The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1922-11-02
sWEETBREADs VS.. BRAINS

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SWEETBREADS VS.. BRAINS
The following article is takeL from
the August number OF Jim Jam Jems
and IS this publication is absolutely
neutral on the political issues, we re-
produce it for the benefit Of our read
ers: .%%4S
boy, page somebody who really
knows what happened in North Dako-
ta's recent primary campaignl The
result of the election everybody knows
and the press of the land-especially
the Eastern newspspers-have NJ
tempted TO tell us how it all came
about. But they haven't come within,
a mile of it. They attributed the de-
feat of that great and good statesman
United States Senator Porter ].
Nj Cumber-to dissatisfaction with the
Harding administration at Washing
ton. Of course, there is nothing to
that. Merit, nor principle, nor plat
form, had anything to do with the re-
suit in North Dakota. McCumber
was simply the victim of political as
sassiLators and that time-old weapon
the double-cross-was the mean to
tie end.
The average human head, like a
crock of clabber, absorbs the flavor
Of it's surroundings and brains func-
ton like s~weetbreads all too often.
Here in North Dakota the most pecu-
liar political conditions have arisen.
To the outsider u political results
would indicate that North Dakota is
proportionately as full of nuts as the
I ord peace ship. Our citizenry is
ridiculed and laughed at, but that is
because the outsider does lot UNDER
stand.
There isn't anything peculiar about
the Nonpartisan League. If there
were more blacksmits in North Dako-
ia than any other class, and the pro-
ducts of these blacksmiths were mark
ened through q gamblers clearing
house down in Minneapolis where the
gamblers were so situated that they
could tell the blacksmith how much
they would give him for the products
of his labor, and some wise guy like
A. C. Townley came along and said
to these blacksmiths, "You are being
robbed; you are the only class of peo-
pie in the world who are told by the
gamblers what you must pay for ev-
erything you purchase and what you
can charge for everything you sell;
all you have to do is form an organ
ization for your common good, stick
together, elect your own government,
and you can better your condition." A
large percentage of North Dakota's
population happens to be farmers, in
stead of blacksmiths. Townley went
among the farmers, told them just tx
actly what we have quoted above, got
their confidence and all they had to
do was "vote'er straight" + !
The farmers selected one of their
own as a standard bearer. They took
Lynn. J. Frazier from his farm and
elevated him to the position Of COVER
nor. They laid out a program of what
they considered would be beneficial TO-
the farmers and Mr.. Frazier during
his two terms as governor stood flat
ly for that program. He never COM
promised. He was for what the farm
ers wanted. During the four years of
the Frazier administration, the farm
ers' program vas given a trial. It did
not get anywhere and did not result
in the vast benefits to farmers that
they believed it would. Politicians
spread dissatisfaction. A third time
Frazier was nominated and elected.
Poor crops, the withdrawal Of all out
side capital from the state, and gen
eral depression following the world
war, made hard times and the farmer
carried the tax and interest burden of
these hard times. The politicians start
ed recall petitions. A recall campaign
was launched. The "antis" carefully
selected a young bombastic Scandi-
navian as the standard-bearer. Re-
publicans and Democrats amalgamat-
ed themselves against what they term
ed the common enemy. They raised
the cry of Socialism. Their stand
ard-bearer, Mr.. Nestos, came out
fatty and told the farmers that he be-
lieved in their programme was anx-
ious to give their terminal mill and
elevator and their state bank and 9TH
er ideas a fair trial-to convince them
that they were darnphools because it
wouldn't work. And when the cleo
ton was finally staged, Lynn J. Fra.
zier-the farner-was deposed as
governor and Nh. Nestos was elected
to succeed him. Tbs is the first in
stance in American history where a
successful recall g~ubernatorial cleo
ton has ever been staged. All this
happened in the fall of 1921. i
in the early spring of 1922 came
the regular primary campaign. Mr..
Nestos of course was the candidate of
everything and everybody opposed to
the Nonpartisan League. Lynn J. Fra
zier, recalled governor, became the
candidate of the Lcag,1e for the U. s.
senate. Nestos vas still on his old
platform. He still stood-or stood
still-for these farmer-program in
stitutions and enterprises. On the
same ticket with him was Frazier
standing On the same programme
called and reealler were before the
people on the same platform only this
was a candidate for governor and the