The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, February 15, 1917, Page 2

i e R ? ——— n ‘e A N iicicnasacsmeissmon o st o e e—— e = " They Think the F HE old gang in the North Dakota senate in desperation has re- sorted to a new plan to hamper, delay or bloek the Nonparti- san League state-ownership program. Senator McGray has introduced a series of bills primarily intended to make bad blood between the Equity and League forces by pretending to provide for terminal elevators in North Dakota under a plan the senate thinks may meet favor with Equity forces. It is a plan which in reality the Lquity convention at Bismarck repudiated. McGray’s bills would permit the state to build and equip ele- vators and then sell them to the Equity, to be run as private co-opera- tive enterprises, instead of by the state. This, of course, is a repudia- tion of the principle of state.ownership which the League stands for. That it will meet little if any support or sympathy among the Equity rank and file, who are mostly Nonpartisan League members and for the League program, is shown by the fact that the Equity indorsed the state-ownership program at the recent Bismarck convention. The Equity convention at Bismarck adopted resolutions, as re- ported in this issue of the Leader, indorsing House Bill 44 and the program of state ownership permitted in the constitution which ‘44’ would have submitted to the people. The Equity in strong language condemned the defeat of Bill 4. In-addition, the Equity adopted a resolution favoring the taking over by the state as a state-owned pro- armers Are Fools ject of the Equity co-operative packing plant, to be built at Fargo. The convention favored the selling of this packing plant to the state as soon as a state constitution permitting it could be adopted by the people. This new gang move, expressed in the MeGray bills, will of course be promptly kicked out by the farmers’ majority in the house. Senator McGray knows that and so do the rest of the senate gang. Then why have the bills been introduced? The answer is simple. It is hoped a few Equity people will support these bills, thus creating bad blood between the Equity and League, something the Big Interests and the gang has sought from the start. ‘Senator McGray is the man who recently sent a sneaking appeal to banks of North Dakota to use their influence in getting country newspapers to oppose the Nonpartisan League plans in this legislature. As a senator in the session two years ago he is on record in two roll- calls as opposed to terminal elevators. He voted and worked against House Bill 44 in this session, which bill was unanimously supported by the farmers of the state. 'Why this anxiety to do something for the farmers now in this new series of bills? It doesn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to get to the bottom of this gang senator’s motives. He wants to stir up a little fuss between Equity and League forces, but he is liable to find himself in the position of the man who stood behind a mule and tickled its legs. : LLeague Meetings and Announcements WATCH. THE DATES League members should lock over the list of meetings every week, be- cause new ones are added to the list weekly and often changes and cancellations are made. NORTH DAKOTA MEETINGS Important business meetings of the Nonpartisan League in North Dakota are scheduled for the following places. These meetings are of great import- ance and League members should not fail to be in attendance: Dickey, Feb. 15, 1 p. m. Grand Rapids, Feb. 16, 1 p. m. Medora, Feb. 19, 1:30 p. m. Sentinel Butte, Feb. 20, 1:30 p. m. Beach, Feb. 21, 1:30 p. m. Marmarth, Feb. 22, 2 p. m. Rhame, Feb. 23, 2 p. m. i Bowman, Feb. 24, 2 p. m. Scranton, Feb. 26, 2 Gascoyne, Feb. 27, 2 Reeder, Feb. 28, 2 p. m Bucyrus, March 1, 2 Hettinger, March 2, 2 Lemmon, March 3, 2 Morristown, March 5, McIntosh, March 6, 2 p. m McLaughlin, March 7, 2 p. Killdeer, March 10, 2 p. m Golden Valley, March 12, 2 p. m. Dunn Center, March 13, 2 p. m. Halliday, March 14, 2 p. m. Beulah, March 15, 2 p. m. ‘Warner, March 16, 2 p. m. Hazen, March 17, 2 p. m. p. m. 2 p. m. p. m p. m. p. m. p. m 2 p. m. m. Stanton, March 19, 2 Ft. Clark, March 20, 2 p. m. Sanger, March 21, 2 p. m. Harmon, March 22, 2 