The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, December 2, 1915, Page 6

/ PAGE SIX THE NONPARTISAN LEADER PUBLISHED WEEKLY Official Paper of the Farmers Nonpartisan Political League of N. Dak. Entered as second-class matter Se ptember 3, 1915, at the post office at Fargo, North Dakota, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Advertising rates on application. Subscriptions, one year, in advance, $1.50. Communications intended for the paper should be addressed to the Non- partisan Leader, Box 919, Fargo, N. Dak., and not to any individual. The Leader solicits adverticements of meritorious articles needed by Earmers. Quack, fraudulent and irresponsible firms are not knowingly ad- vertised, and we will take it as a favor if any readers will advise us promptly phould they have occasion to doubt or question the reliability of any firm which patronizes our advertising columns. , Discriminating advertisers recognize The Nonpartisan Leader as the best medium in the state of North Dakota through which to reach the wide- awake and up-to-date farmers. . o LET PATIENCE HAVE HER PERFECT WORK OME of our readers have been asking for instruction on “how we wil! know” who to vote for, “what shall we do when the assessor” comes around and other inter- esting questions. s To all such we repeat what we have said before, “be pa- tient.” You will be advised in plenty of time, just what to do. Unless otherwise advised, do just as you always do, when the as- sessor comes around. If any other action is necessary you will be notified. Also, remember that the successful gambler never shows his hand until he has made his bet and has it “covered.” He would never win any money if he threw down his cards as soon as he drew them and exposed them to his opponent. That’s the reason the Nonpartisan Political League is keep- ing its hand concealed. The other fellow shall never know until it is too late. Let patience have her perfect work. SERVING ITS PURPOSE. N addition to the Federal Reserve Board, the new Bank- ing Act creates a Federal Advisory Council. This body has met several times, but until now it has had little advice to offer. If its future activities are to be in line with the recommendation that the office of Comptroller of the Currency be abolished, it will prove its own superfluity. Nobody discovered that the Comptroller was unnecessary to the reform banking system until the present incumbent, Mr. Williams, began to exercise the control that was contemplated by law. He convinced some financiers that he was considerably worse than useless when he made the Riggs Bank of Washing- ton observe the law. Many others came to the same conclusion when he exposed national bankers in the South and West as- usurers and threatened prosecutions. There has been a good deal of -speculation as to the purpose of the Federal Advisory Council, but we believe nobody suspect- ed that it would soon become a special pleader for financial in- terests that oppose honest regulation.~—New York World. PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION N Ohio town has adopted proportional representation. This is -a rulé that has long been contended for by political reformers and miost bitterly opposed by the political-standpat-partisan. ‘ : A If we had proportional representation in Congress there would be fewer lawyers and more representatives of other and larger classes of citizens there. The farming indudstry-is one of the largest in the nation and yet it has fewer representatives in our legislative bodies than any other. : Each interest is entitled-to its proportionate share of rep- resentation and no more. . None: can object. to this plan: but those who are now getting more than their share of represen- tation. 3 e : St ] If the great monied interests of the country had only its proportionate share of representation in office; it would not today dominate every interest of the country. B Proportional representation is nothing more than a square deal, a fair and honest deal, all round. the board. = MIGHT PASS THE HAT FOR HIM ‘ HE discovery by the United States Navy Department that the government navy yards can build the néw private contractors will build them for seems to set- tle some things long needing to be settled. , For instance, it ascertains: scientifically the net profit of A o e A T KA N 5158700 s o e el . _ dreams, pure and simple. @4 dreadnaughts for $1,000,000 apiece less than the THE NONPARTISAN LEADER the builders on these contracts. It is $1,000,000 on a vessel the contract price of which is less than $8,000,000—which seem to be going some in the way of net profit. ) ; It also explains a lot of activities in Washington by which these contracts are endorsed and adyocated. You can well afford a good lobby at $1,000,000 a crack. . Furthermore it disposes of that ancient myth, Worth in times past uncounted wealth to many an aspiring patriot, that government built ships cost more than ships turned out by;- private yards. They don’t cost more, they cost a heap less. Well, then, why give any contracts to the private yards? Why not build all our ships in our own navy yards? Because Mr. Morgan needs the money. There is no other answer. COOPERATION OF FARMERS AND BUSINESS MEN RANTING that farmers and business men should cooper- ate , this does not justify the business men in dominat- (®9%] ing politics in a state that is predominately agricul- tural. Business men continually harp on the importance of co- operation between themselves and the farmers, and then when the farmers rise up and demand an effecitve voice in the law making body of the state they become very hostile. Indeed the business men do not themselves represent them- selves in office. They usually place in office a lot of scheming lawyers, professional lobbyists and renegade politicians to do their work for them. There can be no valid objections to each class having pro- portional representation in public office. But there is very vital objection to one class monopolizing all legislative, exe- cutive and administrative power. All the farmers of this state demand is their share of rep- resentation in public office. They do not want fake-farmers and make-believe farmers. They want actual farmers. They want such men because they want certain laws. The laws they want may not be good for them but they want them just the same. They don’t want others to tell them what is good and what is not good for them. They have some intelligence and, want a chance to use it. THEY’RE STII:.L HITTING THE PIPE. B DITORS, newspaper correspendents and press agents are still hitting the pipe. ) Nearly every week either some country weekly on a more pretentious city sheet comes out with a sure- enuf, all-wool-and-a-yard-wide; bona fide, 23-carat story of just exactly what the League is going to do, how it is going to do it, and also, who. They assure their readers that they have got the real dope and then proceed to name and number the candidates. They do it with such precision and exactness that the average reader, not knowing the prevaricating proclivities of these knights of the pen, swallow it down as the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. . - ‘All of which causes us to exclaim, “What a flowery flow of flub-dub these flimflammers fling in our face.” In addition we beg to remark that all such stories é.te pipe Don’t listen to the pipe-dreamer nor tarry to hear the siren song. Advice as to whom the League will support will not "be given out first hand by any other paper than the NONPAR- TISAN LEADER. Paste that.in your hat. 3 : The League has selected no candidates, as yet. Every story you hear to the contrary is a fabrication and is father to the wish of the fabricator. Beware of the pipe-dreamer. . - LOCAL BUSINESS MEN AND THE FARMERS .T is useless to deny that there is a growing hostility be- tween “local” business men and the farmer. Notwith- standing the many preachments published in the local - press, proclaimingthe undying friendship of the busi- ness men for the farmer, and elucidations upon the importance and value of closer cooperation, the breach seems to be ever widening. In spite of the “trade at home” and “patronize home indus- try” and “spend your money in your own town,” slogansthat = . ="+ ring throughout the land, the farmer continues to send to the - catalog houses for many millions of dollars worth of stuff. As we see it there are three reasons for this. They are:- 1. [The belief that catalog houses at less price than local merchants do. 2. The failure of “local” business men to properly adver- » tise their business. 3. The alignment between “local” business then and the. great interests that DO rob the farmer. give just as good goods / {