The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, April 15, 1918, Page 10

. s PR R et (s et o 0 R g 3 1] i gruntled partisan poli- tician, and later in the convention Bryan by his “Cross of Gold” speech swept the delegates off their feet and became’ the champion of Demo- crats-and Populists also. But, getting back to Omaha, and the farmers’ first big convention in 1892—Bryan was watch- ing things. And it is this keen-eyed watching that lies at the bottom of the statement of so many Nebraskans that “Bryan killed the People’s par- ty.” He saw that a di- vided Democracy—divid- ed on the money ques- tion—could not win. Moreover the farmers had become convinced that the money question was their biggest single problem, and the mutter- ings against Wall street and “gold bug” domina- tion that had been heard for many years in alli- ances ended in Bryan be- ' coming the champion of their united forces. To unite those forces Bryan at the next election in 1894 forced the Democratic party in Nebraska to nominate Silas A. Holcombe for governor. Hol- combe had already been nominated by the Populist The value of Nebraska’s livestock, of which cattle are the principal feature, came to $322,000,000 in 1917. It was the inability of farmers to reap a just return for their livestock and other products, while the railroads got heavy returns in freight, that sped the People’s party on its way towards reform during the nineties. ¢ party, which was going ahead with its own plans to clean up Nebraska and the nation. His being forced upon the Democrats also brought about the first “fusion” which finally swallowed up the Peo- ple’s ‘party. Holcombe was elected of course. - He was also re-elected, but there are Populists in Nebraska still who bitterly declare that Hol- combeé did not live up to” their expectations, that he was more a Democrat than a Populist, and that it was this first yielding to the plea_for an imme- diate Populist victory by uniting with their ene- mies, the Democrats, that destroyed the farm- ers’ party. For several elections after that the Populist party maintained a sep- arate organization and existence, for there was a “middle of the road” group who foresaw the farmers’ movement ~would be engulfed if " it didn’t keep itself separate and concen- - trate on its farm- ers’ program, but in the end the party had lost so many supporters through Mr. Bryan’s eloquence and through -his espousal of their original platform, that they became Dem- ocrats, and the old Populist party is dead. In Ne- braska it gave its last separate vote in’ 1904 for (Continued on page 23) & | North Dakota Farmers Proud of Work Adopt Platform for Present Campaign Which Reviews Accomplishments of Two Years of Farmer HE complete platform of the Nonpartisan league in Minne- sota, adopted at the recent convention at St. Paul, was published in the Nonpartisan Leader. Herewith is the com- plete platform for the cam- paign this year of the Nonpar- n tisan league in North Dakota, d which has just been adopted by the regular dele- 4 gate convention of the North Dakota farmers at Fargo: E We, the delegates to the North Dakota state W convention of the National Nonpartisan league, representing the political aims of more than 50,000 farmers in this state, assembled in convention in | the city of Fargo, this 26th day of March, 1918, P hereby adopt and proclaim the following as our I platform and principles: ! We renew our pledges of continued loyalty and ® devotion to our nation and reassert our purpose to defend its and their best interests from all assaults, Ypoth from without and from within. ? We recognize the war in which our nation is ‘enzaged as a just and righteous war and we pledgé ¢ our continued and increasing support to the ‘war tgmeasures adopted by our government and those to be adopted in order that victory for the cause of | Bthe right may be made certain. : ! . "D We commend and hongr the president of -the | -United States for his true statement of the aims !in the war of the American people and we pledge - tEhim our aid in keeping those aims constantly in view so as to strengthen our cause and weaken our enemies and so that this nation may not be thied astray into the paths of injustice and aggres- - Stsion that have been the cause of wars. 0. ‘'We take pride in the service the state of North PtDakota has been enabled to render the nation in IMthis war, in sending so many of her sons to risk: 16their lives upon the battlefield, in contributing to ‘the funds which are needed for war uses, and in thgupplying an important portion of the food which 2fjs as necessary to our armies as the tools of war. o 2 .ocPRODUCERS TO SPARE NO gd®EFFORT IN PRODUCTION b{: ‘We ‘accept on behalf of the farmers of the state haof' North Dakota responsibility for the greatest w roduction of food grains possible and we assure pedur fellow countrymen that no effort will be spared by the