The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, June 1, 1916, Page 5

of North Dakota to better their condition. rI'\HE Wisconsin idea put Wis- consin on the map of Na- tional politics—the Nonpar- tisan idea of North Dakota will make that state a pioneer in world polities if its farmerswillnow stick together. For the first time men who till and toil have a chantce to throw off the yoke of politicians and greedy men of power. Will they have the good sense and cour- age to do it. ; For years the farmers and labor- ing men of the Northwest have - been cheated in the market place, swindled by tax-dodgers and poli- ticians, gouged by Shylock bankers and robbed without mercy by the monopolies. : It was all done by law. Legal machinery worked overtime for big business while most of- the farmers and toilers were asleep. Now they are awake and can stop the stealing by taking over the government into their own hands and making fair laws. Will they do it? -The farmers of Minnesota and the laboring men of its big cities are watching this revolt of the. farmers of North Dakota with anxious eyes. The best men of the whole nation who have for years fought against greed and graft are asking, will the farmers of North Dakota make good now that they have the chance? Will they hold together? : To my mind this is the most and what it is being used for, but the Courier-News has never thought it desirable to tell the truth about the matter. What really agitates the Courier-News is this: The press used by the Leader is well adapted to getting out a daily newspaper and: such a press is one of the most expensive items of a daily newspaper’s plant. {1 The: installation of this press gave currency to the rumor that the &Sl Leader ultimately would be published ‘as a daily. This thought causes § & * the publisher of the Courier-News so much trepidation that he can’t PR refrain from repeatedly recurring to it, especially in view of the fact | that many readers of the Leader have written suggesting that the 1 , Leader be made a daily. 13 : | £ This is one of the reasons why the ‘Courier-News has been so per- T ' sistently endeavoring to injure the credit of the Leader. It has hoped to e prevent the Leader from accumulating the equipment necessary to start a daily. - 'One of its wholly imaginative stories was to the effect that the Leader had bought several additional typesetting machines and that they were held up in the freight yard because the freight_had not been paid . upon them. _ Out of its own fears the Courier-News has created these illusions about what the Leader is doing and plans to-do.and has succeeded in raising the hopes of many who want to see an independent daily news- paper established—one which will be worthy of the support of the farmers of the state. o ¢ If the demand becomes strong enough it is. fully possible that such. a daily newspaper ultimately will be established in Fargo THE INSURANCE CAMPAIGN o R : THE insurance Federation of North Dakota chose from the day of 7 ; . its formation to enroll itself among. the enemies of the Nonpartisan -~ = League: It is carrying on a campaign of “edu¢ation,” an impor- i tant part of ‘which'involves an attack upon the League and the Nonpar- ~.tisan Leader because the Leader printed some ACTUAL FACTS regard- ing the profits of' insurance companies in the state of North Dakota, showing among other things that the companies return in fire losses F ol - about one-half the amount annually collected in premiums.. . o 2 TR bbbt ron sty ‘As a part of this attack it has'sent out circulars to the newspapers ‘ . of the state, seeking to make it appear that the League. and the Leader are fighting all the newspapers. : i H ' “It'seems to us that the newspapers, the banks and the ‘insurance agents are all in the same boat,”. says one of these circulars, signed by H. G. Carpenter, secretary. 'Since ‘they are “in the same boat” Mr. -~ Carpenter then shrewdly suggests that the newspapers should give the . insurance companies a little free publicity in tihe way of setting forth Loy » A Message From James Manahan Former Congressman James Manahan, who writes this message to the citizens of North Dakota, is known all over the nation as one of the able friends of good government and enemies of special privilege and political corruption. : his defense of the Equity against attacks by the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce. His letter shows how persons in other states engaged in the fight against the domination of governmental affairs by powerful business combines regard the effort of the farmers Former Congressman James Manahan - but not killing it. - PAGE FIVE He is especially favorably known for important political development in the United States. It means much to the fight we have been making in the name of the Equity Exchan- ge for an honest and free market place, but it means much more as a vital principle of government. Men who produce by their fields and labor, the food of mankind, should boss their own business and all of it. Lawmaking that controls markets, taxes, and prices, as law- making always does, is the farm- ers’ most important business. It is time he was on the job. ; To me this fight against the partisan machine and money gov- ernment is bigger than the grain market issues and broader than North Dakota politics; it touches the nation’s welfare and I appealto every man who wants a square deal and who loves his country to put aside partisanship and person- al feeling and work without stop- ping for the .entire Nonpartisan ticket. . Stand together farmers! Beware of men hired to create discord among -you. . But rebuke bigots who would blind you by prejudice on accounit of race or religion. Don’t let the old machine politi- cians fool you again. Stand and stick. Vote for yourselves. “our side of the -insurance question,” and offers to send some of this matter “at no expense in plate form.” If we could be permitted to offer a friendly suggestion to the news- papers of the state it would be that this insurance advertising be print- ed only at some “expense” to the insurance companies who, are thus seek- -ing to work the weekly newspapers for free space for political propaganda. - The farmers have one thing that all their enemies have not got and ' nmever can get. The farmers have the big majority of the votes. But the votes have' done them little good in the past because the politicians, corrupt Big Business and gang newspapers have kept them divided: They are united now and the shrewd attempt to split them up is not going to work. L A BOOST THAT 1S A KNOCK 66 3 ' BURDICK-FOR-GOVERNOR club has been organized at Williston * * * * Former Senator W. B. Overson of Williston ' is president,” { This news item has appeared in daily and weekly papers throughout the state. S ! RO o) } e ‘.~ W. B. Overson is a Hanna politician. He was appointed by Govern- or Hanna to the state board of control in violation of the constitution of the state, which forbids a member of the legislature being appointed to ‘civil office by the governor during the term for which the legislative member is elected. Mr. Overson was forced to resign the Hanna ap- pointment after he had qualified for the job. The attorney general held he had been unconstitutionally appointed: : .~ Mr. Overson as a senator in the last legislature representing Wil- liams and McKenzie counties used his influence and vote in an attempt to kill the bl]l-provi.ding for,a vote by the people on ‘the proposition of compulsory state hail insurance; He was against this farmers” measure. As a member of the committee of judiciary he joined a minority of that committee in reporting to the senate that there was much doubt a8 to the legality of state hail insurance, even though it was made a part of the state constitution. - Mr. Overson thought it would violate the United States constitution. On -this ground‘he succeeded in delaying thé bill . When the vote was taken on the measure he voted against it: In doingthis: Mr. Overson put himself in a class with Senator Hughes of Bismarek and other stalwarts: He put hiriself in a class with Hughes, who was: even _opposed: to and voted ageiast lowering: the interest rate Jfrom 12 to 10 per cent. = = SECR A7 R SRE