The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, November 29, 1920, Page 4

The World’s Affairs— Gossip and .Comment United States, a more rock-ribbed reactionary than Judge John F. McGee of Minnesota. He was head of the public safety com- mission of that state during the war and how the powers of this body were used to persecute all who held different opinions from those of Judge McGee is too well known to need repetition. Nonpartisan leaguers, who approved IT WOULD be hard to find, anywhere in the Northwest or the Extra—Judge McGee Gets & Now Tdes fore declared to be “Socialists;” especially felt the bitterness of Judge McGee and his satellites. Since the war Judge McGee has been acting, in behalf of the state of Minnesota, in an effort to get a sufficient supply of coal for the Northwest. He has seen agreement after agreement made by the coal operators to allocate coal to the north- western states treated as a “scrap of paper” when opportunity arose to sell the coal in question for a few cents more somewhere else. He has seen heartless profiteering and disregard of the rlghts of the people of the Northwest, many of whom may have to go cold this wmter, either through inability to pay the extortionate prices demanded by the coal operators and dealers, or through ina- bility to get coal at any price. Seeing these things and being unable to check them, Judge McGee recently declared that the remedy seemed to lie in government owner- ship and operation of the coal mines. E WONDER which caused the greater surprise—the conversion to Christianity of Saul of Tarsus, who held the cloaks of the men who had stoned to death Stephen, who had gone about the country persecuting Chris- tians with as much fervor as Attorney General Palmer or Ole Hanson hunt- ing ‘“radicals,” or Judge Mec- Gee’s declaration in favor of public ownership or control of - coal mines. But: Judge McGee is not the only standpatter in favor of public ownership of the coal mines. Two stalwart, staid, conserva- tive Republican United States senators—Calder of New York and Edge of New Jersey—have re- cently been quoted as stating that when congress convenes December 6 they will move for nation- alization of the coal industry unless, in the mean- time, ‘that industry purges itself of its present inhuman practices. ~. Of course Judge McGee and Senators Calder and Edge are undoubtedly still opposed to state- owned and operated terminal elevators for farm- ers. They have had some difficulty getting coal and they are for the most practical method of settling that difficulty. They have never experienced personally the difficulties that the northwestern farmer meets every time he goes to market his crop, this year more than ever. So they still regard pub- . lic ownership of 'grain elevators as “socialism,” while public ownership of coal mines is quite a different matter. BUT publicly owned grain ele- Two Senators Also Become “Socialistic” vators are not always ‘so- cialistie.” - As. the Leader L V. pointed out some weeks ago, when they are built in New York state, to handle grain after it has passed out £ of the hands of the farmers, they are “good business.” Similarly, it seems, when they are located in South Africa they are a great . thing. The Northwestern Miller of Minne- apolis, organ of the northwestern grain trade, Public Elevators X its szember 3 issue says: o A momentous enterprise, more far- —in South Afrlca reaching in its probable effects than any pre- vious development in the history of South Afnca as a producer and exporter of foodstuffs, is the great grain ele- vator scheme which has now been finally approved and adopted by. the Union government. It means nothing short of a revolution in the coun- try’s rapidly growing grain trade and will place South Africa on a level with the principal granaries of the world in regard to equipment, which means also that the road is open to an equal expansion of productién and shipments. * * * No one possessing vision and a knowledge of _history can refrain from speculating on the immense poss1b1ht1es to. which the gate is thus unlocked. But an elevator in North Dakota is another matter. Millers Approve certain forms of public ownership and were there- WHAT HE DESERVED. The North Dakota farmer, John Baer’s favorite character, gave the A. element another licking in North Dakota Novem- ber 2, as an answer to the dirty “free love” cam- paign made by the League opposition. ence? “The average Leaguer, asked this question, would be apt to cite the laws enacted in North Dakota, and then stop. But he would be telling less than half the story. Governor Norbeck of South Dakota was in the Twin Cities not_ loglg ag}o tg confer with the pol%tlfians-—agld pr)_]s:x_-‘ 3 4 o sibly the business interests—o innesota e t‘lV‘V%glm(,)’V;ll expressed confidence that the League would be € beaten in his home state. South Dakota. “We let a little water over the dam when we have to,” he explained. By that Governor Norbeck meant that the politicians of South Dakota prevented a complete people’s victory in that state by giving the people a little of what they demanded. : Since the League has been in charge of affairs in North Dakota’ the politicians of South Dakota have given that state a form of rural credits for farmers and a form of state hail insurance: and at the: WHAT has the Nonpartisan league done to justify its exist- recent electlon laws were adopted by vote of the people providing for a soldiers’ bonus and a form. of state aid for home building. None of these aws are as well planned nor as far-reaching as the North Dakota laws. They are “a little water over the dam,” however. It is safe to say that not one of them would have been passed but for the existence of the Nonpartisan league and the splendid record of service for the people made by the North Dakota legislature. HAT has happened in South Dakota has happened in many other states. To pre- vent the League from sweeping these states, politicians were compelled to give the 'people at least a part of the progressive laws they demanded. Many States North Dakota Now Ape the was the first state in the na- N. D. Program tjon to enact a ; soldiers’ bonus law. Now Washington, South Dako- ta, Minnesota and Wisconsin have such laws. Nebraska and Montana have adopted state hail insurance- Montana has provided for a terminal elevator. = Many other examples might be cited. It is worth while noting that ALL of these laws have been enact- ed SINCE the Nonpartisan league became a power. Most of the laws are imperfect imitations of the North Dakota laws; some are pure fakes, but the net result is a gain for the people. : In addition the League has pre- vented the opposition from making further inroads upon the people. Bills to kill the direct primary have been blocked in Minnesota, Nebraska and Montana. Even the League op- position in North Dakota has been compelled to approve the North Da- kota program. : HE people of the United States have flatly repudiated . the Esch-Cummins act by de- feating Congressman John J. Esch, : one of its authors, in Wisconsin and by cutting to pieces the vote of Senator Cummins, the other author, in Iowa. The people have just as flatly repudiated Attorney Gen- : eral Palmer’s attempt to force a peace-time sedition Sedition law upon them by fefeating Congressman M. L. Davey - Act Hit of Ohio, author of the law which Palmer urged upon congress. The campaign in the case of Davey was by Voters pased solely upon the right of free speech. To the shame of the American Legion it must be told that this orgamzatmn, desp1te its elaims to be nonpolitical and to stand for “Americanism,” came out in defense of Davey and in oppos1t10n to the constitutional rights which, as we see it, are “Americanism’’ if anything is. Nevertheless Mr. Davey was defeated. Possibly the actual Ohio membership of the Legion saw a chance to reprove ~ their officers for their utterly uncalled-for meddlmg Wherever an issue is presented clearly, as in the Esch and Davey contests, the American people can be trusted safely to settle it right, regardless of the activities of those who claim to “control” votes. PAGE FOUR ]