The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, January 6, 1919, Page 7

j i % 2¢ , those countries, at least Russia, are in “control of the people,” as : those words are understood by -extreme radicals and reyvolutionists. . - ~ “We believe that those ultra-radicals who are opposing a league of nations are serving a useful purpose in pointing out the dangers of the wrong kind of a league. But at the same time we believe a league of nations is assured and that all liberals and .radicals can’ consistently, and should, accept the idea and devote their efforts to a fight to get the right kind of a league. PSYCHOLOGY OF LEAGUE OPPONENTS F 'WE are to judge them by what they say, some League op- I ponents consider the Nonpartisan league as practically dead, without 'any chance of accomplishing anything, having, in fact, been completely routed and rapidly disintegrating through repudia- tion of its doctrines by its own members. On the other hand, if we are to believe what they say, other League opponents consider the League only just started on a career of domination of polities, and this class pictures it as a huge, devouring machine, rapidly gaigixfig ground, against which measures of the utmost rigor must e taken. - The first view is the pretended view of League opponents in - territory where the League is already organized. The second ‘view is that given the public by League opponents in territory where the League has not yet éntered. The psychology of these con- flicting views is good for the territory in which they prevail. Where the League has a foothold, it is good politics to represent it as dying out rather than gaining. Where it does not have a foothold, it is good politics to picture it as a strong, compact or- ganization with great power of misleading people, so that interests in territory where it is'not working will be frightened into making . desperate efforts to keep it out. : - Thus, it is to the interest of the Minneapolis Journal to picture the League as breaking up, because the League has an organization of tremendous power and effectiveness in Minnesota: So the Jour- _nal publishes the following misleading and contemptible falsehood : The Nonpartisan league, which got its main support. from the «German element in McLeod county, is now said to be “on the rocks” in this section, ‘Many farmers since: election have thrown up ‘their « ‘membership;, it is reported, and say they will not be induced to renew. Even the German sympathizers, now that the war is over, are losing their interest in the League in most cases. ; - On the other hand, the Detroit (Mich.) Free Press is anxious to_ keep the League out of Michigan, where it has not entered, and \ ' (3 Ao & . TAKE YouR CHOICE o— DETROIT nmu‘e';\Pous to do so delights in picturing the League as a very big and menac- ing thing, far from disintegrating. This it thinks will scare the -big interests and politicians of Michigan into effective opposition ~ that will keep the League from getting a foothold in-that state. So ";the Free Press says: gt The greatest Socialistic organization in the world, excepting only the Russian bolsheviki-today opened its first annual conference in St. Paul and in secret session. : In two years the League has developed from an ineffectual com- bination of 300 or 400 victimized farmers to a party that cast more than 600,000 votes at the last election in six states and has organiza-- tions in seven more. o _ SR This organization is now in a position to begin thinking and act- ing in national terms and it is today considering an ambitious program of solidarity of action with the American Federation of Labor in the - hope that, if not in 1920, then in 1924 it will have a proletarian can- didate for president. ; ~If you are a League opi)onent you can take your: choice of these views. League members read and understand both views- PbLITICAL PRISONERS’ RIGHTS RECOGNIZED TQ THOSE who have not composed their minds sufficiently since the war to reach unprejudiced conclusions relative to the' political prisoners, two recent orders of Secretary of War Baker will be of great assistance: ' The secretary of war has ordered the release from military camps in the United States of all unsentenced conscientious objectors, of whom there were many thousands. These were men whose scruples in regard to war were *so-firmly fixed that they refused even noncombatant duty in the army. In addition, the secretary has provided for the release of another large class of conscientious objectors who accepted work on farms or other noncombatant work in lieu ‘of military service. . There remain, therefore, only the objectors who have been sentenced to prison, some of them to as mueh as 30 years. These, of whom there are about-200, can be released only through pardon or parole of the president of the United States, and it is not too -much to hope that President Wilson will follow the lead of the secretary of \war in giving these political