The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, October 14, 1918, Page 7

~ had been condemning others, 5 has about as much right to criticize them and demand reforms in ~their methods as the kaiser has to demand amendments to the United States Constitution. - ; - - The farm loan banks are not perfect.. The law creating them 'is not perfect. But when it comes time to change the methods or :amend the law, the FRIENDS of: government rural credits, and not the: ENEMIES of government rural credits, will be consulted and decide the matter: The government land banks are putting the usurious farm mortgage brokers and bankers out of businesé, and are cutting down the interest farmers pay for loans every- where. That is why Mr. Chassell is kicking. WHEN YOUR OWN OX IS GORED opposed to the declaration before it was made, has gone merrily on for 19 months, although with one or two excep- tions these men have supported the government and the war since we got into it. The hypocrisy of the newspapers who have led the 7 THE baiting of congressmen who voted against war, or were hue and cry against these men has never been shown up better than by recent Minnesota events. et Several Minnesota congressmen voted against war. The St. Paul Pioneer Press-Dispatch, organ of the Republican machine ring, has overlooked no opportunity to question the patriotism of - these congressmen. One of Minnesota’s congressmen who voted FOR WAR was C. B. Miller. Miller is a political supporter of Gov- ernor Burnquist, who permitted the recent Minnesota reign of ter- ror. Miller has read into the congressional record almost every article that has appeared in Minnesota papers attacking the organ- ized farmers, whom he has freely characterized as “I. W. W.s,” “bolsheviki,” “pro-Germans” and “disloyalists.” His mouthings about a farmers’ movement he is incapable of understanding have been featured by the St. Paul Press-Dispatch, which paper is boost- ing him for re-election as a “loyalty” candidate. Recently the fol- lowing letter came to light: j J. O. Larson, " Duluth, Minnesota. Dear Mr. Larson:— ; I have not believed circumstances have occurred justifying a declaration of war against Germany. I say this unreservedly, as it has been the position I have openly taken here in Washington. It . has-seemed to me that a contrary procedure would be the best one under the circumstances and if war eventually occurs, Germany should declare it. However, the president has taken the matter in ‘his own hands, has come out for war, in fact has committed this . country to war, and there is nothing that remains for us to do but support him. It has been my purpose to protect the United States . people and their property against submarine warfare and stop at that. However, the president has the-power and he has now exercised it to commit this country to war immediately. : I appreciate your interest. . Sincerely yours, C. B. MILLER. This letter was written by Miller the day before he voted for " April 5th, 1917, ~ war. It proves the utter insincerity of his vote for war. He could not be ‘unqualifiedly” against war on April 5 and sincerely for it on April 6, when he voted. The letter was first published by the . Minnesota Leader, the official paper of the Nonpartisan league in )\ ~_that state. It proved a bombshell. g L ; : .~ “The very day the Minnesota Leader carrying the letter was published, the Press-Dispatch rushed blindly to the defense of Miller. It was insinuated in Miller’s defense that his vote for war had wiped out his anti-war offense of the day prior, when he wrote “ the letter. It was said that since the declaration he had been “‘an earnest advocate of the cause of the United States.” It was urged. in his behalf .that “despite his personal opinion” he stated in the ‘ letter that “it was the duty of everybody to support the president.” This has been exactly the position of the other congressmen the -~ Dispatch has so vigorously condemned. . The Press-Dispatch defense of Miller was a pretty spectacle. Here was ‘the would-be assassin of congressmen: who were orig- inally against war tearing its hair to defend a'congressman who > ‘had also been against war originally, but whose original attitude ~~ had been successfully concealed:by him and the Press-Dispatch for - 19 months. Here was the Press-Dispatch defending one: of its friends for the very offense for which the-Dispatch for 19 months _bee [ The mask of hypocrisy was torn from the Dispatch. ...~ - . SRR e e ' Briefly, the Dispatch’s position is prov ; “in recognizing the existence of political and economic abuses, and .American Bankers’ association had approved instead of denounced _and corn clubs, for instance—that the bankers’ association doubt- who' is“a FRIEND of the Minnesota Republican machine “and AGAINST the organized farmers originally was AGAINST the: war, it is all right. - But if a man who is an ENEMY of the Minne- sota Republican machine and HAS NOT ATTACKED the organ- ized farmers was originally against war, he is a Hun. Miller’s anti-war chicken came home to roost in the editorial sanctum of the Dispatch, and the Dispatch devoted every energy to defend and protect the bird. If you know of better evidence of the hypocrisy of newspapers who are trying to drag the war into %)olitifis and raise the “loyalty” issue against political opponents, ~ et’s hear it. : CAMOUFLAGING THE OLD PARTIES : THE political campaigns this fall are not without their humor- ous features. Particularly interesting situations have been brought about in states where the farmers are organized and taking part in the campaigns. - A part of the farmers’ program is state ownership of terminal marketing machinery, including ele- vators, packing plants and flour mills. In North Dakota the farm- ers are in possession of the machinery of the Republican. party. Opposed to them is the Democratic party machine. Wonder of wonders, to compete with the Nonpartisan league for the farmer vote, the North Dakota DEMOCRATIC PARTY has adopted, among others, this plank: : 5 “State ownership of terminal elevators and flour mills.” In South Dakota it happens that the farmers’ candidates are running against the candidates of the Republican party machine. To compete with the League for the farmer vote, the REPUBLICAN PIARI'{I‘Y OF SOUTH DAKOTA has adopted, among others, this plank: ” “State ownership of terminal elevators and flour mills.” Why was the DEMOCRATIC PARTY of North Dakota and the REPUBLICAN PARTY of South Dakota able to agree so com- pletely on the League program and admit its wisdom by trying to steal its planks? Have we not here a basis for an everlasting truce between the - two old parties? Let them everywhere adopt the “Townleyism” of the League program! : x 3 Ain’t it a good laugh? It pays to organize! i IN THE NATIONAL EYE : ITH less than four years’ organization work the America farmers have built up a League important enough and powerful enough to occupy the serious attention of the great American Bankers’ association, representing billions of dol- lars of capital and wielding a financial influence probably greater than any other organization of capitalists in the world. At the re- cent Chicago convention of this association, the money kings of America listened to and approved a vigorous denunciation of the Nonpartisan league by C. A. Hinsch of Cincinnati. Mr. Hinsch proved that the interests of the American Bankers’ association de- ! manded that it oppose the League, he credited the League members | with being shrewd and declared that the movement should be imme- | diately curbed. We give below the United Press report of the event: | CHICAGO, Sept. 26.—The National Nonpartisan league was at- - tacked before the American Bankers’ association today by C. A. < Hinsch, Cincinnati. : G : i _ He called the organization “an extreme manifestation of social i unrest, and its avowed purpose is political control by a class for a { class, and co-operative selling and buying. i “They are too shrewd,” said Mr. Hinsch, referring to the League ‘ membérs, “to attempt to launch a new political party; their scheme § CREELING - > THE NEW SPORT oOF E_COR ATION is to secure control .of the dominant party of the city, county and : state where they are operating. With the millions at their disposal, = this plan has been easy of accomplishment, and they are practically in control of the state of North Dakota. This movement should be curbed before it assumes the proportions of a prairie fire.” There is a way to curb the demand in America for a fuller measure of social justice and a wider democracy. It consists first second in correcting them. - Banker Hinsch did not mention this “remedy”’ for the League. And, by the way, if Mr. Hinsch and the the League, would it not have proved that the farmers were on the wrong track? The farmers have several organizations—pig less approves.