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

i t .'...l'..-..‘-.-...'...'l."I-'l'IIIII.IIIIIII.II....IIl;l.lllllill"llll‘. fl' : ITHE. MINNESOTA ISSUE . n x le ] i : e ¥ by CHARLES A.LINDBERGH 2 | - . [] q ; [ : o [} | ] e \ ' . 1 LJ g > a e » Nonpartisan League Candidate for Governor o : : o = a : ' Being the main portion of his address to the L e 7 REALIZE . Nonpartisan League convention ac- ; W the country to u 4 : as everybody cepting the nomination. create prejudice . % - must that and riots. ) . r LN these are perilous Even in the isolat- s i n. times, and that the ed exceptions, it is ] 8 = main problem " is to not the Nonpartisans ] £ . manage a war so as to who are disloyal. Itis ®m & ' lose the least number of the profiteers who sub- . : s lives, and save the people vert their loyalty to self- WR ~ 2 from as much burden as ish action, and since the 8. ; 5 possible,- and at the same Nonpartisans advocate an A 14 p time to win for our cause. economy that would destroy . 19 i To do 80 is no less an economic monopoly, the subterfuge of the . i BL- ~ problem than a military one. In profiteers is an attempt to deceive ’ H, % fact, success depends mostly upon the people as to what your League s e our economic- management, for the stands for. In their campaign against 0 K ‘military is a science upon which those the League, the principles of patriotism o - ‘= trained in the service are to be relied upon, have been prostituted to serve the profiteers 'Y . and we of the plain civil occupations can not and many politicians have followed in their R = aid them except by reinforcing them in all that path. » ir " is needed for the prosecution of the war, as These profiteers and politicians, as pretended ®R ' r . long as it lasts. ; . guardians of loyalty, seek to perpetuate them- = SNt . I have for months wished some one to become' selves in special privilege and in office; they en- 1 ‘e " a candidate for governor who would, if elected, deavor to change election rules, fearing the will of Iy < > ) not only be loyal, but be practical in making the loy- the majority citizens of our country; they assume I 1 KW alty of the people an instrument for the most ef- that they are called upon to pass upon the acts and 2 4 a fective economic administration. I would have filed motives of those citizens who are only endeavoring L . long ago with that as my avowed purpose, except to follow out their constitutional rights of political 3 o for the fact that I felt that some one else might file and economic organization and expression in a legal, - h with the same purpose and thus divide the forces loyal and orderly way, guaranteed to them by the . d o of the plain people. I would have supported who- laws of the state and the nation, but which state L) - d 2 ever might battle for practical economic action. Ofli}(:l?(lls hz:ive —fa%lleg éc}(: upholfl. : B%’hthelr'filgur‘fh to : 8 a . . : uphold and protect the people in these rights they ‘ A mxétggugofiafifiififiki‘% fi‘}ff{ygfigfltg‘ai"fgfiéfifij have themselves created a most important issue in » RO ; : you, I am told, unanimously indorsed me as suitable our state. = L to become a candidate. - That is a high honor paid That issue is real democracy. 4 n ¢ 2 me, but I know it is not personal; it is because you We must put into practice at home those prin- ' i1 * know the principles I have been fighting for in sev- ciples for which we have sent our boys to fight " ot i o ® eral sessions of congress; they are embodied .in your abroad. | : : § f @ platform, and of course suit me. It will avail little to win a war for democracy abroad g% ' i It is not platform alone, however, that we must fight if in the prosecution of that war all the traditional gfg - |y 2 on, for we have been deceived over and over again by ‘rights and privileges of the people of this nation have oy 1l 5 sugar-coated platforms without subsequent satisfac- been surrendered and abrogated. » iy 1 tory action upon them. There is before us the great- This is the time to test our sincerity. We must o | bW . ost task that.has ever confronted the voters of our guard against any. acts in state or national life which " o S 2 state. What-is the issue? ; would in any way place doubt upon our honesty or " " The governor of the great state of Migngsota has cast reflection -upon our motives. : 5 " said that there is but one issue—"“loyalty”—and pro- The battles of industrial democracy are still to be » i o ceeded to divide the people into two classes. It is ob- fought at home; they are going on continually, and . te . servable that a few persons do that. What is the we can not ignore them if we are to garner our full e 0 d = difference between the two? ' : ) strength as a nation. Your Nonpartisan league comes " S e The difference is that a few would destroy democ- - forward offering a program of industrial democracy. e g racy to win the war, and the rest of us would win the - Your great battles are just beginning. The people, o g f . war to establish democracy. irrespective of occupation or party, are now ready to : o . ‘What did we go to war for?: The president has said act in concert with you. : : e L) that we are in the war to win world democracy. The . America is a land of vast resources, natural, indus- G P g governor of Minnesota has failed to grasp that point. : trial and commercial. But these resources have fallen gl | & ® For many months democracy has not existed in our state. " into the hands of monopolists which we are forced to pat- gi i y L] Those who have thought most seriously upon the con- ronize. This has given the profiteers the privilege of levy- ofn E : S f=" ditions know that there is no issue on loyalty. The most ing a tribute on the workers. Speculators have stationed = [ 3 g harmful act to. create distrust and class prejudice in these = themselves between the workers and consumers, separating = £ # 4 W= -times is that adopted by those profiteers and politicians = them in order to exploit both. These speculators dominate i 4 '§. ¢ A who try to emphasize their own loyalty by accusing of dis- our entire social system. o i WL g loyalty those who do not “flock” with them, and in that The “wise statesmen” of both political parties have failed S e way try to make loyalty an issue when as a matter of fact = to protect the people. Consequently, today those who have = : : B 3 it is not an issue. EES s ) been favored by unfair laws, less than 2 per cent of our popu- = Ry . Al the people are loyal. The few exceptions are only lation, own 65 per cent of the wealth, and 65 per cent of the = i 4 : isolated individuals, comparatively so few that it creates people, the working classes, only own 5 per cent of the * it ) 9 no issue, for our people are American, whether born in' wealth. Most of the workers only get a bare subsistence. . ; : " America or naturalized Americans.. Wherever a disloyalist This condition is wrong and injurious to the best interests : ’ i _ exists he is‘an exception and should be arrested and dealt of our country. Indeed, our country can not survive unless . i with by law, and no false issue of loyalty should stalk over ' this situation is corrected. : S o