The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, July 20, 1916, Page 7

" North Bakots Gasd Goverument League ‘ T " Pargo, N. Dak., June.15, 1916, - Yorpe forgerson, - . Homen, N. B ‘Pear 8ir: The Welfare end- Interests of Farmers, Merchents, Bankers, Profeesions, Insurance Companies and otkers 1s so vitally threatened by, the -Socielistic Plans of the "Non-Partisan League"™ that the: eitizehs of Fergo, irrespective of Party sffiliations or Politice, have deemed it nmecessary 1o, Torm an orgenization to counteTact = ~ this gengerous movement to capture the Legislative, Executive and Judiciel affeirs of the state whoee @otions might Be controlled by @ few with littls or no interest in -the welfare of the State, dut intereste of & Personal or Selfish natures S This orgamization to be celled the "Good Covermment Leegue® of North Dakota. ; We believe this is of such vital importence to you end your community that we deemed it advisable to write you &nd enclose e circular describing the erisis the State interests are up &gainst. Xindly read, &nd investigate, and if there is any further infexmation you wish, write us. Will you not organize & "Good Govermment League" in your own community? \ We are not in Politics; nor 40 we favor eny particuler 4ndividual or candidates for office; only doing what we cen to avert - & great danger to all interests of our State and to see thatcandidates dor state x;g';ioeu, who can be depended on to work for the best interests ~ of the state, end not be dictated to by sny clique, who might be despoilers of the public funds, if they so deeire, ere nominsted end eleoted. ; ; : ~ You, no doubt, are sware that Mo Iaw except that of #Sgpply and Demand" will regulaté the price &t which any man can or Sell his products or Loasn or Borrow money. or credit at. 0. man can be compelled to gell or loan ¢t & price that is lower < .than he can obtain in an outside market, nor can he get more then, . outeide markets will sell at. Would be plessed to hear from yom on the Subject, H ’ g fery truly yours, 75 [ 9 2 If no other proof were to be had, here is enough, in the two letters reprod.nced * in fac-simile above, to show the “Good Government” league up in its true light. First notice that the name of -the league in the two:letterheads is IN THE SAME » TYPE, evidently both a part of the same printing order. One letter, the one on the A fdlgft, is signed by F. A. Bristol, a Fargo business man, and is dated June 15. In the ck v _of the “Good Government” league this letter makes a vicious and untrue o= Thestwha Nonpartisan League. This was written at the start of the new 1 edgiie” . OUT-AND-OUT FIGHT AGAINST THE FARMERS’ ORGANIZATION. Now look at the other letter, signed by the Good Government league itself, by "Before and After the, “G. G. League” Reformed WHEN IT WAS TRYING TO GET NEW MEMBERS IN A STRAIGHT . SORTON PAGE, Presrogne * wonuan 8.7 E North Bakots. Good Gobernment Lrague Pargo, N. D., July 3, 1916, - Dear Ssr:-_ We believe every citizen of North Daketa wants Good Government, although we may honestly differ as to methods of ob- taining it. Well-meaning voters have-been temporarily led astray by deliberate misrepresentations or half-truths scattered by pro- fessional politicians and demagogues having personal interests to serve. Such misrepresentation would be ineffective if every voter in the state, regardless of his party affiliation, would become a member of a central organization, free from perscnal or party control, and on whose directing officials he could rely, at critical periods, for complete and unbiased information con- cerning men and measures. An organization ‘that will honestly and thoroughly investigate every individual and proposition that seeks the suffrage of the people - and then tell the plain truth about it, without malice or favor. Such organizations are now successfully active in seve eral states, and are doing much to eliminate personal and class bitterness, and contributing greatly to better and more repre- sentative government. The North Dakota Good Government League is organized for such a purpose. Its platform is broad enough to admit every voter who sincerely seeks truth and honest enlightenmemt in public affairs, "with malice toward none.” = Read the enclosed folder, f£ill out the application, mail in the enclosed return envelope, with One Dollar, and become an- enrolled member of this great uplifting; organization that will make North Dakota known throughout the world as a state where "men may dwell together in unity." Respectfully submitted, NORTH DAKOTA GUOD GOVERNMENT LEAGUE, Morton Page, President, Norman B. Black, .Sec'y. LEAGUE. THIS WAS WRITTEN WHEN THESE GENTLEMEN KNEW FOR SURE THAT THE FARMERS MEANT BUSINESS, AND IN IT THE “GOOD GOVERNMENT” LEAGUE CHANGES ITS TUNE. In this later letter the “league” refrains from its bitter and false attack on the farmers and uses more * honied words, in an attempt to get members under the false representation that the “Good Government” league is simply an organization of voters to.“investigate and *tell the plain truth, without malice or favor,” about issues of the day. But even in this letter the cat is let out of the bag. Mark that it was written AFTER THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE HAD EXPRESSED THEIR OVER- WHELMING CONFIDENCE IN THE NONPARTISAN LEAGUE AND ITS PRO- its alleged president and secretary. This was written July 3, AFTER THE PRIMARIES AND AFTER THESE GENTLEMEN FOUND OUT THEY COULD GET NO MEMBERS BY DIRECTLY each will carry the expense,” he said. “Of course when I took the matter over 1 wanted something more certain than that, to guarantée my salary and keep the thing going, if I was to devote all my time to-it. So they got a sustain- ing membership. This consists ' of members who guarantee to pay my salary .and the expenses of the league in case the:membership fees fail to do so. But the membership fees - will carry it all right. They have so- far and we are going to get 15,000 members soon.” ; “Is there a board of directors”? . “Oh yes,” said Mr. Black, “and an executive committee of prominent men. ‘We have held several meetings and there is nothing secret about it.” GOOD!