
ference to the wishes of "the common
people"
The cheapest grade of this kind of
cheap politics is that of appeal to Il
majority class interest in Il given
community. In the p%arlance of pres
ent day politics this is called psy-
chology, and it has been imminently
successful in a number Of cases. Not
least SO in this state where the lead
ers Of the Nonpartisan League have
carried on a wholesale business in
this line. BY featuring some of the
things the farmers of North Dakota
wanted and were entitled to, and mix
ing them indiciously with measures
having in view the concentration Of all
power in the hands of a few ambitious
dictators, the League leaders have
managed to pull the wool over the
eye of a majority of the farmers Of
the state and thus to some extent
realized their ambition.
There is one thing the people will
not stand for, however, and that is too
much administrative interference with
individual liberty. When the League
leaders tried to WELD u club over the
people by attempting to enact the
nefarious absent voters ballot law,
the state sheriff law and the smelling
committee law, even a large number
of the League members parted COM
pany with them. Joined the opposition
md showed these measures under by
their votes.
Recently, however, it has begun to
dawn upon them that the job is not
finished, and 1ownley and his leeches
IRE due for a new jolt. The farmers
are becoming aware Of the fact that
many measures have been passed by
rQranf 1aric1O fl,rns yrli,h .;,> .,o
IF the state officials the very powers
the people registered their disapproval
1T in the June primaries. The COVER
nor and the attorney general are
through League legislation vested with
such authority that if men who have
shown Il disposition to use political
powers to favor friends and punish
enemies are elected to these offices,
they can do almost as much shopping
into peoples private affairs as the
smelling committee could have lone if
that law bad not been rejected.
1T is Such uSrlpatiOn Of power that
makes democracy a farce; it is just
as intolerable in Il representative gov
as IN an a%utOcracy; it is an
hutocracy in fact.
Whatever may be said of the anti
Townley forces in North Dakota, it
must be conceded that they are carry
on n real peoples fight for IL sound
measure of individual liberty, doing
all their work in an open and above
board manner While emphasizing
tn Importance Of private initiative as
against socialism, they are willing to
use the Of the state to try
out such community problems as some
OF the voters insist cannot he salts.
1actOrily solved along lines Of private
%endeavOr.