The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, January 20, 1916, Page 2

e AV S g O AP T R . Troblaa.. G 5 TWo ‘Will B. Crafty, head boss for the pelitieal machine, had opened head- quarters at the Pickem hotel, Skin- nersville, and taken complete charge of the campaign. In resronse to .no- tices sent out many politicians quiet- ly gathered at the headquarters. . By ones and twos they straggled in and lounged in cushioned, chairs, turned through respectable newspa- pers and puffed incessantly at fat cigars. Enthroned at Ded Crafty sat behind a flattop desk which was piled high with papers and magazines, also with letters and telegrams. He rolled a half chewed .cigar from one side of his steel-trap- like mouth to the other as he turn- ed the pages of a bundle of- sheets on which were scrawled reports from many parts of the state. His large;- fat hand, covered over with bristhy-. hair, drammed: idily on the corner of. the desk. A black, stubby mustache covered a firm upper and slightly. drooped at the cormers. A French. flannel vest was buttonsd snugly around a large stomach and.a check- ed tie bulged from .under a deuble chin. Thé forehead was broad but flat and; the hair was closely .cropped, while a pair of ratlike eyes looked piercingly through a pair of specta- cles, perched on a.Roman nose. The end of the nose was red. The eyes made you- wince as if some one was trying to .bore holes in you with =« gimlet. o ; An even dozen,: excepting Crafty, now occurijied. the roem. They talked in, groups of ‘two and threes, some with knitted brows, others with per- plexed and fallen countenances. Eyes -Follow Crafty Crafty arose, threw the chewed half of a cigar in the waste paper basket, walked to the doer, opene: it, peered out, clozed it, locked it and put the key in his -pocket. All eyes in ‘the room followed his every motion. He closed. the transom, went to the three windows - and pulled down the shades.and switched on the light. Then walking back-. to. his desk, pulled out a box .of cigars, took out one and bit an inch off the end: and started the. box omn its passage around the room, - while he feaned back in his ehair, put his. feet on the desk and puffed large clouds of smoke which floated up .to the ceiling and :mingled with other clouds THE NONPARTISAN LEADER . The Big Boss Arouses the Workers from Their Fit of Despond and Sends Them Forth to Control the Farmer Vote by the Usual and Well Known Po- litical Underground Methods ' . By N. P. DICTAGRAPH of smoke. For a full minute Craft?l sat with knitted, brows and half closed eyes. Then he brought his feet down with a slap, swung around to his desk and looking sharply at Dodger, said: “I understand you're getting "cold feet, Dodger?”’ Dodger sat up with a start, while all eyes were turned towardsnhién. Defis Ok odger Denies Charge B “Well, I can’t say I'm exactly get- ting cold feet,” replied Dodger, weak- ly, “but I'm discourageéd—or’ at least .1 was discouraged,”- he a_dd_ed more: firmly. s . - There was a moment of . silence while Crafty bored him through with his gimlet eyes. Then he went on: anywhere with things the way they are in this state,” he-said, gaining in confidence. “The farmers -of this state are on the warpath. They,”—— but- Crafty brought his fist down with.a slam that made the ink stands clatter on the desk. ity “Farmers H—" - “Warpath, thunder, Dodger; farm- ers, h——; you talk like ‘a :crazy man,” and his -teeth .clicked like a gopher trap.. “What’ye think this is, a pink tea party or ‘a Sunday school pienic? Thing we're going to lay down ’cause a few farmers get their backs up? Think we’re going to run up the white flag ’cause a few.agi- ed tators rum around over the country and shout ‘pelitical gang?'”’ He raused - while Dodger madé an. effort to answer, then went on: “There’s more than one trick to this trade, Dodger. It’s true that it is easier to catch flies with honey than with a fly-swatter, but when they wow't eat the honey, then go after ‘en. with away from the farmers, personally. Get next to the 'businessmen, the banker, the -implement dealer, the postmaster, the lawyer} and the preachers, if necessary. hese men all come in personal cobtact with 4 B> 7 “I don’t see how .we’re going to get- the:- swatter. Stay" the farmer in a business or a social way. He has confidence in them. Each of them has some measure of power that he can bring to bear. Get after these fellows and get after ’em hard. - They’ve got to bring the farmers across.. Most every farmer in the state is, to some degree, ob- ligated to some businessman or some banker. If necessary, we will force these businmezs men to tighten the financial screws on these farmers un- til' they will be glad to come up and eat out of oir hand. But you can’t do it fiddling around, trying to put the gladhand stuff across to the farmer, direct.” . ‘Ne Kid’s Game. Slipry smiled and nodded approval, while the big boss leaned back in his chair and thrust a thumb under his vest and swept the dozen faces with one quick glance. “Of course,” continued Crafty, in a modified, tone. “I admit this ain’t no kid’s game. I admit we’re up against a hard proposition. We're up against a proposition that de- mands strongarm work. It requires