The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, January 11, 1917, Page 4

e s m a as Aa T BRI AR e e atie ot ~ heard the League’s senators compared unfavorably with the hold-over senators—in fact, the move is already under way to undermine your eonfidence, to discourage your representatives by making them think they haven’t your confidence and to ereate an impression unfavorable to you and your cause which they hope you will believe. The opposition is not fighting you as boldly and as openly in the controlled press as it will, perhaps, later on during this legislatare. Perhaps, if they see they are not getting away with their game they will go easy.. But this is the time to be watchful. . This is the time to be . thoughtful. This is the time to stick as you have never stuck before. Let your representatives at Bismarck know you are with them. It is only by giving them a fair show and your united support that they can make good. Remember what the gang press did to you b.efore the primaries. Do you think they will not do that to you again ope'n]y when they think it is safe, by inference and covert attack otherwise ? Don’t believe anything about your men in office and your legislature till you know-it’s true. The Leader everything that goes on at Bismarck. will print true and full reports of People at Helm at Bismarck Formal Inauguration of Farmers’ Administration Takes Place at Joint Session of Both Houses By Ralph L. Harmon, Staff Corres- pondent of the Nonpartisan Leader. ISMARCK, Jan. 5:—On the speak- B er’s rostrum in the hall of repre- sentatives before a joint session of the house and senate, on Wednes- day, the new Nonpartisan League state government was formally inaug- urated. The doors swung open and up the wide aisle, coming by twos, marched the waiting officers and Governor L. B. Hanna, who wasg to deliver his retiring address. Then came the su- ypreme court, both officers and court escorted by committees of three rep- resentatives and two senators each. Among the Bismarck populace who turned out to witness iLis strange in- vasion of the people into their own capitol, were many whose faces have which he asserted will leave the state free from all bonded and floating in- debtedness within three or four years. HANNA DEFENDS HIS ADMINISTRATION From his openjng sentences, it be- came evident that the retiring speech vas to be a general defense of the cr.‘ire administration that had brought about the rise of the Nonpartisan League, and was responsible for the setting in which that speech was be- ing delivered. He defended the action of the state board of equalization in cutting off thirty million dollars of state valuation, just as his adminis- tration was going out of office. He praised the efficiency and loyalty of the adminisiration. He cautioned the just a word of address to the audience, he plunged =t once into his subject, beginning with the sentence, “You have Dbeen chosen by the people of your legislative, districts to represent them, to assemble here and enact laws that will serve the best interests of all the people of the state.” Then in a few courteous, but unmis- takable paragraphs he sketched the history of the great movement which put him in office. He was courteous, and had no savor of contentiousness, but every sentence was an answer to sentences in the speech of the preced- ing speaker. He touched upon parallel subjects. But he approached many °f them from the opposite direction. ‘Wheraver there were comparisons of opinion, they were freguently directly in the audience opposite. Not one / Arrow points to Governor Frazier of North Dakota, farmer, taking the oath of office before the joint session of both houses of the legislature at Bismarck. not been seen in the galleries, farm- ers and their families, who were par- ticipating in the triumph. The march- ers ascended the steps to the rostrum, and stood while Justice Christianson administered the oath to the state of- ficers, and Justice Bruce administered it to Governor Frazier. As Justice ‘Bruce eclosed impressively, abjuring the new executive to observe the con- stitution of the United States and the State of North Dakota, Governor Frazier’s “I do” rang with an abrupt decisiveness through the big hall, and the ceremony was end.d. But there was no outburst of ap- plause. Nothing had been staged. There was no playing to the galler- ies, no attempt to take momentary advantage of an extraordinary oc- casion for dramatics. It wasn’t in the candidates who we- e being inaugurat- ed, ior in the men who occupied the seats on the floor of the house. It'look- ei from the first as though every- one meant business. Lieutenant Governor Kracbel arose, ani in a few words . introduced Retir- ing Governor Hanna. Governor Hanna read from a lengthy and carefully pre- pared manuscript, dwelling at length upon the financial condition of the state, and assuring his hearers that North - “"ota is at the eud of his ad- ministratiow hetter condition than it has has ev. -n before. He gave a few suggestio.. “or completing the - »ogram of anance vhich he outlined, people ag.inst building terminal ele- va’rrs anrwho-e, outside the state be- cause they might not be able to con- tiol, such elevators, inside the state because, as e declared, they would be only “storage elevators”. He congratulated North Dakota up- on its general prosperity. He urged that $50,000 be. appropri.ted to send someone to Germany to’ loy a Ger- man chemist and three or four German experts to t uch North Dakota how to 1-ake briquettes out of lignite coal, and urged that appropriations. be