The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, March 9, 1916, Page 7

| { { | John Smith wants to be elected senator. He goes about telling the voters that he is the best man. His friends say the same thing. John Johnson wants the same office. He says HE is the best man. His friends say so, too. _As the campaign grows warmer John Smith and his friends begin to attack John Johnson. They say John Johnson is a bad man—-not fit for office—no good. They dig up everything they can agamst John Johnson’s character. If he ever ran a blind pig, beat his neighbor in a horse trade, or was ever mixed in any shady deals world all about it—and then some. If they can’t find anything bad about Johnson they make something bad—anything to win. Meanwhile Johnson and his friends are saying the same things abont Smith. Each side tz;ies to diseredit the opposing candidate. 5 The contest often waxes very bitter, especially when one can- didate stands for the people and the other is the tool of the old gang. ; The question is always, which is the best man. The voters listen to both sides and are eonfused. They don’t know how much to believe of what either side says. They have a very hard time to find out, in the heat of the campangn, which eandidate would honestly serve them. \ o Very often both are corporation tools and the voter wins noth- ing by electing either candidate. Many voters have refused to vote for this reason. They have listened to too many stroies and have The politicians have made a mess of it and the voters know it. There has always been too muech noise and confusion—too much lying and misunderstanding—and out of this election confusion have always emerged victorious too many self-seeking politicians. Not enough honest men have been placed in office. The polities of the politicians have indeed been rotten. BUT CHANGE stalks over the land! The voters awaken to take a hand in this political game. They are tired of so much noise and political confusion. S They go quietly about their business. Indeed, so quietly do they do their work that those who revel in noise and confusion, and make easy money at election time by fooling the voters, are alarmed. Because the farmer does not consult the politician and tell the.. gang press all about what he isdoing he is accused of “secrecy.” Because farmers do not admit political tricksters to their cau- cuses these sharpers begin to roar that the farmers are “being duped.” : ; " When farmers refuse to permit gang politicians and their tools to be present to control their conventions these gangsters tear their hair and proclaim from every housetop that the farmer is’ being “bossed.” Always before they have been able to divide and so control the farmer vote and gather much easy money for so doing. Now when the farmer goes quietly about his business they see that easy money slipping away—hence the holler. * They are alarmed, but the farmers are not. The farmer is at work—poelitically. He now says to the poli- ticians: : “Sit still gentlemen. For once in your lives be quiet. We have heard you many times tell all about yourselves. We have the record of your words and deeds. We are selecting a few committees of real farmers to look over that record—and act accordingly. “Please don’t talk, gentlemen. You have already said too much. If your works have been right you will be rewarded; and if our com- mittees find that you have lied to us—you will also be rewarded. “Please don’t even ask us for support. It is unnecessary. We all know you want it. You will get what you deserve. : “We are selecting some investigating committees. These com- mittees will make us a report on your fitness for office. We will act this time on their advice—not yours. You have lied to us too many : times and fooled us too often. “We have confidenee, gentlemen, in the good judgment of :these men we have selected as delegates. They are all real farmers. ‘Just sit still. You will not be permitted to be present or pull any -wires at our conventions.. We are afraid to trust you. We know ‘you are disappointed, but we can’t help it. You must wait this time. “Our committees will report and we are all going to support the ‘men whom they endorse. “We cannot endorse you all, gentlemen. Some of you have lied to us and fooled us and betrayed us, and of course we know what you will do when you fail to get the League’s support. ¢ “If you are honest and sincere you will support the men our delegates do endorse. You will respect the judgment of the men who feed this state. \ i - | T¢It you are self-seeking politicians you will do what you have “always done, you will do what you are best fitted to do. You will enter again inte a campaign of slinder, misrepresentation, abuse, vilification. You will make much noise and confusion in the hope ‘ of splitting our organization and getting yourselves elected to serve ‘again your master.. = . “But remember this, gentlemen, in this campaign you will be ~ attacking men whom we have asked to rim for officc AND WE ARE THE NONPARTISAN LEADER Politicians Make Much Noise---Farmers to Front Ak o el it b GOING TO PROTECT THOSE MEN BY ALL HONORABLE MEANS WITHIN OUR POWER. ! : “They may not all be the best