The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, February 25, 1918, Page 10

Nonpartisan Teader Official Magazine of the National Nonpartisan League—Every Week Sl h S ST NS P S W P e Wil D e S AL S T e S A L e e ik SRR g ) , Entered as second-class matter September 3, 1915, at the postoffice at St. Paul, Minnesota, under the Act of March 3, 1879. OLIVER S. MORRIS, EDITOR Advertising rates on application. Subscription, one year, in advance, $2.50; six months, $1.60. Communications should be addressed to the Nonpartisan Leader, Box 575, St. Paul, Minn. MEMBER OF AUDIT BUREAU Or CIRCULATIONS " THE S. C. BECKWITH SPECIAL AGENCY, Advertising Representatives, New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Kansas City. Quack, fraudulent 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. @ 14 THIS IS AMERICA’S WAR YEAR ago, before congress declared that a state of war existed Awith Germany, it was a proper matter for debate whether our entry into the struggle might not merely be pulling nuts out of the fire for British imperialists. Even after our entry into the war, but before President Wilson definitely defined our war aims in response to the universal demand of liberals and progressives, there might have been some excuse for those who still professd -to believe that this was ‘‘not America’s war.”” But now this question is settled. There can be no further doubt about it. This is America’s war. American soldiers are at grips with the Kaiser’s hosts in France. American lives are being given. American dollars, the -savings of the common people, are being of- fered without stint. The people are ready for further sacrifices. The one aim now is to win the war, and to win it as soon as pos- sible. It is not now in order to argue whether we acted wisely or not in casting our lot with the enemies of, Germany. We must bend every effort, strain every nerve and resource, give every man and offer every dollar, for victory. Defeat, or a peace by arrangement which will leave imperialists or militarists in power any- where in the world, must not be thought of for an instant. ‘We did not enter this war in haste or in passion. It was a calm, deliberate act. For nearly two years we suffered the: insults and machinations of the Imperial German Government. And when Presi- dent Wilson found that an appeal to reason, to humanitarian prineiples and to international law made no impression whatever on the insolent autocracy of Germany, he asked of congress, and obtained by an over- whelming majority, a declaration of war. We did not enter the war to further British imperialistic aggrandizement. We entered it in self-defense, to protect AMERICAN RIGHTS and to free the world from autocrats and militarists, and to make it safe for democracy. There is no question about the fact that Great Britain and some of her allies had aims in view, when the war first started, that do not look well in the light ¢f day. The treaties and correspondence be-’ tween the European enemies of Germany, made public by the Russian revolutionists, can not be defended. In honesty, let us not try to de-- fend it. The proposals for the partition of Turkey, for the dismember- ment.of Austria-Hungary and for the remaking of the map of Europe, Asia and Africa WITHOUT CONSIDERATION FOR OR THE CON- SENT OF THE PEOPLE’S AFFECTED, America has not approved, and will not approve. These things are sins of secret diplomacy and, having been dragged into the light of day, have been repudiated by the peoples of our war associates in Europe. We did not enter the war to forward these imperialistic ambitions. We entered the war to defend American rights and to end all wars by dethroning imperial- ists and militarists. ' - President Wilson has defined clearly America’s war aims. statements have not only reassured the people of America, but they have been the inspiration of the war-worn people of Europe, including the people of Germany. America’s righteous-stand for a just war and a just peace has brought the allied countries around. The war aims of Great Britain are not now what they were. They are now in accord with ours. America’s entry into the war has saved the world for democracy.- It means the ultimate defeat of autocracy and militar- ism in Germany, making them powerless to menace the world’s peace A BT, e R o o A R S Bt B O TR NP BT AT SORTE e "EDITORIAL SECTION His - to him. He was one of the most. active AR e A A TS T again. But also—and just as important—our entry into the war has purified the war aims of Great Britain and has prevented a possible peace which, whichever side might have been victorious, .would only have been temporary, because it would have been based either on the fulfillment of the imperialistic demands of Germany or of Great Britain. THE FARMERS REPORT ERHAPS you were one of the readers of the Leader who sent P in a report of your financial condition, to help in influencing congress to pass the Baer bill for relief to drouth-stricken farm- ers. Perhaps you only saw the blank in the Leader, and not needing any financial aid yourself and not knowing any neighbor who did so, you paid no further attention to it. Well, those financial reports from farmers have been swamp- ing Nonpartisan league headquart- ers at St. Paul for over three weeks, and there does not seem to be any end in sight. At the time this was written the League had over 3000 reports of farmers, and each mail was bringing in addi- tional reports. Every one of the farmers reporting needed a loan and needed it badly, in order to SOW even an average acreage, let alone the increased acreage want- ed to win the war and make the world safe for democracy. A few stated they could get the loan they wanted from private money lenders—could get it by paying 8 and 10 per cent and in some cases additional commissions to brokers, making .the total rate as high as 12 per cent. But most of the thousands of farmers who reported could not get money for seed and feed—mnot even by paying the money sharks a handsome commission. If any further proof were needed to show that the Baer bill is an absolute necessity as a war measure, it is in these reports, which are being compiled and sent on to congress as rapidly as they come in. Most of the reports of course come from the drouth-stricken regions -of the various states, but it is surprising the number that come from districts where crops were considered good or average last year. These reports are the voice of the farmers of America — the Leader and League headquarters merely assisted in making the voice of the farmers audible. Will congress listen to this ery coming from thousands of farmers of the United States? d THE ‘‘CORRUPT PRACTICES’’ ACT INNESOTA politicians evidently lack originality. They have just sprung an ‘‘old one,”’ apparently laboring under the delusion that they have something new on the Nonpartisan league farmers. Because this same thing is likely to be used 1‘)131'1 politicians in some other states, the Leader proposes to show how silly it is. Just about the time the campaign got well under way in North Dakota two. years ago, the farmers having indorsed their candidates and the old gang having put its ticket in the field, the newspapers - suddenly came out in sereaming headlines stating that the farmers were violating the corrupt prac- tices act of the state. The corrupt " practices act, which is on the statute books of many states, re- quires filing of .financial state- ments by candidates running for office and has provisions to pre- vent corruption at elections. The papers said the farmers were go- ing to spend ‘‘a barrel of money’’ to elect their men and were not “going to file any financial state- ments and that otherwise the farmers were violating the law. . It was said that ‘‘the matter had been called to the attention of the attorney general.”’ Now the attorney general of North Dakota at that time belonged to the old regime, and the farmers had put up a candidate in opposition gangsters fighting the Non- partisan league. IF HE COULD HAVE FOU%\ID A SigElRElg) 01?‘ 'EV?- DENCE THAT THE FARMERS WERE VIOLATING THE CORRUPT PRACTICES ACT HE WOULD HAVE HAD THE LEAGUE’S OF- FICERS AND CANDIDATES IN COURT IN A MINUTE. But of course the farmers were not violating the corrupt practices act. - They 'PAGETEN : J