The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, October 11, 1917, Page 6

Nonpartisén Teader Official Magazine of the National Nonpartisan League—Every Thursday. Entered as second-class matter September 3, 1915, at the postoffice at Fargo, North Dakota, under the Act of March 3, 1879, OLIVER S. MORRIS, EDITOR Advertising rates on application. Subscription, one year, in advance, $2.50; 8IX months, $1.50. Communications should be addressed to the Nonpartisan Leader, Box 941, Fargo, North Dakota. MEMBER OF AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS THE 8. C. BECKWITH SPECIAL AGENCY, Advertising Representatives, New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Kansas City, Quack, fradulent and irresponsible firms are not knowingly advertised, and we will take it as a favor if any readers will advise us promptly should they have occasion to doubt or question the reliability of any firm which patronizes our advertising columns, LA FOLLETTE AND T. R. ‘ CHAIRMAN of the Republican National committee, before A Roosevelt first ran for president, once said that the colonel was [ a hero who never fought a battle, a lawyer who never wrote a brief, a trust-buster who never busted a trust and a man of truth whose word wasn’t worth a continental.”’ This definition of the ramp- ing, roaring one was perhaps dictated by political prejudice. Anyway, definitions often get one in trouble. Plato defined man as a ‘‘feather- less, two-footed animal.’”” Diogenes, a rival philosopher, brought a plucked rooster into his classroom one day and said: ‘‘Behold Plato’s man.”’ Without trying to give a definition of the ‘‘kunnel’’ we can tell what he has been doing. He has been going up and down the country bragging about his patriotism while casting slurs upon President Wil- son. His failure to make an appeal for patriotic support for the presi- dent has been noted with much resentment by editors ef newspapers that are whole-heartedly supporting the president in this erisis. T. R. doesn’t think {‘standing by the president’’ is a part of patriotism. He is peeved, we are told, because he wasn't allowed to lead a division of troops to France. : But the colonel has made his chief political prejudice apparent in another way. He is trying to put La Follette forever out of business by jumping on him while he is down. He knows La Follette has not a friend left among the big newspapers and hence he thinks this kind of political vaudeville is safe. It might appear. to be defending La Tollette’s position on the war for someone to point out the methods Teddy is using in trying to lay low an old and dangerous political enemy. So nobody has said anything. It will be remembered that La Follette was the recognized leader of the progressives when the break came in the Republican party prior to 1912. The senator from Wisconsin had devoted a lifetime to fight- ing the fight of the people. He had done more than any other man to bring about the revolt in the Republican party against reactionism and Big Business domination. He made this fight when it appeared hopeless. La Follette, because of this work, was the logical candidate of the progressive element for the Republican nomination for presi- dent in 1912, 'When the fight against the old gang in the party seemed useless and hopeless, he of the Big Stick and the military handle to his name was not a candidate for the nomination. He said he wouldn’t accept a third term, and La Follette’s friends say Teddy assured them he would not seek the nomination. But WHEN IT BEGAN TO LOOK GOOD FOR A PROGRES- SIVE CANDIDATE to get the nomination, due to La Follette’s fight, Teddy’s ambition brought him out for the honor—a betrayal of La Follette that will never be forgotten, equaled only by Roosevelt’s be- trayal of the Progressives in 1916. T. R. wanted that third term in 1912 when he saw a chance of getting it. He feared and hated La Follette then; and he does yet. Unless the gentleman from Wisconsin can be thoroughly discredited on.account of his war -attitude he may again prove a formidable rival of Roosevelt. And so, with his third-term bug still humming, while La Follette is without a defender in the whole country, the colonel can not resist beating the senator over the head. How splendid! How fearless! La Follette must never again come between Theodore Roosevelt and the ambition of Theodore Roosevelt. It reminds us of the story PAGE SIX in helping the government of the United States rea of the brave soldier, particularly applicable to the colonel, for | likes to pose as a soldier. The soldier was bragging about how he han cut off THE FEET of one of the enemy, and was explaining what a brave and fearless act it was. ‘‘But why didn’t you cut off HIS HEAD ?’’ someone asked. ““That was already cut off,”’ replied the brave soldier. A NEW ENEMY partisan league of Minnesota are things of the past',f"as far as THE ‘Goo-Goo’’ league, the anti-farmer union and the fake Non‘; effective opposition to the farmers’ movement goes. These, at | their worst, only threatened the League in one state at a time. The pitiless white light of publicity, turned on them by the Nonpartisan Leader and other friends of the farmer, effectually broke up their game, But a new organization has been formed in an effort to break up the farmers’ movement. This will operate, not in one state, but nation- wide. It will be well supplied with funds. It has a plan of campaign that takes into consideration the faults that made failures of the *‘Goo- Goo league’’, the anti-farmer union and the fake Nonpartisan league, The National Citizens Union is the name of the new organization, It is a sort of a national ‘‘Goo-Goo’’ league, with a lodge annex. The mummery of the lodge room is especially designed, its literature states, to catch the unwary citizen who never would be attracted by the prin. ciples which the new organization professes. The new organization threatens the farmers’ movement. It aims to break it up altogether. But its efforts can be made to fail by the same means that brought disaster to the ‘‘Goo-Goo’’ league of North Dakota and other anti-farmer organizations. Pitiless publicity will break up this movement. This publicity the Leader plans to give as it gave the other anti-farmer crowds. The first article dealing with the N. C. U. appears in this week’s issue. Others will follow. Enemies of the farmers shun publicity. They are afraid of it ““Carry the truth to the people” will continue to be the farmers’ motto, THE LEADER’S POLICY HE Nonpartisan Leader hereby adopts as its war policy the resolutions, in their entirety, adopted unanimously by the 5000 delegates who attended the Producers’ and Consumers’ confer- ence at St. Paul, September 18,19 and 20, 1917. These resolutions were published in full in the issue of the Leader b mary of them follows: .Indorsenilent of the war aims of the United St;tes as expressed in President Wilson’s recent pronouncement, and whole-hearted support lize those aims, re the overthrow or September 27. A sum- which the president has said and which we believe a of autoeracy and the establishment of democracy. Support for all efforts throughout the world in behalf of democ- racy, political and industrial. : Support for the United States prices for the necessities of life, sell, but on what he and all classe Support for the patriotic and gressmen and senators and many viduals to conseript wealth throug thus taking the profit out of WL, Pay of $50 per month for United life insurance for them and their while at the front. Eternal opposition to autocracy, government in establishing fair not only on what the farmer has to s of people have to buy. ' democratic effort on the part of con- organizations, newspapers and indi- h the heavy taxation of war profits, States soldiers, cheap government protection from foreclosure of debts whether political, as represented