p. m. Center, March 23, 2 p. m. Yucca, March 24, 2 p. m. IN TWO STATES Following is a list of Nonpartisan League meetings to be held in Minne- sota and South Dakota: South Dakota Fedora, Feb. 15, 2 p. m. Artesian, Feb. 16, 2 p. m. ‘Winifred, Feb. 17, 2 p. m. Coleman, Feb. 19, 2 p. m. Chester, Feb. 20, 2 p. m. Nunda, Feb. 21, 2 p. m. Volga, Feb. 22, 2 p. m. Aurora, Feb. 23, 2 p. m. Brookings, Feb. 24, 2 p. m. ‘Ramona, Feb. 26, 2 p. m. Minnesota Hubbard, Evan and Greenbush, Feb. : 15, 2 p. m. Hanska and Badger, Feb. 16, 2 p. m. Park Rapids and Roseau, Feb. 17, 3 . m. » Windom, Feb. 19, 2 p. m. Garfield, Feb. 19, 8 0. m. Barnesville, Feb. 20, 2 p. m. ‘Warroad, Feb. 20, 2 p. m. Heron Lake, Feb. 20, 2 p. m. Rothsay, Feb. 21, 2 p. m. Lakefield, Feb. 21, 2 p. m. Fergus Falls, Feb. 2, 2 p. m. Oslo, Feb, 22, 2 p. m. Hamburg, Feb. 23, 2 p. m. Fosston, Feb. 23, 2 p. m. Elizabeth, Fe' 23, 2 p. m. Glencoe, Feb. 24, 2 p. m. Mentor, Feb. 24,-2 p. m, Pelican Rapids, Feb. 24, 2 p. m. Erharts, Feb. 26, 2 p. m. Staples, Feb. 26, 2 p. m. Battle Lake, Feb. 27, 2 p. m, Moranbirook, Feb. 27, 2 p, m. Vining, Feb. 28, 2 p. m. Verndale, Feb. 28, 2 p. m. Dalton, March 1, 2 p. m. Central, March 1, 2 p. m. Ashby, March 2, 2 p. m. Eagle Bend, March 2, 2 p. m. Long Prairie, Mareh 3, 2 } Eagle Lake, March 3, 7:30 ENGLISH AND GERMAN Both German and English spoken at the following North Dakota meetings: Richardton, Feb. 15, 1:30 p. m. Zenith, Feb. 16, 1:20 p. m. Dickinson, Feb. 17, 1:30 p. m. Hebron, Feb. 19, 1:30 p. m. Taylor, Feb. 20, 1:30 p. m. Glen Ullin, Feb. 21, 1:30 p. m. Almont, Feb. 22, 1:30 p. m. New Salem, Feb. 23, 1:30 p. m. Mandan, Feb. 24, 1:30 p. m. Judson, Feb. 26, 1:30 p. m. Mott, IFeb. 28, 1:30 p. m. New England, March 1, 1:30 p. m. Havelock, March 2, 1:30 p. m. Regent, March 3, 1:30 p. m. Burt, March 5, 1:30 p. m. New’ Leipzig, March 6, 1:30 p. m. Elgin, March 7, 1:30 p. m. Carson, March 8, 1:30 p. m. Lark, March 9, 1:30 p. m. Flasher, March 10, 1:30 p. m. Raleigh, March 12, 1:00 p. m. Brisbane, March 13, 1:00 p. m. Leith, March 14, 1:30 p. m. Timmer, March 15, 1:30 p. m. Ft. Rice, March 16, 1:30 p. m. | THREE BIG MEETINGS | There will be a Nonpartisan | League meeting held at Medora, | N. D, February 19; one at Sen- | tinal Butte, N. D., February 20 and | one at Beach February 21, | These mestings will be address- | ed by A. E. Bowen, chief clerk | of the state house of representa- | tives, who will discuss' questions | of importance to every citizen of | North Dakota and- will give the | facts at first hand of how House ll Bill 44 was defeated in the state legislature. l MEETING AT HALLOCK Hallock, Minn., Feb. 4, 1917. Editor Nonpartisan Leader: Mr. Williams' of Grand Forks, repre- senting ‘the Nonpartisan’ Political League, gave a very interesting lecture n the Commercial club rooms at Hal- ock, January 25. 3 Mr. Williams is an able speaker and can handle his subject to perfection. There were about 100 farmers present in spite of 30 below-zero weather. Be sure and let us know when the mediately becomes operative. WHY NOT TRUST THE PEOPLE? /(Editorial in Bottineau (N. D.) Courant) Reduced to Its last analysis, the opposition to House Bill 44 is engendered by a fear to trust the people of North Dakota. The impression is given from many quarters that the passage of this measure by the senate and its approval by the governor will mean that the new constitution im- That is of course absolutely erroneous: i The proposition is simply this: If House Bill 44 passes the senate the people of the state will be given an oppostunity to decide in a special elec- tion whether or not they approve of the new constitution. " Why this distrust of the peopie? ¢ Is it not because the opponents of the Nonpartisan League know within their quaking hearts that the people of the state WILL approve the new constitution—if given the opportunity to express their wishes? organizer comes here next spring, and we will do all we can to help make Minnesota Nonpartisan in 1918. A. W. ANDERSON, Prop. Riverview Farm. MEETING AT HOUGHTON Houghton, S. D., Jan. 26, 1917. Editor Nonpartisan Leader: William H. Talmage, N. P. L. speaker, addressed a meeting held~at Houghton, S. D., on January 26, 1917. The weather was bad but an enthusiastic audience of about 75 