The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, April 1, 1918, Page 6

| £ 1 ’/gjfi g/ P ////% o " on Tlonnarti®sn Teader Official Magazine of. the National Nonpartisan League—Every Week Entered as second-class matter September 8, 1915, at the postoffice at St. Paul, Minnesota, under the Act of March 8, 1879. OLIVER S. MORRIS, EDITOR Advertising rates on application. months, $1.60. C St. Paul, Minn. MEMBER OF AUDIT BUREAU OF 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 i y readers will advise us promptly should they have occasion to doubt or question the reliability of any firm which patronizes our advertising columns. MR. FORD OF MONTANA a. TTORNEY General Ford of Montana deserves the thanks of Subscription, one year, in advance, $2.50; six ommunications should be addressed to the Nonpartisan Leader, Box 575, every decent citizen of Montana for his prompt and effective action following the stoppage of Nonpartisan league meet- ings and deportation of League speakers by mobs at Big Timber and Columbus in that state. The Nonpartisan league is just finishing a series of 1,200 meet-_ ings in Montana, which have been attended by 25,000 to 30,000 farmers. Practically every one . of these meetings has adopted strong resolutions pledging the support of farmers to the govern- ment in this war and heartily approving President Wilson’s statements of war aims. R. B. Martin League lecturer, has addressed probably 100 of these meetings, at none of which was anything said or done that could even be distorted into dis- loyalty by the League’s worst enemies. Nevertheless, the lies and misrepresentations of the press and the war profiteers and other sin- ister interests that are lined up against the farm- ers, together with the reports from Minnesota of the stopping of League meetings there and the arrest of President Townley and other League men, caused mobs to form at Big Timber and Columbus when Mr. Martin was expected at those places to make speeches. Misinformed business men, aided by business. men who knew the truth but purposely added fuel to the flame, egged on the rioters. They forced Mr. Martin on the train at both towns and drove him out of town. Attorney General Ford promptly interfered. He not only served notice on all peace officers of the state that meetings of the League were not to be stopped and its representatives mobbed, but - he - announced he would investigate and. bring prosecutions, if the evidence warranted, against persons at Columbus and Big Timber responsible for the lawlessness at those places. Mr. Ford has not taken any position favorable to the League. He has merely announced the en- forcement of the law. He says the League’s meet- ings can not lawfully be stopped. He adds, how- ever, and very properly, that League speakers will be held responsible for what they say and League or other speakers who violate the law against dis- - loyalty at public meetings will be prosecuted. As the League speakers say nothing disloyal, the lat- ter part of his statement does not apply to them. Mr. Ford may be opposed to the principles of the League for aught we know, but he certainly has courage and force enough to-enforce the laws and constitution of the state. For this the people of Montana can be thankful. ‘How different the Minnesota situation would be if Minnesota had some state officials with the courage of Mr. Ford of Montana! FOR LIBERTY AND DEMOCRACY - -a short time. Every citizen, especially the farmer, should g ~“'begin to make plans to take as many of the bonds as he can. President Wilson needs money to conduct the war; our gov- THE third Liberty loan campaign probably will be op'ehed in . ernment needs it—you a.nd I need it, for it is our war just as much L SECTI! 74 % ag it is President Wilson’s and the government’s. Do not let rumors or hope of an early peace prevent your subscription or cut down the amount. We musi show the enemy that we have no intention of slackening—that we will put every dollar and every man into the field for victory against autocracy and for democracy. : There is no better investment on earth than a Liberty bond. But that isn’t the reason you should buy them. You should buy them because you are an American citizen and believe in America and her free political institutions and will back her against her enemies and the enemies of humanity. You farmers responded nobly during the last Liberty loan campaign. In North Dakota, the home of the League, you oversubscribed 73 per cent. But even that has not prevented your enemies among the newspapers from questioning your loyalty. So come back at them again. Buy a bond! Get the money ready now! : COMMITTING POLITICAL SUICIDE HE opening statement of Governor Burnquist of Minnesota in his campaign for re-election, which was in the form of a letter denouncing the organized farmers of Minnesota as a “party of discontent” and “pro-Germans,” and referring to organized labor of the state as that “element which has violated the law and has been opposed to compliance with just orders of duly constituted authority,” was very unfortunate. The governor’s letter refused, with insulting language, a courteous invitation to speak to the organized farmers and union labor of Minnesota at the big joint gathering of these forces at St. Paul. ; We admit that the governor’s letter was a strong bid for anti-League support in his cam- paign. It may have been political wisdom on his part, since he had no hope of receiving the in- port. But we very much doubt the wisdom of his openly announcing he did not want the support of these two groups, and doing it in such strong language. In a political democracy like this, where every citizen has a vote and where the or- ganized workmen of country and city and their sympathizers constitute two-thirds of the people, the governor’s letter amounts to political suicide. Of course, no one is hurt but himself. discredit him, other than his own statement, it was furnished by the Nonpartisan league, which wrote him another very courteous letter in reply, out that, in the interests of harmony and mutual good feeling in Minnesota among all classes dur- ing the war, the governor ought to reconsider his refusal of the invitation to address the organized farmers and workmen. ' This polite reply of the League was the most stinging rebuke a blatant politician ever received. _- MAKING PROSECUTIONS A FARCE HE several prosecutions brought in Minne- . sota against persons connected with the Nonpartisan league, based on resolutions . and statements denouncing war profiteers, tend to weaken respect for the law against dis- }?yalty. When a large number of suits charging disloyalty” or ‘thindering enlistments” are brought on such flimsy grounds that they have to be dlsmlsged later or the persons accused have to be fre_ed, it can not help but weaken good-faith prosecutions against genuine disloyalists and se- oo e get the idea that the very necessary laws against sedition and'digloyalty can be usefiyto brin?fim- litical prosecutions.” But the public will believe just that, if petty county officials continue to ar- : fi::egersons ‘on disloyalty charges that won’t hold Nothing will weaken respect for law and order 80 much, or encourage disloyalty more, than to bring false charges against honest and patriotic a persons. The national government’s effective : : campaign against seditionists and will suffer if local town and county officials continue to trump up almost endless prosecutions that can end in no way except the hears of the failure of various prosecutions for “disloyalty” : by counties. and towns, the belief will spread thl:to{fiet{rialgl‘loiggxl}yt 'PAGE SIX . _ : v e e A st 5 s L S o L L et 2 L dorsement of union labor and the organized farm- - ers, to make a bid for anti-labor, anti-farmer sup- If the governor needed anything further to - renewing the invitation to speak and pointing ‘We must not cause public opinion to . disloyalists complete exoneration of the persons charged.” When the public