The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, May 18, 1916, Page 6

Truth Aboht Your Con & vention State DelegateS'AnSWer Chargés' in Gang Pap‘.elrs' . That They Did Not Have Free Hand in Indorsing No other political meeting ever held in the state of North Da- kota was as fairly conducted as the state convention of the Nonpar- tisan League, held in Fargo the last week in March. Every delegate present at the convention testifies to that fact; and no one who has taken the trouble to talk to them doubts it. i 3 ' Yet in the face of that Gang newspapers are industriously cir- culating the report that the state convention was “bossed,” that the personnel of its nominees was dictated by. the “Big -Five,” and various other charges impugning the character of the men who were selected by the members of the League to represent them in that state convention. This line of attack has aroused the delegates themselves, who WERE NOT INFLUENCED Editor Nonpartisan Leader: 1 see some newspapers are doing a lot of talking about the state convention of the Nonpartisan League, that it was not conducted fairly and that it was dominated by the leaders. I was a delegate from the Seventeenth legis- lative district and I know that every- thing was left to the delegates to ‘decide. They did the nominating of state officers and were not influenced by anyone—F. W. KEITZMAN, Lakota. TOOK NO DICTATION Editor Nonpartisan Leader: I have been reading the controlled papers and they sure make me sore the re- marks they make about the delegates being dictated to by officers of the League. I am sure if some of those “big men” had been there they could have easily- seen ' those delegates wouldn’t take much dictation. I want to say for their benefit that the state convention was the best and fairest ever held in our state. We chose the men thought best for officers, then discussed them and lastly took:'a vote to see which one to put on our ticket and not one officer of the League had: a voice in selecting the candidates._ That was done by the delegates en- tirely. The Leader is doing great work, keep pushing it and we will march to Bismarck January 1st.—B. L. WHITSON, Palermo. “LIES,” SAYS SWENSON Editor Nonpartisan Leader: May I say a few words in regard to the state convention held in Fargo March 29, 1916. The gang papers in the state have repeatedly charged that the state candidates were selected and railroaded through by a few of the leaders of the League, which is a pre- posterous lie. I was a delegate from the seventh legislative district and know that no one-officially connected with the League had any voice or vote in the convention. Only those show- ing credentials were allowed a seat and voice. And the selection of of- ficers for indorsement was done with utmost care and deliberation. Every candidate was thoroughly discussed before being voted on, and in every case was the selection made unani- mous. This statement every delegate from all over the state will bear me out and corroborate. Then .again ., they say we are breaking away ‘from the primary election law. Ridiculous! Why it’s the very spirit of the law. And now we are circulating petitions for these same state officers. I have no apology to make for any of them, for in each case the office has sought the man and not the man the office, which-- is wastly different. Hoping “ every farmer in the state will get to the polls and vote on June 28, I am gincerely yours for clean government. —C. 0. SWENSON, Northwood. CHARGES ARE FALSE Editor Nonpartisam' Leader: Re- garding the charges made by some of the mewspapers that the delegates ‘were dictated to and the indorsement was forced Tfion the ‘delegates, I will | 1 say that s charges are false. I never attended a political convention ° that was conducted more honestly and fairly than the League convention. Every delegate present had the privil- ege to name some one for any and all offices and all delegates were given the privilege to frankly discuss such nominee, If any of the delegates did not take part in such discussion it was because he did not avail himself of the opportunity. In my ppmm if all po- 'PAGE SIX were not ours. and I think they will all agree beat it. .00.....,.‘."..'.O...........O. litical conventions in past years had conducted as honestly and fairly as the League conventiom was at Fargo we would not now have the ex- pensive primary election law on our ?fiatute ooks—H. GEIGER; Ham- LEE RESENTS CHARGE Editor Nonpartisan Leader: I have read in some of the newspapers pub- lished in this state that the conven- tion held in Fargo to indorse candi- datse for state offices by the Nonpar- tisan League delegates were only a matter of form as far as the delegates were concerned and that the officers of the League had already previous to the meeting selected the candidates for the various offices and the dele- gates only sanctioned what had already been fixed up for them and the presence 'of the delegates was only a matter of form. Now in fair- ness to all concerned I will say that the officers of the Nonpartisan League _did ‘not select the candidates for the various state offices but the delegates made their own selection. Being a delegate to the convention I know whereof I speak. Each delegate that wanted any certain persdn indorsed as his choice for any office proposed that name before the convention and the names of the different parties pro- posed were voted on by the convention and the party receiving the majority - of the votes of the delegates was the choice of the convention. My choice at the convention for governor was L. S. Platou of Valley City whose name I proposed but he did not receive the Editor N program. us down, while our every day. v talent” if it expects as a knocker is no good for [ fibidobocoooouooooo(coooooooooooooo 9000000000000000000000000000000000000000000080000000 - Here’s What Ails Them— They Can’t Beat Ticket Editor Nonpartisan Leader: gate to the state convention of the Nonpartisan League, chosen by the legislative convention of our district to represent the League membership to investigate and indorse men for the state ticket. Now some of the newspapers of this state claim that we were dictated to in this matter and the selections made I think there were 45 or 50 delegates at this convention ‘ with me that this was the fair- est convention ever held in this state. We were not dictated to; we did our best, and this ticket is going to win. They can’t C. H. NOLTIMIER, Valley City. .....Q.O.................’