The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, July 27, 1916, Page 6

\ ~trolled by the~farmers. Many profes- . .ago i A PN ; ma.i,ority of our : citizens and tax the farmers elected to. the le This picture shows the Art building at the North Dakota state fair in Fargo last week and machinery row to the right. The cool, comfortable balcony of the Art building was well filled all week, as were those :at the Agricultural building and Merchants' pavilion. The fair was admittedly one of the best and most successful ever held in the state. The attendance of farmers was unusually large; which the fair managers attribut'ed.largely to the publicity given to the fair ’-by the Nonpartisan Leader. Several thousand members of the League registered at the Leader booth in the Merchants’ pavilion. Fargo Forum Supports the Farmers’ Ticket The Fargo Forum, leading Republican newspaper in the state, after having shown a sympathetic attitude toward the Nonpartisan League in the earlier stages of its organization, opposed most of the League’s candidates prior to the primaries. It was very active in its support of Usher L. Burdick for the Republican nomination. The Forum, however, has shown the good sense to accept the verdict of the people of the state as rendered in the primaries. It has come out in support of the entire Republican state ticket, all candidates of which, with the exception of Treasurer John Steen, have the indorsement of the Nonpartisan League. The following editorial is from the Forum’s issue of Saturday, July 22: SUPPORT THE REGULAR STATE TICKET (From the Fargo Forum, July 22.) The colossal upheaval and complete overturn of all political pre- cedent at the recent North Dakota primary election has naturally caused consternation in some quarters. The old time politicians, seeing every shred of political power and prestige vanishing into thin air, are utterly bewildered and do not know which way to turn. As a result’ there is something very akin to panic in their ranks. The “‘old guard” is running around in circles. There are suggestions and counter suggestions and evert, the proposal that the “regular Repub- lican machine” turn in and work for the Democratic ticket this fail. The Grand Forks county central committee and other county com- mittees. have done the sensible thing and the logical thing and have indorsed the entire state ticket as it was nominated. To take any other course is to go on record against majority rule. The Republican voters of this state have spoken clearly and unmistak- ably. Forty thousand of them, a clear-cut, clean majority of the Repub- lican vote cast, have expressed their desires at the polls, and it was one of the largest and therefore one of the most representative votes ever ~ast at a primary election in the state. What brought about this political landslide? : There was something behind this overturn besides a clever political organization. : No political machine could have won such an overwhelming victory without a definite, legitimate program of legislation. It should be remembered that the 40,000 citizens of North Dakota who went on record at the primary as indorsing the Nonpartisan League candidates, were not voting for men but for measures. : : Isn’t.it about time the politicians were “seeing a great light.” These forty-thousand voters would not have revolted against exist- ing conditions in this state unless there had been a well defined and very ; : A Rebuke to The report of the primary election in North Dakota is. not yet complete. But reports substantiate what we announced in our last issue. The Non-~ partisan League has nominated all of its candidates. The remaining precincts are in the country districts and the majority of the farmers have made a clean sweep! In the state capitol there will be a° general clean” out. Both. houses of the legislature will be con- payers. We have cdmplete confidence in the judgment of our farmers. It' may ‘be that the / chosen state officials and members of the legislature parliamentarians as are the present incumbents, but we believe that this is to their credit. At any rate a decisive set-back has been administered to the xm-igues of the smooth politicians, and t! farmer candidates. we ‘have opposed. sional: politicians._ shake their heads and predict anything but good. . . ‘ That the Nonpartisan League placed in nomination several men whom we do not consider worthy and that we opposed ' their nomination, our readers know very well. ‘But there.is no new movement, and this_.is like’ all such movements, ‘without faults. : ‘That the ‘farmers should control the legislature is only proper. It is remark- Bble that this has not happened long ° for the farmers constitute ~a expected that. the Nonpartisan League people any more than it was to expect good men in the field. If through long this of a new movement such_as.the Nonpartisan League. attention to the of certain peopl lature are - not such, smooth politicians and - is can only be @& blessing to our state. - Our readers 'know whom of the Also the reasons why. Now we will: quietly watch matters. It was not to be = should place in the field unobjectionable that the old parties should never place | experience' the ‘old parties have not been: able -to 'do this, 'why should we expect: tated. _we:-"-a,rei"hot- paying any | entire - general dissatisfaction with present conditions. As a matter of fact that is exactly the situation. ; : ; The politicians have brought the conditions upon themselves. There has been too much evidence in the past that legislation was man- ipulated and controlled. - Almost every line of business has been organ- ized, and has:maintained some kind of a system to “protect itself” against adverse legislation and to work for “favorable” legislation except the farming business. ; - Now the farmers propose to do some legislating in their own behalf. Who has a greater right to organize in this agricultural state? = The farmers propose a constructive program which they believe will benefit their condition. They arenot satisfied with present market- ing conditions and propose to use the political power of the state of North Dakota in the effort to better these conditions. The Forum is convinced that no legitimate business has anything to fear from the 40,000 farmers who propose to put this program into effect. They do not plan to tear down, but to build up. . The thing to do now, is to. work in co-operation with the farmers instead of keeping up a useless factional fight which will do the state far n;?ret harm than any legislation the Nonpartisan Leagué can put into effect. 2 The candidates who have been nominated on the Republican ticket, were placed in nomination by the voters of the state. It is worthy of note that there is practically no criticism of these candidates. “admitted that they are honest, sincere and men who stand well in their home communities. About the only thing that is said against any of them is that some lack experience in dealing with public affairs, but that is not a fatal defect. Every man has to make a start in public life at some time. f 3 ! In view of these facts The Forum believes that the Republicans of North Dakota should get into line behind them. The Forum will give its undivided support to the Republican state ticket as nominated at the primaries June 28. o All Politicians should enact bad laws, they, themselves, will -have- to . suffer believ_e that we can stand it as long as: “'marck) July 4. <GRONNA TO SUPPORT ENTIRE TICKET - e ‘A newspaper dispatch from Washington quotes Senator. * Gronna as follows: - : L : : . . “Yes, the primary eleetion in North Dakota is over. The voters. of the state had a goodly number of excellent men to choose ** from, and they selected the men of their choice in a very decisive /| “and emphatic manner, All the nominees. received large majorities, " clearly indicating the people’s ‘decision. The result is not to -be taken as a reflection on the men who were defeated; the people had . such a large supply of excellent material to choose from that many - -affairs, failed o obtain a nomination, but the result does indicate that the Republican voters of North Dakota have every confidence - that the candidates nominated-are worthy of the people’s suppor . It is an assurance that the entire Republican ticket, , -ning with Senator McCumber and including every Republican - nominee, will be elected next fall. It is needless to say that the ire ticket will rceive my ‘vote and suppert,” Senator Gronna It is the farmers, and they will surely do.: thereby. ‘We their best.—STAATS-ANZEIGER, (Bis- . ] good and able men, some of them with long experience in public. | : i 5 R SRSy