prisoners their freedom. extreme satisfaction. We bro eght‘ down on our heads some criti- cipm 'ge‘cg_ntly when we pub_llsh ‘PAGE ° (it had no “common interest” with farmers, and that justice for farmer producers meant higher or unfair prices to be paid ~ The'Leader mentions the secretary’s action in this matter with editorials advocating amnesty for R R TP A Ve L PG I TR Apoiitiéal ‘bi'isoners. It seems the secretary of war agrees with us. ' | But this is not the best of the news. Secretary Baker in the ' second order mentioned has recognized that political prisoners are not criminals or rebellious soldiers who have violated the military oath, but that they constitute a class of offenders entitled to mild and humane treatment. His second order abolishes the practice of chaining political prisoners in military prisons to the bars of their cages, a barbarous proceeding that has been the disgrace of | army prisons. J 1 i ing position until they have fainted with exhaustion and agony. Men have been chained by their wrists in a stand- | The secretary of war says that these punishments “clearly were ' IT's ALL WRONG- not formulated fith the political type of prisoner in mind, and th;.ir ‘ effectiveness as deterrents has been questionable.” He points out that men have repeatedly suffered these tortures without weaken- | ing in their refusal to violate their consciences by obeying mili- i tary orders. - It is now up to the United States to show its adherence to democratic institutions and principles by release of that other large - group of political prisoners, those who have been imprisoned for . the EXPRESSION OF OPINION concerning the war and govern- ! ment policies. The Leader made no fight against the locking up of war heretics during the war, but the war is over and no matter how mistaken or fanatical those convicted for their opinions were, the persecution of men for their political opinions is no part of the business of a republic. The time must never come in America when we keep our prisons filled with men who honestly criticize the gov- ernment and its policies. It must always be safe here for every citizen to hold what political views he pleases. ~“THE NEW LABOR PARTY ‘ ROGRESSIVES of every shade of opinion have welcomed the news of the formation of a real Labor party in the United - States. Labor in America has been the most backward in this respect. In no other country is labor so small a factor in poli- tics. Tt fell to the Chicago Federation of Labor, representing about 300,000 organized workers, to get a labor political movement start- ed in a big way in this country. The Chicago unionists adopted a program of “l4 points” and prepared to take a leading part in municipal affairs. This was followed by apptoval of the movement by the Illinois State Federation of Labor, and later by the indorse-' ment by the Central Federated Union of New York City. ‘ The Leader hopes that these various labor federations will be successful in their plan to get together and form a national party along the lines of the British and Australian Labor parties. ‘ It should not be forgotten that the Minnesota State Feder- - ation of Labor decided to and did enter politics even ‘before the larger federations of Illinois and New York threw their hats into the political arena. ) recent campaigns in co-operation with thé' Nonpartisan league. “Labor’s 14 points,” outlined by the:Chicago federation, con-- stitute a rallying ground for industrial; workers, whether they . are organized or not. They declare for the unqualified right of labor to organize and deal collectively with ‘employers; for demo-"i;:\- cratic control of industry, giving the workers of hand and brain as well as the capitalists and employers a voice; for social insur- PoLTICAL RING ance, cons}:ription of wealth to pay the war debt and government expenses; public ownership of public utilities; nationalization and public development of natural resources; free press and free speech ; a league .of nations and the end of wars. The following, “Point No. 6,” will be of special interest to farmers: : Reduction of the cost of living to a just level, immediately and as a permanent policy, by the development of co-operation, and the . elimination of wasteful methods, parasitical middlemen and all profi- teering in the creation and distribution of the products of industry and agriculture, in order that the actual producers may enjoy the fruits of their toil. - SRS g J It is most significant that labor thus has turned a deaf ear to monopolists and profiteers who have been busy telling labor that bor consumers of farm products. Just as the farmers have gope, - labor here declares for the elimination of unnecessary middlemen - -and profiteers, giving producers of farm products a fair share of - the wealth they produce, and assuring consumers fair p _'on«:’ébst'tbfJproducti(?n.-.j s et A B S 5 The Minnesota federation took part in the - 2 RS GS L : BRI T e PTG (e e e