The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, August 12, 1918, Page 7

v o - industrious, law-abiding citizens, ardently anti-German and safe for democracy”! It was published as the Times’ comment on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the rule of Wilhelm over the German people. Glance at the list of names of those who, with the Times, hailed the kaiser as the greatest man in the world and. celeblrated with him the anniversary of his mastery of the German people. Do you suspect the identity of one of the American “ex-presi- dents” who thus celebrated the greatness and peaceful proclivities of Wilhelm? Have you a hunch that he is opposing at this time President Wilson, author of liberal war aims, and has a military handle on his name that he uses instead of the title of “ex- president” ? " And there are “dukes” and “lords” and “sirs” joining with the Times in this flattering reference to the German war lord. And there is Millionaire Carnegie and Financier von Gwinner, who- ever he is. - / : 4 And who is this Nicholas Murray Butler—some Socialist or reformer, or perhaps a Nonpartisan leaguer? No, no, not at all— Butler, famous and eminently respectable apologist for big busi- ness in the United States. All these gentlemen mentioned by the Times in 19138 in this nauseating editorial about the kaiser are nmow, with the Times, doubtless in favor of “making the world safe for democracy.” But they are all recent converts, also like the Times. They opposed democracy, at home and abroad, a few years ago; they are still against it at home today; they will again oppose it at home and abroad after the war is over and the sedition laws are-repealed. Meanwhile the liberals and progressives of America, no matter if they ARE for democracy abroad, are “disloyal” because they are for DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA—according to the Times! ME ,WEAR THEM ¢ NEVER- 1T'LL TAKE MORE THAN A WAR AN IOWA UKASE HE Bohemians are one of the peoples who for years have been under the heel of the Austrian despot. Consequently . the Bohemians in America (and there are many of them) are lending every aid to the cause of America and its allies in this war. erican Bohemians have sent a regiment to fight the kaiser and his Austrian ally. While crushed by the Austrian tyranny in every effort to obtain for themselves the commonest liberties and right to untrammeled existence in the old country, the Bohemians have never been broken in spirit and today the fire of liberty burns brighter in the breasts of no other people. One of their grievances against Austria was the stamping out of the Bohemian tongue, which left the Bohemians speechless. Imagine, if you can, an oppression more intolerable or stupid than one which attempts to prevent the communication of people in the only language they know, and which forbids them even to worship God in the tongue of their forefathers. This measure by Austria could have been dictated only by a blind hate. It was equivalent to an edict forbidding all speech, for the Bohemians knew no other language than their own. S , There are many Bohemian communities in Iowa—peaceful, en- thusiastically doing their bit during the war to help America, to whose breast they fled from oppression. - What was the astonish- ment of Iowa Bohemians, and the indignation of true-blooded Americans everywhere, when the governor of Iowa ISSUED RE- CENTLY AN EDICT FORBIDDING THE USE OF ANY FOR- EIGN LANGUAGE IN CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS, OVER.THE TELEPHONE OR IN THE STREET CARS OR CAFES, ON THE STREETS OR IN PUBLIC CONVERSATION ANYWHERE! _Whither is war hysteria carrying us Americans? : The Iowa Bohemians have appealed to congress agains_t'th'e 23 order of the Iowa governor, copied from the oppression of the Austrian tyrant and dictated by a fanaticism that would be ex- cusable at no time since the dark ages. It is to be hoped that the American congress will find a way to prevent transplanting to America the blind hatred of the Hapsburgs, the enemies of mankind. A= THE eFFECT OF )2 CROWDER'S WORK SOUTH DAKOTA ENTERS THE LISTS ONPARTISAN leaguers of South Dakota have indorsed for N governor M. P. Bates of Letcher. He is a prominent stock raiser of the state who has never been in politics before, and will run in the fall election as an independent. The South Da- kota leaguers held a big state convention and rally at Mitchell re- cently. An entire state ticket was indorsed and platform adopted. The conditions in South Dakota relative to the Nonpartisan league, the farmers’ chances of winning the election and the details of the state convention will make interesting reading to the farmers of other states. The Nonpartisan Leader will publish the story in next week’s issue, together with pictures and other features. Watch for it. ; The League is strong in South Dakota. Practically every county in the state has a compact League organization. South Da- kota Leaguers have had their troubles—a hostile governor who has refused to protect them from violations of the law and from indig- nities at the hands of their enemies, and a press as viciously: and unreasonably against them as in any state where the League is active. The South Dakota League has gone quietly about its busi- ness but, unlike the fight in Minnesota and North Dakota, other states have heard little about conditions in South Dakota. For this reason the Leader’s South Dakota articles will be new and interest- ing to readers in otheér states. : South Dakota is much like North Dakota. It has about the same area and population, and agriculture is the industry that pre- dominates overwhelmingly. It is ridden by the same kind of a .political gang that North Dakota once had, and South Dakota farm- . ers are going to carry the comparison to its logical conclusion by turning these rascals out and, like North Dakota, put in a real peo- ple’s administration. - The Republican and Democratic parties now find themselves in an awkward predicament. Although they have always con- demned the League principles, now for political purposes, they have verbally indorsed many of them in this campaign. But as the free papers of the state point out, while condemning profiteering, the old parties indorse men who never have made a move except to sup- port monopoly, and while now declaring for state ownership in cer- tain directions, the men they have nominated are notoriously against such popular rule, and probably never intend to carry out the party pledges. WORDS COUNT FOR NOTHING. IT IS FIRST OF ALL A QUESTION OF MEN, AND THEN OF THEIR ACTS. R P | ! SOMETHING NEW IN SOUTH DAKOTA, MOBS GIVE AID TO ANTI-WAR PROPAGANDA VICTOR BERGER, Socialist leader who-is OPPOSED TO THE SOCIALIST PARTY REPEALING ITS FORMAL STAND AGAINST THE WAR, says: “The fact that shouting for the war will not save radical organizations is again proven by the fate of the Nonpartisan league. With the exception of the Indus- trial Workers of the World, no organization has had more officials indicted, deported, run out of town or tarred and feathered than has the Nonpartisan league, which has officially and repeatedly de- clared itself in support of the war, the sale of Liberty bonds, Thrift . stamps, War Savings stamps and aid of the Red Cross.” What Mr. Berger says in regard to League organizers, meme bers and workers being driven out of town, tarred and feathered, deported and otherwise persecuted, in some localities, is true— and is true, as he says, in spite of the fact that the League has supported the war and all war activities. . : : Is it not a sad comment on conditions in America to say that they give AN OPPONENT OF THE WAR, like Mr. Berger, an opportunity to claim that support of the war does not save liberal and progressive movements from persecution? Mr. Berger is of course arguing that the Socialist party should not repeal its stand against the war, and the force of his argument is that, even if the Socialist party does change its formally expressed WAR VIEWS, it will not save the party from persecution on account of its ECO- NOMIC VIEWS. As proof he says that the League, which is in favor of the war, is persecuted anyway. What an indictment of the communities where hate-filled, law- less mobs have held sway against the organized farmers! Mr. Berger uses this fact to prove that. it is useless for radicals to . support the war—that they are persecuted for their ECONOMIC VIEWS, even if they FAVOR THE WAR. Could anything be pro- duced more convincing than Mr. Berger’s words to prove that -PERSECUTION OF THE LEAGUE HAS BEEN GIVING AID OF eianT DRAFT . AND COMFORT TO THOSE WHO OPPOSE THE WAR- AND