The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, April 20, 1916, Page 4

&2 HERE COMES HIRAM A RUBE, I'LL BET HE'S A DELEGATE. I'LL TAKE- HIM OUT "TO DINNER AND LINE NP 7 When a note comes due and there is no money to pay, the editor must obey the orders of the man who holds the note or face fore- closure and see his business sold out and turned over to another who will do the will of the interests. : Other newspapers in the state have yielded to this pressure, but the Devils Lake Journal, which has been the friend of the farm- er, has defied the money-lenders and has said it will not turn against the farmer. The editor of the Journal has turned to the farmers for help. He has asked them to subscribe to his paper so that he can have funds to meet his pressing obligations and maintain his independ- ence of Big Business and political bosses. He ought to have help from those farmers who can give it to him. He wants to help the farmers—he has been doing it right along and has incurred the enmity of Big Business for so doing. He asks the farmers to help him to help them. 5 THE BANKS AND THE FARMER E g HE LEADER in this issue and previous issues has uncovered I a marvelous state of affairs in North Dakota in regard to banks and the financial condition of the people. ' Let’s put down briefly a few of the facts: The farmers of the state are struggling under a mortgage debt all but unbearable. In one &f the counties in six years between 2000 and 3000 farmers gave 37,161 separate chattel mortgages. The farmers in this typical county have a $7,000,000 debt and pay «lose to three-quarters of a milliion dollars annually in interest on it. (See Leader of January 13, article by Horace Bagley). 5 Interest rates in North Dakota are among the highest in the United States. The bulk of the loans to farmers carry 10 to 15 per cent and 96. out of the 151 national banks in the state have ad- mitted practicing usury. (See usury artiele in this issue). The banking department of the state has been in the hands of men who have let big business creditors of a tottering bank take the best of the assets and leave- depositors to bear all the losses, accord- ing to sworn testimony and court records. (See Leader of March 23, Medina bank case). A banker and financier at the head of the banking department of the state has put in effect a bank monopoly which effectively throttles competition among banks which would tend to lower in- -est rates. (See Leader April 13, bank resolution article). Bankers have succeeded in getting on the statute books laws’ Preventing competition among banks for the privilege of holding -and using public money, and forcing public officials to let the public fund out to banks at low interest, (See Leader March 9, “Little favors for friends”). . Banking in North Dakota is more profitable than in any state -of the union—bank dividends in this state range from an aVera:ge -of nearly 12 per cent for national banks to an average of 18 per cent for state banks. (See article in connection with usury in this .issue). Here is a set of facts any oné of which in itself would be “worthy of considerable attention by the people of this state, espec- -ially the farmers. Taken together they probably constitute the most astonishing state of affairs ever uncovered in a state, Read “these facts over again. Take them in briefer form in little differ- -ent order: ' A colossal mortgage debt in the state, sapping the strength of “the people. - Banks practicing usury and paying the largest dividends of any ‘banks:in the United States. Laws in effect to enable banks to get public money ’Witz:}mut ~competition and-at very low rates. State banking department which does not use its efforts to pro- “tect. depesitors in bank failures, which does not enforee usury law ~.and which sets up a monopoly for favored banks, Does this state of affairs call for action? Is there a reason for ~the. Nonpartisan League? Do this é.nd things like it explain why THE NONPARTISAN LEADER Politician Entertains Hiram Rube—By Mistake == ) HOW'S THAT NON- : GES IT'S A HUMDINGER 5 PARTISAN LEAGUE i > BUT T DON'T BELONG - the farmers of North Dakota have arisen almost to a man for reform? b Incidentally, have dny o6f the newspapers of North Dakota which are now attempting to throttle and poison this unprecedented uprising of the people of this state ever printed these facts? Think that over too. : “A newspaper\mt_xst be run to meet the payroll” said one saintly editor. Sometimes, evidently, it is run to meet the mortgage and to please the note-holder. CORRUPT PRACTICES AND THE POLITICIANS HE Nonpartisan League has bee_n_accused by certain publica- I tions in the state of trampling on “the spirit of the direct primary law” and “the spirit of the corrupt practices act,” because it has 'held -corventions ““through which a large per- - centage of the voters of the state have expressed their preference “for candidates for legislative and state offices. These candidates are to run in the regular party primaries and to seek nomination in the manner provided by law. - , - - As previously, pointed out'by the Leader this is in no sense or form any violation: of or infringement tipon the plan of nomination ‘provided in the direct:primary law.-- It is simply a device for mak- ing that law more- useful for the purpose of government by the people and to enable a large block of voters themselves to bring out candidates in the primaries who will truly represent them, not leav- ing that important.function. to.the politicians, as it has been left .~ Vaguely, indefinitely and falsely accused of infringement of the “spirit” of the primary and corrupt practices acts, the League now sees its enemies, -the very ones who have made these accusations, themselves-making suggestions which, if acted upon, will constitute a vieolation, not merely‘of the spirit of the direct primary and the corrupt practice acts, but 6f their very letter. _ It sees'its accusers suggesting and openly recommending action which constitutes a misdemeanor actionable under the law of North Dakota. "It sees preliminary steps made to act upon those sugges- tions, in the most flagrant way setting at defiance the laws intended to guarantee government by the people. ) -.Read this extract from an editorial in the Fargo Courier-News of Wednesday, April 12: ] If ‘Mr: Burdick and Mr. Fraine continiie as candidates, Mr. Frazier will be the nominee. * * *we have supposed that with all its faults and internal factions there is a large number of men. who believe in party government and Republiean party principles. If so, they should immediately get together and withdraw- the candidate who has least likelihood of receiving the nominittion. - ‘The law is very definite on this matter. Section 18 relates to the good faith of candidacy. It makes it unlawful for a candidate to accept a nomimation for the purpose of defeating another:candi- date when he does not hope to get the office himself, and:it also makes it unlawful for a candidate to withdraw or refrain: from ac- cepting the nomination in order to insure the defeat of anotl?r can- didate. Here is the section:* [ Section 18. It shall be unlawful for any persen- to. accept, t},ééiveror refrain from:becoming a candidate for nomination or eleetion, or by himself or in combination with any other person or persens-to-beecome a candidate for the purpose of defeating: the nominvation or election of any person and nbt with a bona. fide intent to-obtain the office. ; 2 We commend this section to the careful reading of those throughout the state who have been spreading the empty threat that the candidates indorsed by the League wotld face prosecution under the corrupt: practices act and also to the attention of those who suggested an;i who took part in that conference of politicians at Minot, called for the purpose of “eliminating” at least one can- didate so as to defeat Lynn Frazier, the farmers’ candidate, the man - who is going to be elected governor. . One publication in'the state carries above its editorial columns the - significant heading “Where the Tribune can he bouglit.” Reference to “another page where an: attack on the Nonpartisan League is carried . @ ' ~ may show where the Tribané‘-ltasvbggn‘boilght.' ;