The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, February 10, 1916, Page 6

Y 51X ; THE NONPARTISAN LEADER THE NONPARTISAN LEADER PUBLISHED WEEKLY Official Paper of the Farmers Nonpartisan Political League of N, Dak. Entered as second-class matter September 8, 19165, at the post office at Fargo, North Dakota, under the Act of March 3, 1879. l_). C. Coates, - - - % % = - = Managing Editor " 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 advertisements of meritorious articles needed By Zarmers. Quack, fraudulent and irresponsible firms are not knowingly ad- wertised, and we will take it as a favor if any readers will advise us promptly phould they have occasion to doubt or guestion the reliability of any firm which patronizes our advertising columns. A Discriminating advertisers recognize The Nonpartisan Leader as the best medium in the state of North Dakota through which to reach the wide- nwake and up-to-date farmers. BETTER THE DAY; BETTER THE DEED have been called to gather in their first precinct meet- ing on February 22, at 2 o’clock p. m. 3 This is George Washington’s birthday—commemor- ating the day on which the great American patriot and “Father of "his country” was born. He was the first president of the United States and the unselfish, fearless leader, who aroused his feillow countrymen against the great injustices which wer put upon them by those who governed them. ¥ The conditions under which the people in the country in 1776 suffered at the hands of the English government, in the way of vicious legislation and heavy burden of taxation with- out representation in the government, are only unlike in degree the present conditions which the farmers are suffering in North Dakota. There are just as great and burdensome wrongs to be righted today as there were in 1776. And what better day could be chosen for a beginning to right these wrongs than the anniversary of this great American patriot? When the farmers meet in their precinct conventions on this day they can feel the injustices which inspired the patriots of 1776 to pledge their lives and fortunes to bring about justice, and they can finally clasp hands with each other in a solemn vow that they will stick to each other and the League until its purposes are accomplished. : The patriots of this state will gather as the patriots of old gathered, fired with the same degree of patriotism and love of home and country and determination to preserve them from the misrulers and exploiters. 3 There is only one great difference between then and now. Today, thanks to the struggle and sacrifice of the-blood and lives of Washington’s followers, the farmers of this state have the peaceful power of the ballot with ‘which to right their wrongs. And these farmers are believers in law and order. Their gathering together is the first step in their purpose to see by peaceful, lawful and intelligent action that present laws are changed and some new ones made for the best government of . all the people of North Dakota—that their lives, homes, state, country and products may be best preserved to themselves. HE members of the Farmers’ Nonpartisan Political League G How the farmers will rejoice as they gather “with this patriotic purpose and inspiration in their hearts! And only those who, through greed, avarice and lust for power over their fellows, are not in favor of the best state government for every man, woman and child, need fear the organized farmers and their gatherings for political action. ~ The day is a legal holiday, but that will have no effect on the acts of these gatherings, as they are not held in c¢om- pliance with any state law, but are merely meetings of the Farmers’ Nonpartisan Political League to perform good deeds— and the better the day; the better the deed. ; _ TO THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE STATE .. in the state on its exchange list. As the state is so &) near broke that it cannot print the bluebook and as "we were obliged to use the old bluebook to get the list. from, it is probable that some were omitted. This was not intentional, however, and if there are any papers that do not get the Leader .in_exchange we will be pleased to place them on our list, pro-. vided they will notify us. : ~ ; Furthermore, we beg 'to remind our contemp’orai'ies’ that i many papers, which ro doubt get the Leader, have not yet - placed us on their.list. This, no doubt, is an’ oversight and if you are willing to let us have your paper in exchange, we o will be pleased to get it. HE Leader has made an honest effort to place every paper | Qf:fJe"im's:algmfwould' have said the same about the HERE IS A CHANCE FOR THE MOUNTAINEER HE Walhalla Mountaineer wants to know if the Nqn— partisan League is “ashamed to show the face of its solicitors, openly and avowedly, in the cities and towns.” - ‘For. the information of the Mountaineer the Leader begs to state that already, this winter, 120 meetings have been - held in the “cities and towns” of North Dakota where the so- licitors, “openly and avowedly” appeared. . 3 Moreover, dates are arranged for 159 more meetings, up to the first of March. Others will be held after that. The total so far, held and billed, is 279. » : If there are any editors who escape seeing the face of a League solicitor under these circumstances, he will have to stay in the basement or leave the state. Furthermore, we beg to ‘advise Brother Lee that on Feb- ruary 19, there will be a League meeting in Walhalla. This meeting will probably be held in the opera house and we sug- gest that the editor of the Mountaineer be present, that he may see for himself just what a League organizer looks like. WHY UNEQUAL TAXATION? N another page of this issue will be found an article dealing with, the matter of taxation and showing how that farm lands have been subjected to the heavy end of the increase. . ; This" article is pregnant with ‘meaty facts and very little comment is necessary here. : These questions, however, arise: Why do the authorities do this? How do they get the nerve to make such discrimina- tions? How can they manage to disregard the interests of the farmers in such a manner? - The answer is this: The railroads, telephone, telegraph, ex- - press and street railway companies have plenty of representatives in the legislature and on the state equalization board and in the various state offices. They, therefore, have the power to look after their own interests and are not slow to exercise that power. ; The remedy is to elect a majority of farmers to all state offices and these farmers will have the power and the incentive to rightly represent the majority of the people of the state and at the same time place the burden of taxation squarely where it belongs—equally on all the people of the state. THE DEVILS LAKE WORLD’S QUESTION the Nonpartisan League has done with the farmers’ money which it has collected for membership in the League. HE Devils Lake World wants the Leader to explain what The Leader is of the opinion that the farmers who have . read the Leader and know something of the work the League is doing are pretty well satisfied with the way their ‘money has been spent. : : But for the gratification of the World the Leader begs to state that with this money there has been built up the most powerful, most efficient and most effective farmers’ organiza- tion that this country has ever known. As to more tangible results we advise the .World to wait ’ until after the fall election and at that time any one of the 60,000 farmers in this state can tell it just ‘exactly what has been done with this money. 4 S Now, here is a question for the World: President J. H. Worst of the agricultural college, states that the farmers in - 1915 were beaten out of at least $50,000,000 because of the present method of dockage, grading and milling. Will the Devils Lake World please tell its readers who got this money * and also what they did with it? 2 - ; S Will the World also tell its readers why it has never asked the grain gamblers and speculators to explain’ what they did' with that $50,000,0007 @ : ; oot 4 WHAT IS A NEFARIOUS AGITATOR? - o (/7 to say: - > That our farmers are rfecting an organization that will bfbe" = " .come ‘the’tost influential of -its kind in the United, States, is now’ conceded by all, but the agitator must have it = continue to prosper. * * # : néfanogs agitator is e iminated, then, - ganization become perfect. ; be weeded out in order to _ About the only argument the enemies of progressca.nmake against any move that seeks to better the condition of the masses of . the people is to scream “agitator——néfaribus agitator.” If such a word had been in use at that time, the rulers Carpenter ¢ HE' Dawson Press is manifesting great concern over the ~ farmers’ ‘organization. In a recent issue it had this As stated above, when the - it and then only, will the Or== it