men in the world hut they are surely not so bad as some of you whe would betray us and now try to destroy our organization. “If there is anything wrong with any of our eandidates it is not their fault, but ours. They didn’t ask us to send them to office—we asked them te go. AND WE ARE GOING TO STAND BY THEM! “We pick these men because we believe they will serve us. You have had your chance; now stand aside. PRt “Anything you say against the character of thesé- men our delegates endorse ‘for office, we will consider a personal affront to us and our delegates whom we authorized to endoxse these men. “We have our money invested in this organization and we are geing to stick for once. o P i “Now, I have had my say, and I hope you will understand.” Business Manager’s Corner You are watching our advertising grow?* Of course you are. You can't vesist the temptation of looking avér:ihese anmouncements of . .reliable business houses who are mot afraid to let the public know that they want the patronage of the members. »gthe Farmers’ Non- partisan Political League. There are many new onés again this week. This is merely a splendid recognition of the value of the Leader as an advertising medium, as most of these ads come to us unsolicited— in faet, we have not yet put a solicitor in the general advertising field. Results is what counts with the advertiser and the wide-awake ones know that the Leader has the circulation and brings results from the fact that the readers of the Leader have confidence in the goods offered for sale in these columns and know that they will get the best of service from the sellers. 2 And, say, about ‘that classified ad department! The page on which the Classified ads are printed is ‘becoming the most interesting page in the Leader—with the exception, of course, of the news stories whieh show up the rotten political conditions in the state and the workings of the old gang. .. Every reader looks here for the news of offers for sale, want to ~ buy, ete, for the reason there are always needs to be served and sur- plus product to be disposed of on every farm. This is the cheapest and best advertising at the half rate to mem- bers to dispose of their farm preduce and to ask for the things they need. . Auction sales are a popular means.of selling farm implements, stock, etc., and the best place to advertise them -is in the Leader, as all the rest of the papers in ‘the state do not reach as many farm homes as does the Leader. If you want the farmers of the state to know about your ‘sales tell them of them in these columns. LEADER ANNOUNCEMENTS T ' The Political Editor has been so thoroughly' swamped with the * fibod of letters in the Political Prize Contest, which ‘closed February 1 - 29, that it is impossible to announce the winners in this issue of the - Leader. He hopes to get ready the announcement for the issue of Mgrch 16. So watch for.the winners. HOW TO ADDRESS LETTERS Correspondence to the League and the Leader has grown so large " that it is necessary to request the members of the League and all those having “business with the League and Leader to aid us in systematizing our work, so that prompt attention te correspendence and business may be given. \ Therefore we request all members of the League and those having inquiries and business with the organization itself to address all their letters t6 the Farmers’ Nonpartisan Political League. AlL letters relating to the political program and meetings of the League should be addressed to the Campaign Secretary, care Nonpar- tisan League. All inqujries and correspondence in_ the matter of meetings and dates for speakers should be addressed to Speakers’ Buresu, eare Non- (All correspondence fer the Leader should be addressed to The Nonpartisan Leader. All letters concerning advertising,- subscriptions and other business with the Leader should be addressed to the Business Department, Non- partisan Leader. 3 All business with the Engraving Department should be addressed to the Engraving Department, Nonpartisan Leader. - DO NOT ADDRESS LETTERS FOR THE LEAGUE OR LEADER TO ANY INDIVIDUAL. I all persons having business with the League or Leader will ob- serve these rules they will greatly aid us in facilitating such business and assuring all the best and quickest possible service. HANDS ON LEADER’S SCOOP LIKES THE LEADER I have been reading the Leader Exposure by the Nonpartisan Lead- er of the way in which 19 banks of North Dakota are dodging taxes, has i up the Burt Eche, which uses the best pesition on its front page to note the fact that the rtate tax com- mission and the state board of equal- %fizfion are ‘g_ettini out f.rom.tunder s responsil y casting i n each other. Nuéging was sagd otut’fis eondition until the Leader delved into the records, 91’:1'«;cluceti the facts, and ‘spotted the 19 banks, since September last and the more I read it the better I like it. One of the organizers left a few application. bl for membership with me, and: ‘T got a new member today. Will tuxn. his name to the organizer—E. M. KAFER. COMMENDS FEARLESS FIGHT" 1 heartily commend the Leader for- the brave and fearless t in this- in 1916.—A. J. H ign for vict‘%for“ e farmer j L ———