The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, April 15, 1918, Page 7

z FRAZIER FOR GOVERNOR in convention under the auspices of the Nonpartisan league, drafted a “political unknown” (so the politicians said)- to head their ticket as a candidate for governor. _They banked on a plain farmer, uneducated in politics, to lead the fight for the re- demption of the state—to give it its first “people’s rule.” Lynn J. Frazier entered that campaign, 17 wo years ago the farmers of North Dakota, when they met as the farmers’ candidate, under " circumstances much the same as have marked the entry of Charles A. Lindbergh into the Minnesota campaign this year as the farmers’ candidate. There was no war when Fra- zier ran for election two years ago« in North Dakota, but the fight on him and on the organ- ized farmers was of the same nature as that now on in ‘Min- nesota. True, the terms. “pro- German,” “disloyalist,” “trai- tor,” etc., were not in vogue. The spring styles in political epithets then were ‘“agitator,” “IL. W. W.,” “Socialist,” “de- ; structionist,” “atheist,” “suck- v er,” and a long line of others, largely supplanted now by the newer “war styles” above men- tioned. But Frazier won that election in North Dakota—the farm- ers won—just as they will>this year in Minnesota and a number of other- states. ; 4 A week or so ago, the North Dakota League, when it met in state convention at Fargo, reindorsed Frazier and practically all of the successful state ticket of two years ago. But oh! h ow dif- ferent it was. No “political unknown” this time to head the ticket! Instead, the most popular man ever in public office in North Dakota —and yet it was the same Lynn J. Frazier, farmer. The plain man of the people of two years ago had become one of the most préminent public figures in America, honored, respected, loved from one end of the state to the other. Governor Frazier will be re-elected in North Dakota practically without opposition. He will have opponents, probably, but it is doubtful if many of the voters will even remember their names from day to day between now and election. : ~ ANOTHER SLANDER PUT TO REST NORTH Dakota farmers are supporting and patronizing the N United States rural credit system to the fullest extent. In % “fact, the Nonpartisan league and its publications are frankly given credit by Federal Land bank officials for saving the day recent- ly for the land banks. The League threw all its influence last Jan- ' uary into the fight to secure the passage by congress of the badly . needed legislation to keep the government farm credit system in operation during the war. Lead- er readers will remember the part we took in that fight. - ‘Despite these facts, the anti- farmer press and anti-League politicians have spread a report over the country that the Non- - partisan league legislature in North Dakota purposely passed a law_that “drove the Federal Land bank out of the state and prevented ‘any future federal farm loans to North Dakota farmers.” This gross libel ac- tually gained credit in some quarters. The law that it was pretended accomplished this - was the “seed law,” passed to permit North Dakota counties 'to bond themselves to furnish irrbney\to needy farmers for the pur- chase of seed for a big war crop.. North Dakota counties have al- ready furnished farmers over $3,000,000 worth of seed under this law, adopted to encourage big crops. this year. : 5 The seed law provided that farmers who got seed under it should pledge their land for the loan, the loan being a: “first lien”’ on their land. The press seized onto-this and declared that if the seed loans were made ‘“first liens,” the government land bank couldn’t do business in the state, because its loans required a “first lien.” In " reality there was no conflict at all. Nearly every state has some - by the states or counties on farm land conflicte sort of public improvements or aid to farmers in the shape of “first liens” on farm.land. Drainage districts, for instance; or road as- sessments. No one ever has had the folly to argue that such liens Land bank liens. But they did so argue in the case of the North Dakota seed law, and they actually. scared some of the Federal Liand bank officials. * © & e ; ¢ * An opinion was _thaixjed ,ffom, the attorney general of North “.':'»Dakota',_ holding that the seed law in no way conflicted with or < \hgmpe;'ded»‘ the fefileral_vrural_* credit banks. Later an opinion was ~ obtain Uni _from the Unit ed States attorney general, much to the e 8l ever, the Federal Land banks safo side, however, the with the Federal ~ the greatest nation-on earth is pledg ' 41/ per cent interest, %.per cent more than the s"econ_d‘_vlogn.j “will require a sui'ety bond for such few farmers as avail themselves of