The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-03-13

conform to this policy.
TOSSES BACK THE COVERS
Sanger, N. D.
Feb. 28, 1888.
Editor, Tribune:
After reading the many guesses or
the subject of Technocracy that come
my way. am still undecided as to
what 1t really Is. No one seems to be
able to tell me whether it is some.
thing new under the sun or an age
old cult In colorful disguise. If the
people who advocate 1t can not in
diligently define it the parties who
would oppose 1t can not do so because
there Is no propounded doctrine or
creed to attack.
BY reading between the lines OF all
this indefinite printed matter about
Technocracy and uniting what I CLEAN
there with a few events Of modern
history, I believe that my guess as to
what Technocracy would be If 1t had
its right name is as good as any
body's.
To say that Technocracy is nothing
else but the dreams of the I. w. w.
expressed in vague scientific terms
would naturally invoke demand for
proof. Anticipating such demand I
will at once supply the proof IN as
brief an article as possible.
There have been no scientific facts
- 49, ~ q
the general public to this economic
jig-saw puzzle, but rather its advo-
Gates have relied upon its mysterious
ness to engender interest in it.
We have knowledge Of instances
where the profound mystery of the
ory has enlisted for it almost univer-
sal acceptation. For instance, when
Prof. Einstein advanced his profound
theory Of relatively it was not at
tackled by men Of science because
there was no evidence in existence
to either refute or question the cor
rectness of the theory and others hes
ttated to assail it because 1t was as
serted at the time that not to exceed
q dozen men in the whole wide world
were intellectual enough to under
stand the principles of the thesis.
That statement alone was enough
to establish the theory as scientific
fact, for II it was so profound such a
small number Of living men could
grasp its significance. it was too near
divinity for average men to trifle
with and thus the vague and un-
movable fancies of the visionary pro-
lessor were accepted as established
facts.
SO with Technocracy, its mysteri-
business is its publicity agent and II
the mystery can be retained long
enough its advocates shall have won
their point. Socialism was once
shrouded In mystery but it has gone
through several stages Of evolution the
past 80 years.
Karl Marx Socialism, when first in
troduced into this country, made no
bid for agricultural support but was
framed to catch only the laborer, who
had no investment in the enterprise
with which he worked. AS It was
conceived by its originators and
promulgated by its early opponents. II
was q party for the wage Garner only
and for several generations continued
TO be q theory of government IN
which q person in any sense a capit-
alist had no part.
When machines began displacing
human labor to a noticeable degree
and it looked quite probable that the
numerical ratio of the wage earning
laborer to the rest Of our population
would continue to diminish, the pro-
moters Of Socialism were convinced
that their party must be revampeo
to include others or it never could be
made q political power in the nation
The opportune time to do that re-
vamping came in the early years OF
this present century. Many OF the
readers of The Tribune can we'll re-
member the time when Theodore
Roosevelt, then president Of these
United States. believing that agricul-
ture was not keeping pace with other
branches Of American industry, asked
for IN investigation into the cause OF
this farm backwardneSS and what was
the remedy or the propelling force
that could put agriculture to it,
proper pace.
Socialism seized upon that call as
the golden opportunity to expand its
activities and soon had its agents ir
hundreds Of farm communities all
over the country, preaching the new
Socialism to whom-so-ever would lis.
ten.
True, their available working force
was only strong enough to throw out
q mere picket line across the nation
but they gathered in thousands of re.
cruits in the next few years. Some
argued that Socialism was sweeping
over the country like q tidal wave
and would be in complete control o.
our government within 10 years
Many farmers joined the organiza'
ton but not enough Of them could b.
induced to sever their relations will
the two major political parties to Civ
much encouragement to the cause ant
interest in the Socialist party soor
burned out and the organization set
tied down to routine life Of ap
proximately its former strength.
The peoples fidelity to the partie!
Of their forefathers was regarded a
the chief barrier that INSTRUCTED tn
growth Of Socialism.
A North Dakota Socialist, on
Bowen by name, dreamer Of dreams
conceived the idea Of forming SOM
kind Of an industrial organization ant
getting the farmers interested In that
thereby establishing q weaving pc
Rod. during which time the farmer
could learn that their welfare was no
20 necessarily linked with the two oil
parties and thus. while their ardo
was cooling and their politics In thi
passive stage, this industrial organi
ration would merge with the socialia
f party with the pleasing result Of hav
ing made Socialists Of them all.
The psychological moment to launc
this disguised socialistic adventur