mads to increase 1@ migration to this state. In closing he bespoke the best of suo- cess for his successor, and thanked the people of North Dakota for many honors heaped upon him in the past. Then came Lynn Fragzier, the college- bred firmer-governor. There was con- trast in their appearance. The first speaker, tall, stately, sedate—the other powerful, full voiced, aggressive. There was contrast in their gpeeches, the first rather lengthy, nearly all dealing with finances, and faraway things—the other short, full of human sympathy, close-up problems to be met and so'ved, practical ways of doing it. The dividing line between them was almost startling. There on the right the last expression of things as they have been, Here on -the left the first expression of thingg as the pegple believe they will be. Not » moment did Governor Frazier. “waste in flattery or platitnde. ''With cou:.. fajl to notice that if the ex- pressions of the executive were indi- cators of the direction law-making is going to take, most of the suggestions of the retiring governor will be laid on - . table, 7 ~vernor Frazier dwelt ot length up- on the importance of so building up the educativnal system that the rural pupils will have advantages equal to those of children in cities and towns. He spoke for remediel labor legisla- tion. He advocated a minimum wage. He pointed ou: plac-: where consoli- dation of duties and elimination of useless employes can be effected. He spoke of the need for state inspection .of grain and of elevators, and in a few bold strokes set bLefore his audience and the state the entire Nonpartisan League platform of state owned ele- vators, mills and packing houses. NO GRANDSTANDING - BY THE FARMERS Perhaps it was a near-revolutionary inau--iral address, but the people smil~ ed and nodded th.ir approval. There were present to seritinize it press rep- ‘resentatives from papers that have been hostile, and others that have come across the continent just to see what North Dakota’s governor would say, wken the last “slip twixt the cup and the - " had been passed, and it was &p to him as governor of a govereign ate to mpeak officially, Whether- FOUF . .»/’ z ; —ge . < \ 5 — W_ e T ST N ) AT revolutionary or not, it was extraor- dinary. It was brief, but it was full of substance. It was prepared and delivered with full realization of the radical difference of opinion existing between him and hig predecessor, and yct with a splendid courtesy and sen- sitiveness to that difference of opinion that in no way weakened the vigor and determination, with which he voiced the wishes of the people who elected him. When he ‘had finished reading the brief document, he said simply, "I thank vou, ladies and gentlemen,” and seated himself. There was applause, but no ovation, just as there had been applause for Governor Hanna, again showing that while the Nonpartisans had every opportunity with their hosts of friends present, to work up a spec= tacular -demonstration, they had not even thought of such a thing. Some senator moved that the joint session dissolve, and in a few minutes the corridors were full of people shak- ing hands with both the speakers. Governor Frazier had difficulty In making his way to his office, being stopped by hosts of Bismarck and out= of-town visitors who congratulated him, slapped him on the back, said “bully 0ld boy” or merely shook hands with him. Governor Hanna was kept busy for some time shaking hands with friends who were bidding him goodbye. ) THINKS LEAGUE RIGHT Dupree, S. D., Dec. 23, 1916. Editor Nonpartisan Leader: I am very much interested in the great work you have accomplished in North Dakota, and I hope that in the near future you will extend your oper- ations 'to this part of South Dakot4. The farmers of South Dakota will watch carefully the work of the North Dakota legistature this winter, and I hope that in two years that the same gcod work can be accomplished in this state. \ I am personally greatly interested in your movement, and would like to help in the work of organizing if possibla, I hope that the League will soon be at work west of the Missouri river. I have held the register of deeds of- fice six years, ever sincé the county started; I am one of the few to hold tke register’s office three terms in suc- cession in this state. I was not on the ticket this fall. W. R. VAN. IT WAS DONE RIGHT Sherwood, N. D, Editor Nonpartisan Leader: I wish to congratulate you and the League force upon the work you have done this year. It is something on which time will mark its O. K. in the future. As a member of the League I wish much more success. We have Just made a start. I hope that every mem- ber stands ready to work on for better gevernment. T have seen many farmer organizations brought up to where they did make good, but I never saw such a move as we have in North Dakota. Like ' everything else organization of * the farmers must be done right, and we surely have gone at it right this time— that is, organized politically, the only right way. . i Here's wishing you an g Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. W. E. WILLIAMS, MAKE PROGRAM GOOD From all indications the men resp.-n- sible for the political land-slide in the state intend to carry out ‘their pre- election “program. To demonstrate their sincerity as well as common hon- esty demands as much. When they co take hold of ‘the plow it is too. te to look backward. Let us hope that a pace will be set that other states ey imitate with profit. This- will require patience, courage and wise statesmanship. <= NEW ROCKFORD . D) STATB CENTER, %