The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-06-16
(Offlclal City State and County Newspaper
ON THE HOME STRETCH

(OtflC1aI C1ty State 1n0 VO0nty N0WSEapeIl
ON THE HOME STRETCH
North Dakota's primary election campaign enters
the home stretch next week without raising single
new constructive issue touching the welfare Of this
state 1t is the old fight for which this state has
been misjudged for than decade.
Yet the fundamental issue the welfare Of the agri-
cultural interests of North Dakota upon which all its
other interests dependent is largely lost sight Of
in scramble for office that qualities merely as
classic battle for pie.
Confronted by marketing problem grounded in
conditions Of the utmost unfarness the farmers Of
North Dakota went into state politics to protect their
economic interest They IS per cent Of the people
of this state.
The farmers have never ceased to fight for that in
teres They fighting for it today and other farm
ers of other states have joined them in their demon
straton.
They had just grievance in this state IL years ago
and it remains unsettled today. They rallied impress
sively for they felt deeply about the unfair treatment
they were receiving. They easily exploited. OPP
portunist leadership asserted itself by demagoguery
and clevery capitalized honest desire to correct
manifest wrong Not all the farmers leadership was
dishonest nevertheless. Honest leadership weathered
the storm.
The movement they started swept this state and
gathered momentum among its neighbors. 1t was
honest in its inception, legitimate and grounded in
wrongs generally recognized Then its leadership
turned it to impractical things. There were failures.
There heartbreak. They the failures and the
heartbreak that follow a movement honest in it's
tives betrayed by it's leadership. The industrial pro-
gram was launched in good faith by majority vote
of the people, The highest court in the land held that
the people Of democracy have right to 60 to their
state government to correct economic wrongs and
upheld their economic program as legaized by their
votes.
The world told that it was adventure in state
socialism, The message went abroad at time when
that of thing most effective. 1t gave North
Dakota black eye and it was an extreme statement
of the Few Of the people sought anything of the
kind. All of them in mood of protest against
evident wrongs They voiced that protest in the chan
nels vouchsafed them by the constitutions of the worlds
greatest democracy and the vests greatest state.
Then there pause. The old leadership was
repudiated but the issue in the fight lost
sight of. With the election Of Governor Sorlie
struction began.
The state had passed through the deflation period.
It had learned lessons but majority Of its people
were convinced that the fundamental issue upon
which they began their fight was wrong or that they
would not triumph in the end, for they reasoned with
the utmost frankness that right is might.
That process Of reconstruction is not ended It must
70 forward if North Dakota is to fulfill its destiny.
The mistakes of the past recognized. The people
facing condition Of today Bitterness is pretty
well passed saving it is injected by few who have
found profitable to keep the old fight and by their
,mercenaries and mouthpieces.
The state mill cannot be thrown in the river It
mot be burned Both have been suggested by political
Extremists
: It is not necessary to ndorse the principle from
(which it sprang into being to recognize that it must
lbe made to well may be. As much is true
lof the other state institutions. They not domn-
J~U sn <hn o<o ia
factions practically agreed upon the policies
cerning them
The Republican League faction seeks to do the best
that may be done under the circumstances The Re-
spublican Independent faction seeks to capitalize old
grievances in terms Of votes through terrorzing
lpayers by methods that affront to intelligence.
For be it remembered and set down as an I'm.
aterable fact always forgotten in the heat Of the
pagn. yet never changing, that only the legislature
Tor the people by their vote, can make any drastic
1ehange in the states so-caled industrial program.
All the old changes have been rung in this campaign
this battle Of the outs to GUST the ns It is rdic-
ulous when its methods put to the Of analysis
but it remains to be determined how impressive they
41are
North Dakota's need is reconstruction Its people
re politics weary But they have forgotten the
d honest grievance and they will until it is
yecrrected
The Sore administration in this state stood for re-
censtruction. The Republican League candidates stand
Tor reconstruction. They prosressves radicals
rticulating the states interest they it. Their
Viewpoint is the more helpful. Their campaign meth
pds more nearly reflect the true attitude Of the ma
9prity Of North Dalotans.
Our state elections have become distractions because
10y are issueess and because spectacular campaigns
profitable TO those who stage them and the payof
- IT, ercsnares II in accordance with the volume Of
koise ~ individual may produce.
: The voter has IN urgent duty before him in this
e1icn, II il to choose between the "outs" and the
- upon thsir record 70 fix responsibility in one
80 and thsseaftsr % demand results.
4And thsss should b emphatic liquidation Of every
g q roll the stone from the charnsl house q the
~ NJ sivs the outside world The impression that
Slh Dakota il tho land a the red and the home Of
ne1. + = not Jhe political eonjursr for day