producers of this state to. make their service ‘to the nation as valuable as it can be made. o% We commend "the national . administration, the Food administrator and the federal trade commis- their organi sion for the steps they have taken to limit prices of a few commodities and to stop extortion which saps the nation’s war strength. ‘We accept unhesitatingly and without complaint all measures of restriction and limitation on the price of our products decided upon by the gov- ernment. : We demand of the congress of the United States that it accede to the request of the president and grant further authority to the proper agencies of . the administration for regulating the prices of other products in which excessive profit-taking is now interfering with the efficiency of the nation in the war and proving an excessive burden to the workers. 2 We regard with satisfaction and gratitude the savings of many millions of dollars to the people of the nation by the action of the food administra- tion in regulating the grain and food markets and- - especially in stopping the iniquitous gambling in grains. : We point to this record as complete proof of the justice of the complaint made for many years by the farmers of North Dakota, a complaint which has met only derision from the politicians and sub- sidized press who were subservient to the grain monopoly, that the farmers of North Dakota were annually being robbed of many millions by the nefarious operation of the grain combine. ASK GRAIN CONTROL AFTER WAR’S CLOSE ‘We respectfully petition the federal éévemment so to shape its plans that it will not relinquish control of the grain markets after the war, but will ‘use the knowledge gained through the food ad- ministration ‘to aid in keeping the grain markets open and free from the oppressive practices of monopoly. We indorse the taking over by the federal gov- ernment of the railroads. “As further steps to promote . industrial justice: and the efficiency of the government in war we - suggest: % Government seizure and operation of all war supplies factories where excessive = profit-taking takes place. j : * Government seizure and. operation of all facto- ries in which industrial disputes do not yield to- mediation. B ; . The -government operation of all mines and all shipyards on government work. 3 : Direct contracts between the goverfiment and all- workers on government supplies and work, through i /PAGE TEN & - Rule in State—Loyalty to Government Is Pledged The production of food supplies is not yet ade- quate to the needs of this nation and its allies. As a more rational program to promote production we suggest: Short-time loans to the farmers by the govern- ment on crop security, whether on owned or rented land. Government control of the prices of commodi- ties necessary for the farmers’ use. Imposition of penalties in the shape of idle acres: taxes for the holding of land out of use. Distribution by the government, acting as buyer’ and seller, through the parcels post of important essentials of life. A system of sales and rental of agricultural _implements by the government, in order that.the widest possible use may be made of power appli- ances to increase production. TAKE PRIDE IN RECORD OF STATE ADMINISTRATION ‘We view with pride and with gratitude the record of the farmers’ administration of the state of North Dakota, which has given us clean and honest gov- - ernment in the interests of all the people of the state. Especially do we praise and congratulate Governor Lynn J. Frazier, the farmers’ governor and the best governor the state of North Dakota - ever has had, for his manly independence and his ° / fairness to all in a time when it has been peculiarly difficult to_be fair and just. - 3 3 5 We indorse the acts of the farmer members of the legislature in the regular and special sessions and praise them for having stood for the interests-: of the people of the state, though opposed by an: obstructionary clique of politicians holding the majority in the state senate, who made it impos- sible to enact the most important measures in program of progressive legislation. - Seid We commend especially the laws reducing valu- ation for tax purposes on farm improvements and personal property, the law making -available. in- creased taxes by reducing assessment on moneys and credits, the law creating a state department ‘of grain grading and warehouse supervision which, through the able services of the chief inspector - and his assistants has prevented the farmers from ‘being cheated out of thousands of dollars by mis- grading of wheat; the law for the guarantee of bank- deposits, the increased appropriations for ~rural schools and for good roads in the state, and the seed and feed bonding- act, enabling farmers of the state to increase their production: to meet =~ - « the nation’s need.. - = - : e . We especially commend all officers of the:"sta,té_:: A