The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, June 10, 1918, Page 7

o~ b \ - ":‘ > v - . B wg = o o ;! ‘: - i Ak < r P e \‘ I. P % ~ L 4 v mm H 21 ¢ § i Y v [ 5| 2 4% A k" - l-‘ | 3 et > [ il P S e ol 4 Wi 5 o ] LY sions that this is a war for democracy, and - would prove that we are hypoprites when we claim that we are against militarism and are fighting to carry freedom and democracy to all the world, in the interests of permanent world peace and happiness. The Leader’s object in publishing these photographs at this time is to call the attention of thoughtful citizens to something which may or may not have a bearing on the position in regard to universal military training taken by its leading advocate in the country. Does Roosevelt’s friendly visit to the kaiser and study gf tl_le German army account for his position on universal training in times of peace? We merely publish the photographs without comment, in order that each of our readers can determine for him- celf. We believe it to be in the highest interests of patriotism to stand by President Wilson and Secretary Baker in their opposition: to the Rooseveltian plan, and we believe it our duty to publish . anything which may have a bearing on the question. : : A POLITICIAN’S CAMOUFLAGE : OLITICIANS were past masters of the art of camouflage long P before the French invented it for use in war, and found a ~“word for it which hasnow passed permanently into our lan- guage. ‘The.art of camouflage, whether in war or politics, is the - art of ‘making acts, methods or things seem different from what they are. The French are so good at it that an innocent looking wheelbarrow may in reality be a deadly “seventy-five” and a per- fectly harmless appearing dead horse may contain a live soldier taking notes on troop movements or getting the range for big guns. But camouflage is an old game for politicians. Right now Minnesota is being given a demonstration of it. Governor Burn- quist, we are told by himself and the big business press, is not campaigning for re-election. He “doesn’t believe this is a time to go into politics” or to “advance his own candidacy” —so HE says. The governor, confident (so the big daily press says) that the patriotic: people of the state will return him to office because he is “loyal,” will make no campaign' speeches.. He will discuss no issues. Hé has nothing to say for himself or for his administration nor will he ask for votes. f That is what the good people of Minnesota are asked to believe by the press which is attempting to.defeat Mr. Lindbergh and the other candidates ! for state and legislative offices indorsed by the or- | ganized farmers and organized labor. S . The facts, as everybody in Minnesota knows ; who has given even a passing attention to what is going on, are these: Burnquist is making a des- perate, last-ditch, unscrupulous fight for re-elec- tion. No, dear reader; he is making no “campaign speeches.” BUT HIS WORKERS ARE COMBING : THE STATE, SCARING -UP. COMMITTEES OF CITIZENS TO CALL “LOYALTY” MEETINGS, " and these committees, gotten together mostly by : : representatives or employes of the governor’s public safety com- mission, ISSUE INVITATIONS TO THE GOVERNOR TO MAKE “LOYALTY” SPEECHES. The funny thing about this peculiar series of “loyalty” meetings, which is keeping the governor busy - every day now, and will continue to keep him busy until the state- wide primaries June 17, is that they opened up just at the time - that an ordinary, honest governor would open up his campaign tour for re-election. The governor’s tour of the stdate and every-day “loyalty” talks of course fool nobody. Most people just laugh at it. It is merely ; __ a politician’s camouflage. But the serious part of it is that THIS PLAN ENABLES THE GOV- ERNOR TO CAMPAIGN AT THE EXPENSE OF THE PUBLIC finds. " ‘mission pays out. of the state treasury the expenses of loyalty less serious aspect, but-one that should be noted, is the fact that election in the guise of “loyalty” gives him a pretext for refusing to discuss the written program of ‘the farmers and workers, on which the goyernor’s opponent stands and concerning which he is talking to thousands of people R S0 “political ‘speeches. -This phase is less serious: because nobody ever expected Burnquist to discuss the issues, and it doesn’t matter much what excuse he gives for not dolng_{aéi_o—the “loyalty” speech camouflage will do as well as any. : PRACTICAL PATRIOTISM e ‘ORTH DAKOTA is winning new laurels. Its doubling of -Liberty loan quotas and its enviable Red Cross: subscrip- j;)t,iclw;:x‘x, record have been big things to be proud of. But now AKOT North charge of state affairs this year. The public safety com- - e : : meetings and loyalty speakers. A- the governor’s campaign-for re-- ‘s day in honest, straightforward - lightening of their lot. “were young men, farm hands and sons of farmers. ymes along with a means of increasing crops that Nonpartisén Teader Official Magazine of the National Nonpartisan Leagué——Every Week —_—_—mm - Entered as second-cless matter September 3, 1915, at th i il t St. Paul. Minnesota, under the Act of March 3, 1879. g Copostofice 1 & OLIVER S. MORRIS, EDITOR Advertising rates on application. Subscription, one year, in advance, $2.50; si-.