The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, February 11, 1918, Page 8

P e T s T A S 2 ‘I masking Germany’s imperialistic Nonpartigén Teader Official Magazine of the National Nonpartisan League—Every Weck Entered as second-class matter September 3, 1915, at the postoffice at St. Paul, Minnesote, under the Act of March 3, 18%9. OLIVER 8. MORRIS, EDITOR Advertising rates on application. Subscription, one year, in-advance, $2.50; six months, $1.50. Communications should be addressed to the Nonpartisan Leader, Box 575, St. Paul, Minn. : ' MEMBER OF AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS THE S. C. BECKWITH SPECI AGENCY, Advertising Representatives, New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Kansas City. s Quack, fraudulent and irresponsible firms are not knowingly advertised, and we will take it as a favor if any readers will advise us promptl{ should they have occasion to doubt or question the reliability of any firm which patronizes our advertising columns. HEEES T. ROCSEVELT, SELF-SEEKER Secretary of War Baker. We do. however, propose to dis- cuss some of the motives of those who are attacking Mr. Baker and, through him, the president. Mr. Baker’s chief assailant is one Theodore Roosevelt. We have Mr. Roosevelt’s word for it that his motives are highly patriotic. Other proof as to his good faith is lacking, but there is ample ' proof that the motive back of his attack on Baker is politiecs—pub- licity and prestige for one T. Roose- velt, whose ambition for a third term is not yet satisfied. The colonel is a Republican; Mr. Baker is a Democrat. The colonel is a militarist; Mr. Baker is a peace lover. The colonel masks ~a friendship for big business and special privilege be- hind a flow of empty phrases; Mr. Baker belongs to a group of sincere and intelligent radieals who are leading the good fight for neces- sary and fundamental social and economic reforms in America. - The colonel is a lime-light seeker; Mr. Baker is modest. The colonel wants to succeed Mr. Wilson as president; Mr. Baker does not. : The mistakes of the secretary of war should be exposed. The country should indulge in wholesome and frank eriticism and discus- sion of Mr. Baker’s acts and policies. But when a self-seeker of the stripe of the colonel uses the right of eriticism and discussion for polit- WE DO not propose to discuss here the merits of the fight omn “ical ends, in the name of patriotism, it turn one’s stomach. Mr. Roose- velt and his apologists who have been quick to question the patriotism of others, are now on the defensive—they are defending their own pa- triotism. This is a wholesome position for them to be in—wholesome for them and for.the country. THE BOLSHEVIKI > BETTER understanding of the Russian Bolsheviki is being A brought about in America. When they overthrew Kerensky, we were told that they were a bunch of I. W,*W.’s—a group of anarchists or something of that kind—financed by Germany. But now we find a conservative Chicago daily paper publishing a car- toon lauding the Bolsheviki for stirring up a revolt of the people in Germany, for forcing Lloyd-George to make a more specific statement of Great Britain’s war aims and even for causing President Wilson to make a new war-aim statement, more specific than his former pro- nouncements. Other papers freely give the Bolsheviki credit for un- BuzZz — LEAGUE CHNATTER, SECRET - 6uLzZ - PLOoT- N L€ - — ¢ war aims. : The Bolsheviki are social revo- lutionists of the most radical stamp. They are idealists. To them. Ger- man autocracy and militarism, or any other kind of autoeracy and - militarism, are just as repulsive as they are to us. So far they have failed to suecumb to the blandish- ments of the military party in Ger- : many, and President Wilson has done splendid work in encouraging the BIRDS OF A FEATHER. N -The stores are new enterprises. _ PAGE RIGHT right spirit in Russia and ‘in dispelling some of the erroneous ideas about the Bolsheviki., We need them for allies against Germany, and for world democracy. > ; Those who understand the Bolsheviki and the revolution in Russia say that the Bolsheviki and the people of Russia will fight, and fight to the bitter end, with every man and every dollar, if Germany refuses to abandon its imperialistic' purpose, as unmasked by the Bolsheviki peace negotiations. They point out that the Revolutionists in France rose up as one man to drive out the-armies of the European allies who sought to invade France and to suppress the French revolution, over 100 years ago. dJust let the Bolsheviki get the idea that Germany is against their revolution (as she is, of course), then wateh out, Mr. Kaiser! In the meantime the Bolsheviki movement is encouraging revolt against autocracy in Germany and Austria-Hungary. THE CONSUMERS’ UNITED STORES NOTHER farmers’ co-operative organization has drawn the fire of the newspapers whose policy it is to fight farmers’ business (. or political organizations whenever one shows its head. This time it is the Consumers’ United Stores company of North Da- ‘kota against which the wrath of the anti-farmer press is directed. This attack has been especially vicious, and especially sensational. The Consumers United Stores company is a farmers’ co-operative company now operating five farmers’ stores in North Dakota. It ex- pects to start a few .other stores soon. Several hundred farmers be- long to each store and they have agreed among themselves, and with their company, that these stores shall sell farmers who are members supplies at cost plus freight and a margin not to ekceed 10 per cent for expenses. This contract is be- ing carried out to the letter and the stores so far established are in a flourishing condition. They are saving their farmer members sub- stantial sums of money every day. Their savings to members will be much greater as they become more firmly established and ‘more farm- ers pool their buying power in the organization. The newspapers in North Dakota which have been serving the politicians, the war profiteers and the other interests that the organ- ized farmers are fighting, indulged in a most remarkable attack on this co-operative store company. This attack was freely copied by papers in other states. The Consumers’ United Stores company was pictured as some kind of a huge, all powerful graft or swindle—just what kind was not made clear. It was said to have collected ‘‘millions of dollars’’—or was it ‘‘billions’’?%—from farmers and it was intimated that this money was going into the pockets of individuals, although nobody has been put in jail yet. It was said that the stores company ‘‘sought to monopolize all the business of North Dakota and drive all the merchants out of the state.”” It was said that the stores company or those connected with it—the farmers, we suppose—expected to run all the livery stables, hotels, banks, restaurants, ete., ete. We suppose this remarkable company will also be running the peanut stands and shoe shining parlors. Maybe the reason the papers ‘‘hollered’’ was because they thought the farmers intended, through this company, to ‘‘drive all the newspaper men from the state and run the newspapers.”’ The reason for this hysteria on the part of the newspapers, which for three years have been fighting the Nonpartisan league and which only recently got through fighting the farmers’ Equity Co-operative exchange, is very plain. It is merely an attempt to stir up the small - merchants of the state against the farmers. There are not enough merchants in the towns of North Dakota fighting the farmers, these papers think. So, to line up more and keep those already lined up in line, the Grand Forks Herald and Fargo Forum spring the wild and impossible yarns they have about somebody going to ‘‘drive all the merchants out of the state,’’ simply because a few hundred farmers decided to go into business for themselves to sell themselves a few sup- plies at cost. g : The Leader ventures this guess: The time is past when the North Dakota anti-farmer press, by circulating wild stories and sensational misrepresentations, can make any progress against farmers’ institutions in North Dakota, be they political or economic organizations like the League and the American Society of Equity, or farmers’ business in- stitutions, like the Farmers’ union and Equity stores and the stores of the Consumers’ United Stores company. It is our guess that the Consumers’ United Stores company will be doing busines long after Norm Black of the Forum and Jerry Bacon of the Herald, following the precedent. set by Doe Guild, have pulled up stakes and left North Dakota to seek greener pastures, ; PP S > ;e