............0,‘........‘.. " majority ruled. . onpartisan Leader: at Fargo, I notice the gang editors got busy knocking the League officers, just as if they had a vote in the convention. It was us state delegates that indorsed the state candidates. We had the whole power and say about that, and I think we did a good job of it, as I haven’t found anyone yet that has kicked on our ticket who stands ? I TOOK PART IN THE DISCUSSION OF CANDIDATES AND I VOTED ON THEM JUST AS I WANT- ED TO. The people are getting tired of this knocking the League officers who are working for the interest of our state. ‘That measly Courier-News and the other cheap gang papers must feel mighty small by this time being below trying to pull League and Leader are growing larger The Courier-News had better invest in some “expensive to be noticed after doing all this knocking, 990000000000000009090000009009900000000000000000000 have always -stood ready to explain to all who wished to know all . "about the state convention and the manner of selecting the- state There is none among their number not well satisfied’ candidates. with the action of the convention, in which he himself had an equal part with all the others. A number of these men have written letters to the Leader, which the Leader now believes it its duty to publish in order that all may know the truth about the convention and no one may have any . cause for lending credit to false stories, deliberately spread with the intent to injure the League. Below are a few of theé letters. the truth. 1 will say that I was a dele- i the choice of the delegates present. Likcwise other names that were ‘pro- posed for that office ‘as well as other state offices. There were different names propesed:and in every instance the majority ruled.” As to myself per- sonally being dictated to by any man . or ‘group of men will say that I use my -own thoughts, my own mind :and my own will power'in this as well as other matters and have not taken any instructions from anyone in the past and will not take any instructions in the future but have used and will use what common sense I am gifted with to the best interest of all the people. 4+-C. J. LEE, Valley City. LIE OF BLACKEST KIND Editor Nonpartisan Leader: Some of the controlled newspapers in the state are making the charges that the state delegates of the Nonpartisan League were dictated to by the lead- ers of the League in selecting men for state office. I was not approached nor dictated to by any one, and I will - further say as a state ‘delegate: I made motions for my choice as did the others.. We had seven names on the slate for governor and each one of us wvoted b% ballot and the necessary I am willing to verify the above statement under oath.—A. J. HUSO, Northwood. z ; A BIG BUSINESS FALSEHOOD Editor Nonpartisan Leader: I have read the charge in some of the gang controlled papers that the state con- vention of y what they are ...........'...O..0.0..O.‘.O‘.QOCQ....“..Q.......Q.. . IT WAS A GOOD JOB, SAYS WESTBY Regarding our convention “?"..'0.0.l......O...QQ...Q’......O y for the League’s - letter in the 7 "~ the Noneazfisan League majority votes and was therefore not had been dictated to - chairman, secre: Read them if you want to know, pleased to call the “big five,” and thaf the delegates to that convention hae no say .as to the selection of candi« dates for the state ticket as indorsed by the convention. I have also heard - this expressed by word of mouth by some men who are represenytives of Big Business. Now, Mr. Editor, I, as a delegate to that convention from the twenty-third legislative district, do here state that the man or newspaper, whoever they, may be, that makes the above asser< tion makes a wvulgar, malicious falsi« fication. He knows absolutely mnoth<+ ing of what he is talking about. The convention was conducted fairly and squarely by the delegates without dic~ tation from anyone. If you have room will you please insert this short ader with: my name attached and oblige—N. E. WHIP« PLE, Eckelson, ) PETERSON WASN'T MUZZLED _ Editor Nonpartisan Leader:: Whoe éver ‘says that the selection of candis dates for state office made by the Non« partisan League state delegates at Fargo on March 29 was not fair, does not know what he is talking about.. Each delegate was-asked to nominate whomever - he pleased. I had my favorites I nominated and I ‘think: I did as much talking both for and against the different candidates as-any one there. We could not all get our favorites indorsed. We would have had too many for each office. I am ' willing to abide by the majority when the majority is fair, and if it hadn’t been you would have heard from ma long before this.—C. P. PETERSON, state delegate from Towner county. PINDALL TELLS WHOLE STORY Below is a letter written by E. By Pindall, delegate from district 14, to the Ransom County Gazette? To the voters of Ransom county: I have had so many inquiries in regard to the lies that have been ci ted about the Nonpartisan League con- - vention held at Fargo, N. D., on March 29th to 30th. g Sl I take this means through the cour< tesy of the editor to inform you of the facts in the icase. The farmers of Ransom - county through their dele- - gates elected me-to represent them in the state convention at Fargo. There were about forty delegates and forty thousand farmers of North Dakota. We devoted half a day to - get acquainted and diseuss the issue at stake. - After roll call we elected a e and tellers. Af-. ter which nominations were in order for each delegate was at liberty to Toon for afio b el e 0 Uy or e : his say in regard to i Tes coxd, ability and loyalty of the candi< date to the farmers’ cause; after which: we voted by secret ballot, each man voting for his cheice with the excepw tion we voted by acclamation for g candidate for the office of state treas« urer, auditor and a ; , as there was only one candidate named . for each of these The de« ST o e o e and square in 1ands of the tes. The o8 th of the ) -18 £ present representing between 'thirty, -