The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1921-09-15

the better day when the militaristic
spirits among both capitalists and la
kar men will be restrained in favor Of
peaceful means of settlement. Both
sides in war invariably lose. 1t is
time to try some other method.
Mr.. Lemke's and other league lead
! ers' charges of "wholesale frauds" in
| the signing Of recall petitions has sim
mered down to the discovery of one ir-
regular signature, and in order to
bring this to the attention of its read
ers the Fargo Courier-News, Mr..
T.emke's personal organ drags the
name of young girl into the mire Of
politics and makes her admit that she
was willing to sign document lille
gally under the impression that it was
for the benefit Of Governor Frazier
and the other two officials under re-
call. The girl in question is Miss
Lila M. Hanson, Of LaMoure. Miss
Hanson informed the Independent
state headquarters some time ago that
she had signed the recall petitions un-
der the impression that they were Pc
titions for keeping the nonpartisan Of
fcials in office; she therefore wanted
her name stricken out. Besides, she
says, she is minor and as such not
entitled to sign any papers of this
kind. The Independent headquarters
Immediately informed her that her
name would be stricken off the petit
tions. These are all the facts in the
case as far as the irregularities are
concerned. But the episode is deplor-
able, because it shows that league in
| auence on this girl. who is applying
for teachers certificate, has made
her so pliable that she is willing to
do an illegal act in order to help nom
partisan officials about to be recalled
for wrongdoing in office.
Who won the war? This not by any
means new question. It cropped up,
however, in rather unexpected place
the other evening when General PERISH
ing and Samuel Gompers happened to-
be the speakers at banquet in Wash
ington, given by way of celebrating
Lafayette Marine day. General Per-
shing seemed to take exception to
some remarks Mr.. Gompers had made
in his speech, as tending to imply that
]abo, won the war. The general
quite 'emphatically reminded his hear
ers that no one group or organization
won the war. The war was won by
patriots of every class and station:
who joined efforts against the COM
mon enemy, and did not cease work
ing until the enemy was whipped. The
claims of various groups to entire Gre
dit for winning the war strikes us as
being rather humorous, but it has, it's
serious side in that it illustrates
most unfortunate tendency in our
American life, the tendency to Guilt
vate division between classes and to
inspire class feeling and per-
petuate class hatred. Mean
while we rise to remark that the
war is not yet wholly won, and will
not be until we have taken action to
safeguard the benefits. bought at the
price of the lives of our boys. We have
an idea that we all helped to win the
war, so far as it has been won, from
the aged grandmother who spent her
time knitting socks, and the Boy
Scouts who distributed literature and
sold thrift stamps, up to the men who
endured the mud and CRIME and blood
of the trenches, and to General Perish
ing and all others who were in the
forefront of action in France. And we
need to beware lest while we quarrel
over who won the war and excite d.
vision among US and array classagainst
class, our common enemy should I'M
prove this opportunity to gain benefits
financial and otherwise which are due
only to the victor. We shall best win
the war by cultivating cooperation
and mutual understanding, and by
RELOCATING our nasty prejudices to
the oblivion where they belong.
"The melancholy days have come"
sang the old poet, "The saddest of the
year." We don't know what the par
ticular experiences were which he had
in mind, but we wager that he hadn't
ever been on the great prairies when
autumn was working her magic, and
when the golden glory of the COM
pleted season was everywhere evident.
Their must be something wrong with
the man who would in cold blood write
such words Of this pleasant land at
this time. These days are not the sad
dest of the year. They are about the
brightest and best. Winter is coming:
and winter has always played the role
of the wolf seeking entrance; strikes
and industrial disturbances are ram
pant, with the promise of more to fol-
low; international relations are tar
from ideal; business could be a lot
better; the chronic crouch and the
prayerful pessimist can find plenty to
wall about; but never mind. There's
autumn in the air and on the land
scape. Crops could have been better
and they could have been great deal
worse. The open season for ducks is
upon us. Prairie chickens are just
about ripe. We have work to do that
is worth while. And we feel like do
ing it. Our present difficulties are not
drop in the bucket to what our faith
ers met and overcome in their day.
rVbo ,,,o;1o I,1o e1pp1U ne 30 o1ino in tho