The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, June 22, 1916, Page 4

£ f { { i g eague, is attacking the bankers. This is wholly untrue. “The League 3 T SlsusG S e PAGE FOUR Ll b Here are two more circulars which have been sent fiqt to the bankers of the state in the effort to. stir prejfi(!icé_s and promote a.ntagomsm a.gdnst thé’“.fgl‘mer:fi' ‘and - their organization, the Nonpartisan Le gue. One is a malicious falsehood. - The other is an;appeal to premdlce. S SEE L I TR ¢ ;:hafin“ge and Which clé\imed' i:he right to dictate the laws and thelr admin- - fistration in North Dakota. : o T i ; . LEAGUE’S FOES STIRRING UP PREJUDICE When it was seen that this attack could not succeed in its object of '$urning the farmers from their organization it took a new turn. It wmnd cities of the state, especially to the bankers and the merchants. It has now. reached its height in a sedulous and secret campaign, hich has for its object stirring up class antagonism and- arraying the Z)veople of North Dakota against the farmers of North Dakota. It seeks %0 convince the merchants and bankers that it is not to théir interest to twork for the prosperity of the whole state, not to work with the farmers - 4n seeking to keep the wealth they produce in the state, but that the §nterests of the merchants and the bankers is in joining with big cor- 4eerns outside the state in despoiling the state of Nort}l Dakota and,cor- yupting its laws and administration. : : * % % THE CRISIS BEFORE THE MERCHANTS . : Here is the crisis for .the merchants and the bankers of North Dakota. Here is the crisis for the people of Fargo. ‘Here is the crisis Hfor the citizens of Grand Forks. . Before this they have been used as tools by the foes of a farmers’ prganization and they have suffered for it. The farmers have the wer in their hands to rule this state if they care to exercise it. They mve built all the towns in North Dakota. They have the power in their hands to build or unbuild most of the merchants and the bankers of WNorth Dakota if they care to use it.. - ST If they find the merchants and the bankers of any city working determinedly against them are they not likely to resent it? Are not those merchants and those-bankers who help eastern capitalists to rob dorth Dakota farmers robbing themselves also? And is not that town ely to suffer in a business way if it fights the farmers and boosts the grain trust and so helps the grain trust to rob the state? : Are all the people of North Dakota going to work together to better “ their government and to bring about greater prosperity for all or are they going to permit themselves to be arrayed against each other? The answer rests with the merchants, the bankers and the towns- people of North Dakota; not with the farmers, ; i THE BANKERS MISREPRESENTED = ~ One of the most determined efforts of the enemies of the League. has been to line the bankers up against the farmers. This has been done through the assertion that the League is hostile to the banking. | interests of North Dakota and that the Léader, the official organ of the N More of the Big Bi’;sirie’ss Campaign 'Qf_j'AttaCR on the Leagti_e 4 ; Sounty may OYery oounta SPiVe8 1n the eoiiie . ooming Topresenteq Y 1n the giars OTRRN1Lza: 7 e © oonstaenieotion?. suan gapil & State oo !:;:: ‘g:.,_“ tion of Goog < i; oo bold Yerare sid o what the mnu..“flon 0 Do g, of oup 1d for are: : Yo are Giii ature 13 o ‘no SE5S 18" 1o by ey 10, Putpon of® ~is'not hostile-to the bankers. Many bankers aré earnest supporters of “the League, The Leader has never attacked the bankers, though it has attacked and will continue to attack the practice of usury. It believes it has the support of many conscientious bankers in that attack. : ‘Two more circulars addressed to the bankers are printed in this issue.: These circulars might make it appear that the bankers of the . Pegan to be directed not to the farmers, but to the people of the towns = state are all fighting the League. Especially is that true of the circular which is sent out as a bulletin of the North Dakota Bankers’ association and is signed by the president and secretary of that association. The ‘Leader does not believe that circular represents the views of the bankers of the state and it cautions its readers against assuming that all bankers are unfriendly to the League. League members should - find out whether that is true of their bankers. They should take steps to counteract any effect such bulletins may have on bankers who do not understand the real purposes of the League. They ought to do their part generously to defeat this effort to array the bankers as a class against the farmers as a class. - - E T THE DANGER TO. THE MERCHANTS The merchants of Fargo also are being misrepresented. One or two firms have sent out the literature put out by. the publicity bureau of Big Business under the name of “Good Government League.” Among the firms which did this is the North Dakota Harness company. Mer- -chants who deal with this firm are being asked to work against the League. League members will know what firms in their town deal with the North Dakota Harness company and they should visit them and correct the false impression caused by the circular letter sent out under. _ the signature of the North Dakota Harness company, which speaks. of the League as a “menace” to the state and “a socialistic movement.” One of the officers of this firm is well known as a politician and is a can- didate for the legislature, with the avowed object of defeating the farm- - ers’ program. ks > e BE FAIR TO FARGO' - . .League members should not hastily assume that all merchants of Fargo are lined up with this fraudulent “Good Government League” *movement. They should not show their resentment against the entire city and its merchants and bankers because a few are undoubtedly mem- -bers of the secret cabal attacking the League; R Time will show just what ones are against them and undoubtedly -will show that there are many fair men among Fargo’s merchants and bankers, men who are too wise to be misled by this propaganda of alien business interests, financed with a big slush fund and employing an able - political manipulator on a fat salary and a long-term contract to fight the League. Do not be hasty. Wait and see. Be fair to Fargo. Its citizens are not all Guilds, Sl ot -