The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, February 18, 1918, Page 13

- _'L‘; A EETING in precinct caucuses ( is no new experience for YR North Dakota farmers. Two ‘ i years ago on February 22, © i a’ashington's birthday anniversary, f the farmers of North Dakota held meet- gs which. have become famous througout the world. Thirty thousand rmers met at their voting places in ery precinct in the state, on the Same day and hour. Never before had many farmers met simultaneously Wwith one purpose in view. "Those famous meetings of two years g0, which laid the basis for the sweep- jhe League into a great national move- ent, were something new in Amer- an history, Here was the common people of a great state, assembled like e patriots of old to redeem their tate government from the hands of ‘the politicians and the interests which hosé politicians served. These farm- rs met as neighbors and as citizens ith a single purpose. ut of that purpose in North Dakota, hile tremendous headway has been jymade, has not been done fully. A start has been made in North Dakota, +as a result of the precinct primaries of two years ago, which astonished the people of the nation. And now the farmers are to meet again, in the same " kind of meetings, to finish the job! North Dakota will not be the only state to hold farmers’ precinct cau- cuses this year on Washington’s birth- day. The farmers of Minnesota, fired with the same firm resolve, confident because North Dakota has shown the way, are also holding their League caucuses throughout the state on Washington’s birthday. Other states where this great farmers’ movement is under way will hold their precinct eaucuses later. MUST MAKE BETTER SHOWING THIS YEAR But while these meetings will be nothing new for North Dakota farm- ers, North Dakota is on its mettle. There is a record to break! Astonish- ing as was the turn-out in North Dako- ta at the precinct meetings two years NEW . interpretation of the Golden Rule is being given ‘to the people of North Dakota by Walter Thomas Mills, mics, who is delivering a series of ad- dresses'in the state under the auspices of the National Nonpartisan league. Mr. Mills says that the Golden Rule works both ways, or should work both ways. wrong to take more than belongs to ~moral law to take less than is coming ~ to you. : N “If a. man takes more than is prop- erly- his due,” says this speaker, “he robs the families of others. If he con- sents to take less than is properly his due, he betrays his own family.” Heére is.Walter Thomas Mills’ sum- ming-up of the Golden Rule as ap- g plied to the present altuatlon in North i . . Dakota:> The ‘carrying - noted speaker and .writer on econo- ° That is, according to Mills, if it is you, it is equally a violation of the’ —Will Have Big Attendance ago, that record can and will be broken on this Washington’s birthday. The League.is almost twice as strong in North Dakota today as it was when the famous meetings of 1916 were held. —Drawn expressly for the Leader by W. C. Morris. A MODERN OLIVER TWIST Two years ago, in hundreds of voting precincts, every voter was a member of the League and attended the pre- cinet meeting. In scores of precincts in many counties, more voters turned Have you ever read Charles Dickens’ story of Oliver Twist, the little English orphan who was always kept half starved and had to come back after every meal to beg a second helping, because he was given only about a quarter ration? Morris thinks the American farmer is in about the same position. - Congress has given him some relief in the farm loan bank system, but it is not nearly enough to meet the condition caused by crop losses in many states during the 1917 season. What congress should do is to pass Congressman Baer's bill pro- viding $50,000,000 for farmers to buy seed and feed, so that they can put in a record breaklng crop this year to help Uncle Sam. Pohceman S Club for Illustration “The man who insists on having more than he earns or produces-is a thief; the man who is willing to take " less than he earns or produces is a- fool; and the man who insists on giv- ing as much as he gets, and getting as much as he gives, is qualified for membership - in the - Nonpartisan league.” “What do you farmers need to get economic justice for yourselves and others?”’ Mr. Mills asks, and answers: “First, you need more money than those who are opposing you. ‘“‘Second, you need greater indus- trial power than those who are oppos- ing you. “Third, you need greater political power than those who are opposing you. “You are able to have all three by your Nonpartisan league organization. “Why is Townley mgst hated? ‘“Because he has created a tnrmera moyement that can pay its own way.” Regarding the League’s participa- tion in politics, Mr. Mills says: ‘“Some object to the political fea- ture of your organization, saying, ‘Yes, it’s all right if you’d only stay out of politics.’ e ‘“Why, bless their souls, we stayed out of politics until we learned that what was the matter with us was that we did stay out of polities MAKES HIS POINTS WITH A POLICEMAN’S CLUB “And the League has got the po- litical power as far as it has gone.” Mr. Mills is making the prediction that the Nonpartisan league will carry many of the western states at the next election, state officers, congressmen and all, and with 50 members in con- gress, will name the next presldent of the United States. © Mr. Mills is ‘using ‘a’ poltcemnn' club, borrowed from- the- chief of po- L] " PAGE THIRTEEN |North Dakota Must Beat Its Old Record Minnesota Holdmg Precinct Caucuses February 22, Also ' out to the Nonpartisan league caucuses than had ever been to the polls even at an election in those precincts be- fore. The meetings two years ago set a record. But that record can be broken. This year’s North Dakota precinct caucuses will probably gather together twice as many farmers as they did two years ago. Two years ago several counties had not been organized when these meetings were called. Today, every county in the state is organized, and practically every farmer in the . state is a member of the League. MINNESOTA FARMERS IN FIGHT THIS YEAR The precinct caucuses are a new thing to Minnesota farmers, who are meeting on the same day this year as North Dakota farmers. But the League is stronger today in Minnesota than it was two years ago. in North Dakota, and Minnesota . farmers have before them the example of North Dakota farmers,- which has inspired them and made them confident of victory. While the farmers in Minnesota and other states have no past records of their own to break at League precinct meet- ings;- they have the record: of North Dakota of two years ago before them, and reports’ from these-states are that the farmers are going to_try to outdo North Dakota. They are going to try ' . to outdo North Dakota’s record of two * years ago. North -Dakota farmers will be glad if their brothers in other states can do that! But they "are going to “put one - over” on-their-fellow farmers of other states by set&mg a new record for League caucuses’ in’ 1918: So, if. farmers in the other states beat the record of two years ago, they will still have another record to beat—the rec- ord of North Dakota farmers on Febru- ary 22, 1918. " Be at your voting place and meet as you did two years ago. Follow the di- rections that League headquarters have given out and which are publish- ed in this issue of the Nonpartisan Leader on another page, and which will be published in the first issue of the North Dakota Leader. This will be in your hands at about the time this issue of the Nonpartisan Leader reaches you. The Golden Rule Means Strict Justice To All Walter Thomas Mills Ex unds Economic Questions Wlth lice of his home town, Berkeley, Cal., to illustrate his taiks. “In the hands of a king,” he says, “this club would be a scepter; in the hands of an Irishman it would be a shillalah; in the hands of a burglar it would be a bludgeon; in the hands of a policeman it is a club, but'in. my hands it is an educational chart.’”’- Four factors, Mr. Mills says; enter into the production of wealth—Iand, capital, management and labor—and the landlord takes rent for the use of the land, the capital takes interest for the use of money, and the manager takes -profit for conducting whatever enterprise it is. Mr. Mills uses his policeman’s stick to show the respective shares of the four factors of production. : “The way things are now,” he says, “Is that the people who 'create the world’s wealth, taking it from the soil, hewing it from the forest, lifting jt from the mlne, are produclng profits