\: months, $1.50. Please do not make checks, dra ts nor money orders payable to in 'i- viduals. Address all letters and make all remittances to The Nonpertisan Leader, Box 575, St. Paul, Minn. MEMBER OF AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS THY, S. C. BECKWITH SPECIAL AGENCY, Advertisi R tatives, N York, Chicngo, St. Louis, Detrdit, Kunsas City: AR it o d Qunck, fraudulept and irresponsible firms are not knowingly advertised, and we will take it as a fayor if any readers will advise us promptly should they have occasion to " doubt or question the reliability of any firm vwiich. patronizes our advertising columns. : wbuld be almost unthinkable in other states, where politicians -and thg big interests, instead of the people, rule. Can you imagine the Minnesota Public Safety commission, or the councils of defense of a lot of other states that might be men- tioned, seizing hundreds of thousands of acres of idle lands, owned by absentee landlords, speculators and big estates, and throwing this land open for war crops under terms that would attract actual farmers? Can you imagine such an invasion of “property rights,” even as a war-time necessity, in a state dominated by big business? Yet, this is exactly what North Dakota’s Council of Defense has done. There are many big estates in Nor'h Dakota, consisting of thousands of acres of land, held out of uze for years for increase in value. These are owned by absentee landlords. . There are lesser tracts of agricultural land held for specula- - tion, some by local and some by absentee owners. The North Dakota Council of Defense has issued orders which permit any farmer, or anybody else who has the capital and facilities, to enter this land, without the consent of the owner. The person entering the lend is guaranteed its possession for two years, providing he will grow crops on it. He- must pay the owner a small rental or proportion of the crop, on terms fixed by, the state, which will make it profitable for farmers who desire to take up the proposition, and which: give the owner only a nominal return. i3 _ And the North Dakota Council of Defense is . not waiting for people to volunteer to plant this 1 idle land. It goes out and finds farmers willing to- cultivate it and aids them in breaking the land and getting in these additional crops that will help make the world safe for democracy. If the absentee owner or speculator gives his. permission, so much the better; but if he doesn’t the state seizes the land and throws it open for cultivation. Unconstitutional? In- vasion of property rights? No, it is legal and constitutional in North Daketa, where the people rule. N : When you understand what is being done in North Dakota by the farmers’ administration, put there through the Nonpartisan, league two years ago, you know why the people are gding to re- elect that administration this year by an overwhelming vote. You : also know why the big interests ; are desperate in other states, not- . ably Minnesota, where the farm- ers and workers intend to take A BAPTISM OF DEMOCRACY HE other day we attended : a Townley picnjc at Hec- tor, Minn. The crowd it- self was impressive, but most im- pressive of all was the way in which the wives and daughters of the farmers drank in the words of the president of the National Nonpartisan league. They saw clearly .that any betterment of rural life would be reflected in the 8E DEH 3] The hopes and ambitions and ideals of youth always make a ready response to the practical program of the League. . o ; After the speech one young man came up and spoke to the editor. He had come 21 miles over the muddy roads. “I’m going away - tomorrow,” he said. = “I'm:in the next draft and leave for Camp Lewis. “ Everywhere in. the ci'owd _principles of democracy for which T am going to fight.” . That’s what the League is doing for the people of the West. It is getting ‘the pace for democracy. - But before I went, I wanted once more to hear.th_e 5 ; ] -