more than the mere crack of the party whip. No cracking the whip over their heads goes .this time. We've got to cut ’em in two with it. We’ve got to make ’em feel it.” He leaned over the desk again. “If them foel farmers want to make a fight of this, we’ll -make it the dirtiest fight they ever got mixed, into. We've got the ammunition to carry the battle to the last ditch an’ we’re going to carry it, and beyond if neeessary,” and he slammed his fat palm down on the desk again. -The twelve faces stared at hi admiration. h g : : Boirg to Use Taat “But, we're going to-use taet, : ment and strategy—anything to We'llnot make our fight directl the farmer. We'll make .the o fellow do that. The farmers ow lot of mohey in this’state and® they were foreclosed on ‘tomorrow The Big Boss Takes a Hand in the Pol'i't'ical“Game half of them would be up against it good an’ proper. =t “But,” and he chuckled and a light twinkle lit up his eyes, “it will not necessary to <resort to severe measures. They’ll come across. Who- ever heard, of a lot of farmers'stick- ing together?” he hissed. “They can’t -do it. They’ll split into a dozen factions:long before election an’ by the time the polls are open they will come trotting back, each one into his old little - party fold an’ there’ll be nothin’ to it but countin’ the ballots and pas:in’ arourd the ‘pie.” . This brought a chorus of approval and Slipry even got up and wanted to address the meeting. Knows the Tricks “Whatda’ye think about it, Dod- ger?” concluded Crafty, relapsing in- to silence. “Well, when I look at it that way, I guess you're right.” “Right,” exclaimed the boss, ‘“of course I'm right. I'ain’t been in this fight thirty years for nothin’. I'm no beginner, ’'m not. I know the game an’ all the tricks that goes with it. If this don’t get ’em I’ve got more up my sleeve.” ; Everyone seemed -relieved and Will B. Crafty, political boss, struck a match and lighted his cigar. 2 “Now boys, listen to me,” he said, somewhat confidentially as he leaned over the desk and aimed a stubby finger at them, “now listen to me. Here is a large, sealed envelope for each of you before you go. When you, go out again keep away from the farmers. Don’t run after them. Go to see the newspaper men and be. liberal with them. Go to all business and professional men, and, bankers. Put it square up to them that they must put us across—that they must bring theze farmers around. Remem- ber.that we have unlimited funds, so spare no expense. -Every corppration in the state, and many of them out of it, are back of us with all their ' resources. Now get busy and report here-in. one week, and 'his teeth closed shut with a snap as he arose and started tke box of eigars on its pass- . age around, again. But few -words--were spoken. 1In two minutes the “boys” had all de- rted and Crafty turned out the ight, raised the windows, opened the transem and departed. - Wheat Farmers Should Get the Flea Chasing Habit--t Is Fine By CHARLES EDWARD RUSSEEL Any other farmers anywhere can get for :themselves the freedom and the benefits the California citrus fruit growers seecured. if they will unite in:the same way. That must be the deliberate con- viction of anfilbscdy that studies im- partially the history of the Californ- ia Fruit ‘Growers: Exchange: Cooperatien and coHective market- ing—that is the magic that-has dene the trick for the citrus-fruit indus- try, and will. do it.for any other branch of production. - The sail produces enough. There is no trouble with good old. Mother Earth and no trouble With the men that sow the seed and harvest the crops. The whloe trouble is with what is done with the-crops after the farmer’s toil has produced them.® . Gambliers Fix Price Ve Then Speculation and Manipulation step and grab off all the farmer has earned and they divide it between them. : It used to be so in the citrus fruit industry, but it i:n’t so any more. Today the price of your wheat is determined by gambling operations on the Chicago Board of Trade that have: really less merit in them than a roulette wheel. : With Leader Readers . Got the Right Ring 1 will say that the Nonpartisan Leader has got the right ring and every one around here is rejoicing over the way it is published.—S. D. Hastings. Welcome. to Ancther: $6.. . 1 feel that the Nonpartisan, League js the best move ever started in North Dakota. to get rid of the old gang leaders in ‘politics. If the farmers stick together through: thick and thin they are bound:to get: their rights. Every farmer in the state should be a member. I Paid $6-last summer for membership fees and you are welcome to- that much more at any time you are In need of it.— Seward Pederson. A ‘Welcome: Visitor . - The Leader is a welcome visitor at our home and. if it keeps up th olicy it has stared the re.ults’ will ¢ heneficial to us 'farme:s.