- WE CAN HAVE SOME OF THE NAMES “If that iz the case, then,” Mr. Black was told, “the Leader wouid like to get a list of the men on the board of direc- ‘tors and ‘on the executive committee; also a list of the sustaining members, as you call them.. And we would like a list of the membership.” ; “Well I don’t know as to giving youa list. of -the members at this time,” said Mr. Black. “That will be announced in “due fime. But as to the names of the directors and executive committee, there . can b%no ol}jeefiqm to thaz;’ S ¢ “And can I get the list of sustaining ~~ representative. asked the Leader ATTACKING THE NONPARTISAN of the new mysterious order was to be divulged to the public the Leader repre- sentdtive made an appointment to see - Mr. Page. Mr. Page called up, after the first appointment to see him was made, and he said he couldn’t keep it, as he had to be cut of town.. A date was made with him for the next day with like result, but finally, that afternoon Mr. Page.called up to say he would see 'the Leader man, and the Leader man called. ALAS! PAGE HAS NO AUTHORITY BUT THE LIST OF NAMES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, THE SUSTAINING MEMBERS AND THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS”WERE NOT OBTAINED BY THE LEADER. ‘Mr. Page said he had no authority to-make public the pames of the men connected = with the new league. He said he had no objection to being known ~as’ connected - with it, because he never .-became connected with- anything he was ‘ashamed of, ‘but he said he could not give out the names of the rest. He ‘said they could announce their connec- ~tion with the league if they desired to, but he could not speak for them. .. “We are going to have a meeting some time next week,” he said. “And . maybe at that time we can arrange to give out the names;” said Mr. Page. Tt was then up to the Leader repres- entative to begin “calling ‘on every . ‘pérson ‘in Fargo and ' asking them if d to the league. 'Mr. Page &w ‘mysterious’ ‘order must ‘no other way open. GRAM, and mark that-it says the voters have been “TEMPORARILY LED ASTRAY,” meanin that the nomination of the Nonpartisan League candidates was a mistake. Sure, the old gang thinks the farmers have made a mistake! able conversation with Mr. Page, who, ~like Mr. Black, is a very affable gentleman. It was a hot day and the Leader representative found Mr. Page sitting in the Lreeze from a big electric fan in a finely appointed office back of the general offices of his big land and insurance company. The Leader man was. greeted ' cordially. Mr. Page begged time to . dictate a letter before taking up the conversaiion and pressed a button on his desk. When the stenographer appeared he dictated a letter about some big land deal, which the Leader man politely failed to listen to because it was none of his business. This over the millionaire: intimated that the conversation would have to be brief as his auto was all ready to take him to the lakes for a few days out of the n.at of the city. 1 QF COURSE! THEY'RE STRONG FOR FARMERS After refusing, on being urged, to divulge ~the backers and members, if there are any, of ‘the Good ‘Government league, Mr. Page asserted that he and . the men in his organization were strong for the farmers; that they were for the farmers first, last and. all the time. “Why 1 have been a farmer and know what they are wup against,” said' Mr. Page, turning his face ‘to get the full benefit of the breeze from the electric fan that was playing on him. Across “ @& light well on which the office opened’ the Leader man saw through a half curtained window a big blackboard with ~ places for stock and 'wheat quotations: from New: York, Chicage, Minneapolis’ and other ceénters. A telegraph instru-: " 'ment - 'was heard: ticking off - quotations’. when they had no money or credit and we helped them make a success of farming. I have been in the state 40 yvears and the other men with us in this league here building up the countiry and devel- oping it. The farmer and the business men have interests that can not be separated. They must work togethers We are against- setting class against class.” X ¢ FARMERS GLAD TO KNOW CLASS APPEAL IS TO BE DROPPED “The farmers of the Nonpartisan League will doubtless be glad to hear that,” said the Leader man. “They have had in their fight to gain justice .to contend with a very strong propa< ganda fostered by newspapers and others which has sought to arraign the business men as a class against the farmers. They will ‘be glad to know that the league of which you are the head will not foster any such spirit.” “Don’t misunderstand me,” said My, Page. “We are against state owners ship and Socialism.” - - “The = Nonpartisan - League socialistic,” said the Leader man. “Well, we are against state owner- ship,” said the millionaire, “whether backed by the Nonpartisan League or ~anybody else.” “Do .you include in your statement a state-owned ' terminal elevator such as the people twice ‘have voted to estab< lish?” “Certainly,” was the reply. “Where would it end if we started state-owner- ship? We ‘are for ‘a terminal elevator owned -and built cooperatively, perhaps ith - state assistance, but: not state isn'g (names unknown) have lived ' e ) i { { 1y {t