The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, March 24, 1919, Page 6

~n ez i ] ] - representing big corporate interests. tection and promotion of the agricultural classes. ~-go far as to state that the : . powerful, nation-wide organization, Nonpartisan Teader Official Magazine of the National Nonpartisan League—Every Week Entered as second-class matter September 8, 1915, at the postoffice at St. Paul, Minnesota, under the Act of March 8, 1879. OLIVER 8. MORRIS, Editor E. B. Fussell and A. B. Gilbert, Associate Editors ! Advertising rates on application. one year, in_ advance, $2.50; six months, $1.50. nor money orders payable to indi- viduals. Address all letters and make all remittances to .The Nonpartisan Leader, Box 575, St. Paul, Minn. MEMBER OF AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS ECKWITH SPECIAL AGENCY, Advertising Representatives, New . B. 0. Foss, Art Editor Subscription, Please. do not make checks, draf THE S. C. B York, Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Kansas Cit; 2 Quack, fraudulent and irresponsible.firms are not knowingly advertised, and we will take it as a favor if any readers will advise us promptly should they have occasion to doubt or question the reliability of any firm which patronizes our ‘advertising columns, A “LOYALTY” LEAGUE FOUND GUILTY . 'PRESS accounts of the report of the congressional committee which found the National Security league guilty of violation of the corrupt practices act and which branded the league as a “loyalty” camouflage of sinister big interests, universally referred to the findings as “charges” and “allegations.” This is not accurate. The report of the congressional committee is a JUDICIAL FINDING. The committee had before it charges against the Se- curity league. It proceeded to determine the truth.or falsity of those charges. Sworn testimony was taken from the officers of the league and from outside supporters of the organization, as well as from persons who made the charges. The committee examined documents offered by both sides. The report of the committee, therefore; does not consist of “charges” against the league. The report is a judicial finding—a decision made after the taking and il;le You For NTHEN You'RE AP 2 A TRRITCR & P G/ : \I0RGAN & =TI « Gl consideration of evidence and an examination of facts and docu- ments offered by both friends and enemies of the league. The Se- curity league has been found guilty by a judicial deeision. - “One of the most significant bits of testimony against the League was offered by Congressman King of Illinois. During the election campaign he was “summoned” by the_Chicago committee - of the league to a secret inquisition to determine his fitness for office. The inquisitors were Illinois manufacturers and lawyers His examination as to loy- alty was brief. But he was subjected to long and detailed ques- ticning as to his attitude toward J. P. Morgan, toward government ownership of railways and toward giving labor unions a more ex- tensive voice in politics and the government of industry. Mr. King’s position on these matters evidently not being satisfactory to the manufacturers and corporations, he was opposed by the Se- curity league because he was not “100 per cent American.” Mr. King’s patriotism is, however, above suspicion: DOCTOR BRYAN AGAIN statement that there is no basis for co-operation politically ' and economically between farmer and labor organizations. - Doctor Bryan, now head of the Idaho educational system, formerly president of the agricultural college in the state. of Washington, has now further elaborated his views. He says he believes in a “class-conscious” organization of agrarians that will enable them to act as.a group in all matters of large concern affecting the pro- He even goes fa farmers, without actually getting into politics, can easily control the United States senate, and, with a v ) can “prevent excessive inter- est rates” and accomplish the overthrow of “monopolistic control” : WE RECENTLY took- Doctor E. A. Bryan to task' for a - . of farm products. : us the venerable doctor makes a concession to the far-reach- ing and rapidly spreading sentiment among farmers that they must organize and exert a mass influence in politics and economics. Yet | 8o firmly is'he an’c_hqred in the past, so timid is he about giving full h m“«g”;-/% = % %'//////5 '(%/////// \ Yt T play to the tremendous forces at work among the common people of ‘America- today, that he hopes the influence of the organized farmers may be effective without their electing farmers to office, without their -actually framing and passing laws for themselves and without “the disappearance of time-honored party names,” "’ To these sentiments of Doctor Bryan the market monopolists, the politicians who serve special privilege and the conservatives who look on present conditions and institutions as the last word in civilization, will echo a hearty ‘“amen.” These interests ha\:e nothing to fear from:farmer organizations barred from use of their only effective weapon, the ballot box. It is only when organized SoC/RL AND ECcoNorre THIS LOOK'S LIKE £, EV/LS D o o :P‘L,N ‘ farmers get into politics and co-operate with labor or other pro- gressive organizations that they make their demands effective. Doctor Bryan admits the existence of market evils, finanejal abuses adversely affecting farmers and other conditions that must be changed. -These things have always been realized by the farm- ers and their organizations. The farmers have tried protests, reso- lutions and petitions in vain for 20 years. We will ask Doctor Bryan a question. . Did he ever notice an attempt to outlaw farmer organizations and to crush them with adverse publicity, lies and misrepresentations, as long as they were merely resolving, pro- testing and petitioning and getting nowhere? No, because special privilege and exploiters of farmers had nothing to fear while farm- ers were using such blunt weapons as those. But, immediately the farmers decided to get into politics, did he notice how special priv- ilege and interests exploiting farmers began to make an uproar? This ought to open the doctor’s eyes. -If beneficiaries of evils the farmers want to correct are not alarmed by resolutions, protests’ and petitions, but are alarmed by farmers’ active participation in for farmers to use? politics, which method does the doctor think the most effective . ' PROFESSORS AND FREE SPEECH HANCELLOR ELLIOTT, in charge of the educational sys- tem of Montana, has suspended Doctor Louis. Levine from A4 his place as professor of econorhics on the ground that Doc- tor Levine’s book on “The Taxation of Mines in Montana” consti- tutes infraction of a rule that “university men shall not mix in legislative political controversies.” Chancellor Elliott is in a ppeculiar position in citing this rule, since as lately as 1917 he caused Doctor Levine to prepare bills and briefs supporting them, to be used by Mr. Elliott’s friends in the Montana legislature in supporting a party measure. : But leaving to one side the question _of Chancellor Elliott’s consistency, what are the facts about Doctor Levine’s book? Is it so radical as to constitute “mixing in” legislative political con- troversies” ? Seae ; This is the final recommendation of Doctor Levine, in the concluding chapter of his book: The state of Montana is apparently to have a permanent tax com- mission which will be’ created by the present legislature. * * = Might not the problem of mine taxation in Montana be considerably advanced by specific instructions to the permanent tax ‘commission. to make a special study of the problem and report to the next legis- lature ? - With such a report before them the people of Montana should - have no difficulty two years hence in solving a problem which has been the cause of so much perplexity and friction, In other words, ihtgiligt_ently two years hence.” Does this constitute “mixing in legislative political controversies”? = If so. is there any remark that a professor fnight make aside.- = from an observation about the weather, that would not break this: rule? Expressing an opinion on the league be wrong in Montana. An observation that is wife would be misconduct of the worst sort if the legislature S et us discover. the facts so that we can act : of nations clearly would a man should support