—L. . ‘the farmers. It is indeed hopefu The dominant gamblers bet that the price of wheat next May will be 10 cents less-a bushel angd for that rea- son.a North Dakota farmer driving a Joad of wheat to his local elevator gets ten,cents a bushel less. Or the gamblers exhibit on the Board of Trade a cable message pur- rting to come from Buenos Ayres, let us ray, and asserting that Argen- tine wheat will be unusually large. "Phereupon ‘the price that the farm- “er receives at Mohall or Casselton drops 3 cents or 5, maybe. Srrud False Stories £ The cable message may be false or may be fabricated. In any case there is not a particle of sense or justice in the fact that the North Dakota farm- er suffers because of it. He receives less for his wheat. But the price of bread will be no less for the great world, that he feed:. Nothing will ‘'be changed except :that. the flock of cormorants that fat them- selves on his laber will get more frpm~ him. It used to be exaetly so with the citrus fruit industry in the old days know where my $6 check for the League was. I got word that it would be csent to the Pettibone State bank.’ It happened that I could not get to Pettig three weeks, and then 1 found that the bank had sent it back. Now had that been a note sent there by some machine company. the bank would ‘have held it for three months longer. ; The banks in this part of the coun- try kave it in for the “Rubes and Hayseeds’”” - but I want you to send that check straight to the Pettibone State’ Bank. 1 am going to pay it there and no where else. They are glad to get my deposits and I' will put them to the trouble to handle this check. - Such work as this makes a man ten times stironger for the Nonpartisan League. ‘And 1T would have you know that 1 called at the bank three times after the first of October but the check was not there.—A, L. Arney. One in Hundreds o ‘" I've been getting the Leader now and’ think it the thing to. educate ‘eds one for nearly - when these growers also were the helpless victims of Speculation and Manipulation. Once, for instance, the buyers spread the story that the Mediterran- ean citrus crops had been enormous and vast quantities of oranges and lemons were about to be shipped to America as ballast. California grow- ers, therefore, had better sell at once for what they could get. The result was that millions of bex- es. of oranges ' were ‘picked up for merely nominal sums and the speeula- tors reaped gorgeous loot. g Elimiinate Speculation At other times they reported that California fruit arrived on the market in such a decayed condition that few dealers would touch it, and by indus- triously spreading these tales they secured oranges at 10. cents a box. - The whole business of marketing fruit was in the hands of the specu- lative ‘buying interest as almost the whole business of marketing wheat is in the hands of the speculative buying interect now. - 7 e citrus fruit growers have abol- is not afraid to print the whole truth about anything that is vital to the producers.—J. A. Rossoold. Back Up the Leader . I want to tell you, how much I en- joy reading the ader. It has the right ring—the ring that is going to benefit the farmer, if we only stand together and back up the Leader.— Geo. D. Laird. AR NP Not Sorry of 11 I am a subscriber to the Leader and' a member of the League. Mr. Cooper, the organizer, wa3s around in this part of the state last spring and I, as well as many others, bit on the six dollar graft.- But I don’t think ‘many are ‘sorry for doing it now.—B. A. Berg. ° _ Can’t_Afford to Miss It 1 failgd to get my last paper. I . can not afford to miss a single copy. ' By fll, It is certainly hot 'stuff. ~means the farmers should all take is valuable journal:—Chris Peter- ished all that, so far as they are con- cerned. They have utterly eliminat- ed Speculation and. Manipulation. They kave done away with the whole vicious: and indefensible system - of marketing on commission. They now raise fruit, market it themselves, sell it outright for spot cash or its equi- valent, and get all that it brings less only the actual cost charges. reduced by cooperation-to the minimum. Raise World’s - Necessity ; They are raising and selling what is, after all, largely a Tuxury. You are raising and ling the world’s pecessity. For you to control your marketing therefore ought to be a hundred times ‘easier than for them to control theirs. And when you do control it you will have swept away a full kelf of your difficulties. Why should not the :wheat farmer get what the Speculator and Manip- ulator now grabs.off? T come back to my original proposition. There is no ‘more advantage in having a chamber of commerce or a board of trade on the wheat industry than there is in having fleas on a dog.- The Califor- nia' fruit growers have gotten rid of - their fleas. You ought to get rid of yours. is the best paper the farmers of North Dakota = ever had. Let the good work go on. I'm there with oth hands and feet as long as I can breathe. I don’t figure I've wasted any money joining the League.— Perrie Groth. . : Best Move Ever Made ‘T don’t want to miss a single copy .of the Leader. I think it is the best = move ever made for the farmers.— Jas. A. May. ) To The Nonpartisan Leader: I am : El;oud to belong to the Nonpartisan ague, and to have a Fga er like the Nonpartisan Leader. Fellow farmers let us stick together and help the good thing along. ; Yours truly, H. L. FINNESETH. THANKE TO THE LEADER At a meeting of the Daily Farmers Club January 6th Kathryn. N. D, ‘resolution was passed: That we extend our he Non (:gg:igan. Lead the follow. Resoly 1 i }1 : e R