farmers managed to be present and several new members join- ed the League. Great interest is-being manifested in this neighborhood in the N. P. L. movement and another sum- mer will see practically all of the farmers enrolled. L. S. COBURN. MEETING AT BRITTON Britton, S. D., Feb. 2, 1917 Editor Nonpartisan Leader: Our League meeting at Britton was well attended. Something like 300 per- sons, the greater part of them enthusi- astic League members, filled the lower gallery of the Strand theater. It was by far the largest and most enthusias- tic political meeting held in Britton for years. Quite a number of new mem- bers were secured. W. H. Talmage of Flandreau, S. D., delivered a rousing address in which he showed clearly that the business of politics is the business of the whole people, that it is the duty of the state to use all its functions for the bene- fit of its citizens as a mass and not delegate its powers into the hands of priviledged few. He showed what state aid really meant in the develop- ment of the resources which by every right belong to the people who consti- tute the state, but which at the present time lie waiting until Big Business is ready to utilize them to its own end. The theme of his ‘address was “you can not mix business and sentiment.” He proved that the big business inter- ests never allowed them to mix; that it 'is the duty of the people never to let them mix because if the ends of commorr justice are served there will never be occasion for conflict between the two. There is every indication that this part of the state will, again become what it was in the days of the Farmers’ alliance, the home of progressive thought. Evidence on every hand indi- cates that at the next election the farmers will stand united for a political program of their own against the pro- gram which has been foisted wupon them through the sinister influence of the commercial interests of the east. L] TWO There is no doubt but that they will profit by the errors they have made in the past, that they will cling to the . League as the safeguard against the betrayals which have broken up their political power in the past. GILBERT GRONSETH. NOTICE ‘We occasionally hear of members not receiving their certificates of member- ship or the Leader. If, when you read this notice, you know of any member joining the League who did not get his certificate or is not getting the Leader, please notify, us. ) Organization Department, Box 919, Fargo, N. Dak. T T S A e ey (B o R v Notice to German Readers. The Nonpartisan Leader publishes a four-page German supplement, con- taining in German the chief articles and announcements in the English edi- tion. This German section is sent free with the regular English edition each week to any German subscriber who desires it. It is only necessary for a German reader of the Leader to ask for it to get it sent to him. Befanutmadiung an deutide LQefer. Der Monpartifan Leader gibt fiie bie deutfdhfpredienden Mitglieder der Jonpartifan RLeague eine bierfeitige beutide Beilage Beraus, welde alle Hauptartifel der englifen Yusgabe in huragehaltener fadjlider Form fuiedergieht. D Die deutfde Ausgabe wird frei mit ber englifjdien berfandt, und jede3 beutige Mitglied bder Nonpartifan Reague erhalt Ddiefelbe auf BWunfd Ioftenfrei mit bem ,Reabder” ugefandt. Jede3 beut{dhe Mitglied Gat dasz Redt, in ber bdeutidjen Beilage feine Meis numg gu berdffentliden umd ift Hierzu freundlidyft eingelaben. : Die Redattion. CALIFORNIA DOES IT Fallon, Neveda Editor Nonpartisan Leader: Let your legislators look at the method long in use in California for building-structures on the state- harbors—notably the piers and the ferry ships at the foot of Market street, San Francisco. Who that attended the exposition last year fails to recall the Ferry building? : Built by taxation? No. By an issue of bonds? Yes. But each bond states that the only fund the bond-holder can look to, for his money and - his interest, is the revenues derived by the Harbor commissioners from leases of ships and wharves, and from tolls on merchandise passing from ships to warehouses over the water from wharves. The people vote the bonds; and then they pay them in their freight bills. See California statutes in your law library. ROBT. E. BUSH. =