Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-01-19

the country, from the safeguards with which they
are surrounded.
TAKES 1T ALL BACK,
On the eve of a trial for libel, which it was not
considered prudent or desirable to face, the Fargo
Courier News retracts all the charges formerly made
against former Attorney General LANCER, admits
that they are false, and in substance tells the public
that MIR. Lernke, who was the guiding spirit Of the
Courier News at the time when these charges were
made, is a clumsy blundercr, a ~falsifier and a cow
ard. These precise terms are not used, but that is
the intent. 1t is pointed out that at the time when
the case was about to be brought to trial, Mr.. Lem
Ike disappeared and lett the present management OF
the paper without the means to defend the case. Dis.
erection being considered the better part of valor, the
paper swallows entire all the statements which it
formerly made to the discredit of Mr.. LANCER, gives
him a clean bill of health. and turns its batteries
upon its former principal owner and manager, Mr..
Lemke. Thus do these brothers love each other.
Again The Herald may call attention that in
the past it has maintained that the newspapers oper-
ated by and under the. direction of the Nonpartisan
League were not in reality newspapers, and were
not intended to be such. but merely the means for
the circulation OF propaganda and that, statements
which the managers Of the concern believed to the
interest Of the little faction in control were made in
disc t1ninately and recklessly without regard to their
truth, so that the entire newspaper work of the
League had become absolutely untrustworthy and
%meriting the respect OF nobody, whether. members
OF the League or not.
OF course this has been streluously denied, and
like a great many other things which have been de-
MED, the Nonpartisan League press is now verify
ing it by its own statements.
The Ct1iier News at the present time is under
the control OF the state executive committee of the
Nonpartisan League. The majority of that COM
mittee has not loved Mr.. Lemke for some time.
Nevertheless, for reasons OF policy, the paper sup
ported him and his associates on the League ticket
IN the last recall election, and the very paper which
now denOunCeS lemke was On1v the other dau rer-
ommending to the electors of the state his confirm
alton IN his seat as attorney general. The offenses
which Mr.. Lemke is alleged to have committed, the
lies which he is said to have given circulation in the
paper which he controlled, were then things within
the knowledge of the people now announcing them.
those people were at that time in charge. They
could last October, just as we'll as now, have ~retract-
ed the charges against LANCER, could have denounc-
ed Lemke, could have done all the things which
they have done within the past IS hours. The fact
that they did not see fit to do so until confronted
with the immediate hearing of a law suit which was
likely to cause them financial embarrassment, and
that they took the method of retraction as the easiest
way and, in fact, the only way out of a difficult sit
uatlon, does not reflect credit on their good faith.
IT does not commend them particularly to the con-
tldence Of the people whose support they desire to
retain.
This incident is one of many. The perplexity
IN which the rank and file of the League member
ship must find itself is something with which out
siders have no particular concern. Members of the
League may reconcile as best they can the charges
OF talsehood and desertion now brought against
Lemke with the former attitude of support given
him by the same people. They may reconcile as
they may find convenient the former denunciations
of William LANCER with the present vigorous WELD
ing OF the whitewaslT brush, for what future and u-
terror purpose we do not pretend to say, but there
must be a little wondermcnt in League circles at
times when men high in the councils Of the organi-
i%zation are found pulling in different directions and
charging each other not merely with mistakes in
policy, but with falsehoods and d~esertion OF the
cause in time of need. 1t is impossible to believe
that both factions are honest, sincere, unselfish and
earnest in their desire to serve the state and it's peo-
pie. Somebody is Icing. Just where the line OF
falsehood is to be drawn between the rival factions
and rival leaders we do not pretend to say. We pre-
fer to remain aloof from the entire mess and to ac-.
|cept at pretty nearly its face value the charges made
by each faction against the other.