The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1922-08-25
WHAT DO WE WANT IN POLITICS

VINO Will represent their interests IL
the course of any change in existing
rules OF conduct or government. The
Ilrst qualification then must originate
with the people themselves. There
must be an intelligent and mutual un
derstanding of what is needed follow
ed by a mutual and concerted acton
IN moving these needs INTO a process
OF government Anyone with Intelli
genee enough to READ the newspapers
KNOWS thss we have vastly more
knowledge than we have been able Il
WORK up INTO equitable rules for our
common existence. To deny this is to
admit that We are not equal to self
government, that we are permitting
other brains to draw up the rules 10
our government and we are permit
ting outside forces to misinterpret our
! interests.
We die of the flu and tuberculosis
not because we don't know that these
things can be prevented, but becau
we lack concerted action in putting
preventative methods into operation,
We leave it to the individual doctor
and the individual victim. All farmers
have common interest, all farmers
know what they want-we do not
deny that we have knowledge enough
to operate the machinery necessary
TO bring about what we want, but we
leave it to the individual politician
and the individual farmer.
1t is now well established that the
Non-Partisan League is a sound, bus
mess proposition and an equitable
form OF government. The railroads are
in such a state of decentralization tnal
even Wall Street has given them UP
in favor of the movies as an invest.
ment. Coal, national necessity, is
handled like "hogging Off propo-
sition, only we don't get TO market
the hogs when they are through with
our resources. In two short years the
daily press has swung to advocating
the very things that they fought blind
ly to prevent. But, this is not a con-
structlve change, it is only the usual
procedure of turning over to the peo-
pie anything that fails of profit. Just
what is experience worth, Don't you
feel that you can rather trust an or
ganization of your own making that
had a constructive foresight two years
ahead of capitalistic hindsight and
that hindsight only made visible to
capitals myopic vision when magni-
fled into national calamity.
To come back to the text: That we
are not CD capable of applying our
knowledge to the ordinary rules OF
government,-We were told a few
days ago by a prominent speaker OF
reputation that in Congress
it is next to impossible to tell Re-
publican from Democrat, they have
a common -namely-by leg
islation in the interest of capital il
is only in trying to explain their re-
cord to constituents that they are sec
tartan. This result in most anomol-
Jus condition in which botn republi-
can and democratic politicians are
stumbling over one another carrying ]
principles to the people
to bait their political hooks.
A pretty motto may capture a vote,
but it wont capture a thought. Because /
on taking thought a pretty motto will |
have little effect on the repeal of our
primary election. Esch Cummins law
-on the Ship Subsidy-on a Tariff |
that today amounts to direct tax
upon the consuming public, it wont re-
organize transportation, or the coal
Our petty county officers
nave very little power for good or
evil within their respective offices,
)ut since we claim that we are gov
srnment by the people as soon as we
ouch the bottom we expect them to
luzz and not backfire. | fear that few
If us realize just what it has meant
o Non-Partisans the past two years
o have a real live battery at Circle.
Aside from financing delegates and
speakers to keep in touch with the
program we have such indicents as
rhe Treasurer and the State Office.
When he proposed saving the people
'1500.00 on the 1920 tax sale the At
orney General threatened his bond.
And because last fall Mr.. Kendig ON
nitted the penalty on taxes as long as
lie possibly could the State, as early
IS March of this year, reminds Mr..
<endig under penalty of his bond,
lie MUST attach the penalty after .
,. NJ, on November 30th. What can a
one politician and a motto do in the
ace of such injustice, so cent wheat,
cent steers and 10 per cent interest?
In this article we nave not gone in
0 details, our figures of saving, our
economy of the past two years, be-
ause it is a matter of common know
edge among business men mot nee
ssarily storekeepers) and bankers
hat the administration is running as
nv other business should be run. In
pite of our enormous delinquency of
AK payments the County has money
q all funds You can't fool banker
nth these funny comparisons and
harts that are scattered around the !
ountry, the banks know what condi-
ion you are in and they know what
ondition the County is in. So it SIM
ly remains that if we are really cap
BILE of organized government, we Will
tick to our organization. Suppose we
bject to some measure or some man
Tithin our organization? We have the
roper means and the proper time to
ir all such matters of popular gov S
In the first place it is not q
ur policy to accept any fish who i
ses out of the water as our prophet. 9
is our policy to gather all of us to- {
ether at a common convention and t
ick and eliminate and pick again and t
hen we have done we have more t