BOTH the federal credit and state seed credit. This was all there . was to the scare stories. The Federal Land bank is doing business in North Dakota and will continue to. Only a few of its farmer customers are also cus- tomers of the state seed loan plan, so that few surety bonds will be needed. The government rural credit system is in no way ham- pered in North Dakota. And so another slander against the or- ganized farmers has been put to rest. BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE 'STOCK argument against the organized farmers is that, if they get in power politically, they will enact “fool laws” to hurt or hamper business or damage credit. This used to be the old Republican argument against the Democrats. Do you remember when big Republican factory owners, in the good old days, used to hang out a sign on the factory door the day before election? This sign read: “This factory closes if Bryan is elected president tomorrow.” If the Democrats got in, it would be “good night” for “prosperity” and “business.” Campaigns were actually won with these slogans. And so it is that both Re- publicans and Democrats are making the same arguments against the organized farmers. . They have had difficulty in making this “argument” ef- have been two sessions of a Nonpartisan league legislature in North Dakota, and no “fool laws” against business have , been passed. On the contrary, the laws -passed by the farmers’ legislature of North Dakota have stimulated business and industry in that state, as well as agriculture. Nevertheless a claim has been made in some quarters that the North Dakota farmers DID pass some legislation damaging to credit and business. Several newspapers carried interviews with prominent Minnesota bankers and money lenders, claiming that a law in North Dakota, passed by the farmers and taxing money and credit 3 mills on the dollar, “would drive money lenders and insur- ance company investments from the state.” Much ado was made over this 3-mill tax on money and credits by big business men of Minnesota, and the hostile papers cited the law as an example of “legislation destructive to business” which the country might ex- pect in all states where the League gets in power. This is very amusing. The fact is that the farmers’ legislature of North Dakota LOWERED THE TAX ON MONEY AND CREDIT. This class of property was formerly listed as PERSONAL.PROPER- TY and under the law was subject to the FULL TAX RATE of @ from 1 to 3 cents on the dollar. The farmers withdrew money and | credits from the personal property list and made them subject to a tax of ONLY 8 MILLS ON THE DOLLAR. But that isn’t the | most humorous part of it. THE FARMERS’' LEGISLATURE - MERELY ENACTED IN NORTH DAKOTA A LAW THAT HAS BEEN ON THE STATUTE BOOKS OF MINNESOTA FOR 10 YEARS. The Minnesota bankers would have the public believe that a law that had been working successfully for 10 years in Min- nesota, without hurting business and destroying credit, WOULD hurt -business and destroy business IN NORTH DAKOTA! - As a matter of fact the chief argument used in the North Da- kota legislature to obtain the passage of the 3-mill tax bill WAS THAT IT HAD WORKED TO PERFECTION FOR 10 YEARS IN MINNESOTA AND FOR EVEN LONGER IN A NUMBER OF OTHER STATES. : v FOR WORLD DEMOCRACY HE third Liberty loan campaign is on. The enemies of the organized farmers are going to watch carefully every League state during this campaign. If any state where the League is organized falls down on-its quota, a cry will be raised that ! the “agitation” of the League. is responsible. But no League state is going to fall down! Our guess is that League states will lead the nation in oversubscriptions to the third loan. : : But to do this YOU—you who are reading this right now—have got to do your share. Put every cent you can into this third loan. Show President Wilson that you agree with his fine statements of war aims, which have confounded the imperialists and militar- ists. Show the kaiser that you are going to back your country to the limit. Show your sons on the fighting line in France that you are backing them up. Buy a bond! The government has taken steps to see that the third Liberty loan bonds are not hammered down ‘in price by bond gamblers on: ‘Wall street. The government is going to provide a sinking fund . to stabilize the third loan—to keep its price at par. : i . And do not forget that, regardless: of attempted Wall street - discount of Liberty bonds, they are the best investment on earth. If ‘a Liberty bond isn’t gilt edge security, nothing is. The credit of o phes ed, and the third loan carri fective, however, because there- A gy PR O®IT BT RY OO FhaT V7 oF TH*EFTO HT o+ Too® RN ABE TSy o> SN Tad T W W AN A A AN T S S EE T e T o ST R R T R TR R R =