The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1921-11-25

JUDGE ] : E ROBINSON ( s.
Traces CAUSE0F
LEAGUE; DEFEAT I / ! A. |
.{:Sss The. die is cast. The League has
lost and it may be all for. the best.
:s:Assuredly it is not the end Of 8 the
d League program, which is to curD
monopoly and, exploitation and to bet
L ter the conditions of the people. The
Scauses of the defeat are easy enough
\ to discern and some reflection on the
causes may open the eyes Of the lead.
ers so they may see things in new
and better light. AT present 1t seems
the Leaguerss have lost q marvellous
opportunity for good and continuance
\ in power. They have too closely ad-
! hered to the old Henry George theory
which was that the way to make men
rich and happy is to tax their land
to its full rental value. Accordingly,
1 In 1919, 1920 and 1921 they did more
than double the land valuations and
taxes and in addition they laid on per
/ sonal property, on incomes, on bust
ness and on most everything an enor-
nous state tax, amounting to over ten
million dollars year. And the sew
eral counties were permitted to put
IN their tax levies SO that the total
amounted to over $40, 100000 q year.
But the purpose. Of it all was good:
The Leaguers had by law created a
great bank; and made it the sole depos-
! itory of all tax moneys and had given
three state officers absolute control
over the bank and all its moneys, and
over the state enterprises. The pur-
/ pose was to use the bank as, an Al
ladin's lamp to build nice cottage
homes to buy or build and operate
Touring mills and other enterprises,
and also to make loans to- needy peo-
ple. But in q short time the people,
by means Of the initiative, repealed
the law making the bank q sole depos-
itary. Then a rush was made to with
draw from the bank most of the COM
i pulsory deposits, and the bank found
. it quite impossible to- refund the mon
-
loans and building homes and mills.
Thousands OF checks and drafts on the
bank, were .dishonored and returned
with protest fees charged on the same.
And that made: some men feel quite
like going into the swearing room, and
It made, many votes against the
League: Now by reason cot bad or
AEanization. bad laws and bad manage.
iment, the bank and the state indus
tries proved a. sad failure. Hence the
4 recall, Of the Industrial Commission,
Frazier, Lemke, and Hagan, and the
election Of Nestos, Johnson and Kit
chen, And the chief cause Of tt; all
was. three years of excessive taxes axe
and OF. poor crops and low prices. and
oxtortionate railway rates. The high
tax is a thief and o robber. i Il Is an
Sunmitigated curse; it lis the greatest
of all evils, next to robbery by the
common carriers. Those doom the
masses to scrimping poverty and serv-
5ftude. Al In North Dakota, Il as.. wellRas
In South Dakota and Minnesota, dur
ing the past three years, the taxes
\ have been q monstrOsity.SsItl: It lis all
well enough to denounce Wall Street
!, and Big Business and to pound the
\ Devil on the back: hut those agencies
\ have nothing to do with high taxes.
we must learn, - give the Devil his
y due and to give unto Caesar that
which is Caesars. The blame has
been Justly placed on the League; man
ayers and on the State Industrial Com
Y mission. Unwittingl they did evil
that kbod might come. Excessive
81 power is a, dangerous thing. It does
too often blind the eyes Of the wise
II and pervert the jud dgment Of the right.
Il eDus. The League managers had tou
much power. 81 n 4 n; M $l ),
,t9,s9 IN 1919. at a special election ii
n T0wner County, the fight was on the
Y high taxes and 1T went against the
II League. I. AT a special session in De
5cember,s 191 8, there: was an urgent
y plea for, a general II tax reduc ction Ot
S, atty per cent, but the result was mere
slys a twenty. per cent reducti lon Of
II the Sstatel tax tleYies. Well, as \ time
n n passed II became eyid dent that the bad
h laws and ruinous taxes must lead !, .,to =
the rlin3 Of the Leag Gu Hence to Enn m
n n d0 the wrongs and to; reno the cause IS
4 ot comp aint the Gov vernor was urged
.s5to call q special session IA june 1920
Any good law then passed would haye u
taken effect the first Jul and Bl1
Sssin time to prevent disas asterS at the com
81 sssing election ins NoYemb mber: n lt was the
MAST q chance; but not hinp h was lone
i ID ss.T aen ats the general lection in 5Np
Iyefnber. 1920, Il the ssfBeagl u snnaj j6Ttty o1
two tosona {in each use swas reduced
M jso that the honors were even AK
next sessio the Coy atd tbs