The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-11-27
CAPITALIZING PESSIMISM

Hotel in New York, Governor Mes
tos of North Dakota took occasion
to interpose an eloquent and con-
vincing plea in defense OF the po-
1itical and economic sanity Of the
people of the middle western
states. He spoke particularly
however, in behalf Of those in tie
states where the prophets If
pessimism and disaster have per-
suaded many to the belief that
their only recourse is in a resort
to class divisions and class leSis-
lation. II is interesting that in an
address delivered few days pro
viously by Senator Lenroot of Wis
consin before the Wisconsin So
ciety of Chicago, the Senator, in
answering the query, whats the
matter with Wisconsin?' declared
that there is nothing the matter
except the ideas Of some people
who promulgate them fer their
own political profit" Although
not quite so tersely phrased. this.
essentially. is the answer Governor
Nestos makes in behalf Of his own
state.
Governor Nestos has been 4
careful student of political ,af-
fairs i'm his section of the country.
He was elected Governor of North
Dakota when the voters decided TO
recall Governor Frazier. elected as
the candidate of the Nonpartisan
League. But these same voters
later sent former Governor Frazier
to the United States Senate as the
colleague of Senator Ladd, also an
avowed Norpartisan, though rate'l
as a Republican. From this it
may be apparent that, as Governor
Nestos observes. The people OF his
section are neither Socialists, Boil
sheviki. COMMUNISTS. nor Red Raj
icals. They have simply, as oppor-
tunity offered, voted their 'convic-
tons. He does not insist that
these convictions have always been
wisely or even temporarily arrived
at. He seems quite inclined tn the
opinion that they have mot. But if
| there have been errors of judg-
ment. he unhesitatingly ascrifbeS
them to misconceptions, not alone
on the part of the voters who may
thus at times Unexpectedly mani
fest their preiudices, but on the
part. as we'll, of the people in other
parts of the country who have
seemed to be unable to- understand
the economic problems of the farm
err And he thus observes: "
No state or section lives to
itself alone. Each must be in
terested in all, and all in each.
as our fortunes are so inextri-
cably interviewer that we in
evitably prosper or go down
together. am sure that our
people desire to know more
about the financial operations
and the conduct of the bust
mess of your great city, and
am confident that your welfare =,
and the prosperity of your city
would be promoted by wider
knowledge of and a keener in
terest lin the growth, develop
ment. and proper solution of
the problems of the northwest.
The Governor was quick to point
the moral which follows analogous
ly. He recalls the recent election
of Magnms Johnson as United
States Senator from Minnesota
whose choice he says he opposed
He says if the people of the eastern
states had more fully comprehend
ed the economic position of the
people of the western section o.
the country, there would not have
; been this manifestation of unrest
He says plainly. also, that unles:
these conditions are corrected ant
the problems Of the American
farmer solved. many another mar
, like Magnus Johnson will be elect
, ed to sit with him in the United
States Senate.
Now Governor Nestos makes i
perfectly plain that he does not he
lieveN the farmers problems will
be solved by any such methods n
those which they have been led t
adopt. He is outspoken in his de
J., mand that thc farmer be aided b.
| special legislation, or at least b.
legislation vouchsafing to him fai
preferential rights in the matte
D of protective tariffs and the eXten
$ sion of credits. He appears as tn
, special pleader espousing the caus
of the wheat farmer, however, an
I careful analysis of his speec,
might disclose what would appe1
as excusable prejudice in behalf c
those whose interests he seeks t
safeguard.
e Naturally enough. the speake
|, solicftously and quite convincing
=, ly defends his constituents again
y what he declares to be the calum
Z MES heaped upon them by radics
:. propagandists who have sough
j. and are still seeking, to make it az
/, pear that the voters of North d.
-" kota have been won over to Con
munism and Socialism. The rad
cal leaders, he seeks to show, mad
his State the testing ground fe
their great effort to sovietize til
- agricultural sections Of the Unite
r States. They proceeded immed
|e ately to proclaim the success
!. their campaign following the Mo-
partisan League victory in 191
But he says their campaign h;
T.. failed there. as elsewhere. Rea
h suringly he promises that w1le
! local disturbances now appare'
~ have subsidized, the people of tt
east will know that ini no part
the American Union are the &C
r. nomic theories and political idea
sounder and more conducive to t!
e welfare of the Republic than upt
lr the plains of the great northwe'
o. Christian Science Monitor.
l.
NIL A TA~~,~1>t