The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, August 3, 1916, Page 8

- Page, the president, and Mr. Black, the < WON'T YA ADOPT THIS BEAUTFUL CHILD MR RUBE? 'T'S SUCH'A Ay ! HE IDENTITY of the men back of the Good. Government League, organized to oppose the farmers of North Dakota and their candi- dates and political program, has been discovered by the Leader. The new mysterious organization has steadfast- ly refused to divulge its backers, but the names of the executive committes have been learned through letters signed by Norman B. Black, secretary and hired agent of the new league, writ- ten to some business men of Fargo. The Leader is therefore able to an- nounce on the authority of Mr. Black that those backing this organization, the members of the executive committee, are as follows: N. C. YOUNG, special counsel of the Northern Pacific railroad, stal- wart politician and political agent of the Northern Pacific. E. J. WEISER, president of the First National Bank of Fargo. L. L. TWICHELL, gang politi- cian and legislator, member of the last house of representatives, who voted against the terminal elevator bill, voted to repeal the tax to build terminal elevators, voted against hail insurance and other farmers’ measures and refused to vote, though net excused, on two meas< ,ures to reduce the interest rate. ‘MORTON PAGE, reputed million- aire, land and insurance broker, whose connection with the Good Government league has been repor- ted by the Leader. GEORGE H. HOLLISTER, ban- ker, president of the Northern Trust company, Fargo. AMOS C. CROWL, secretary and Manager of Park, Grant & Morris, big Fargo Wholesale grocery house. C. 0. FOLLET, vice president of the Fargo Mercantile company. . "E. J. Weiser, named by Mr. Black as . & member of the G. G. league executive committee, told a representative of the Leader that the use of his name was not authorized. : “I informed the men who spoke to me about it that I was not taking any hand . . in politics and that I did not care to serve on this committee,” said Mr. Weiser. “I have never acted as a mem- ber of this committee.” Yaad THESE G. G. LEADERS "ARE WORKING IN SECRET These are the men who- have refused to make themselves known. The Fargo Daily. Courier-News, most active ~in boosting this organization, though it has. been taken into the confidence of the ‘new league and knew. who was backing it, has failed to print the names. Mr. hired publicity agent, both refused to give these names when the Leader spe- cifically requested them two weeks ago. But- this “attempt at secrecy and back- -door work by the forces’ opposing. the farmers has been of no avail. The se- gret committe engaged in rasing a’big fund to fight the Nonpartisan league:is " Hiram Rube Rek: ere A 000000000000000000000000000000000 000000000000000000000000000000000000000 \\’ T R % (N re the “G. Young, Northern Pacific Attorney, Is Reputed Real Boss of Organization A LETTER TO THE G. G. LEAGUE HAT business men are not falling for the Good -Government league prop- paganda and are refusing to lend their names and give their funds to fight the farmers in numbers expected by the Good Government league, is shown by the following letter. “This letter was written to the new league by Hancock Brothers, a firm of Fargo architects, who had been approached to join in fighting the farmers and asked to put up some money. It is a stinging rebuke to the effrontery of the men back of the Good Government league and a fine sarcasm on the personnel of the executive committee, which is exposed by the Leader in the accompanying article. y e Fargo, N. D.; July 17, 1916. Norman B. Black, Esq., s Secretary “Good” Government league, : ‘Fargo, N. D, Dear Sir: = 2 We are in receipt of your favor of the 15th, inviting us to become members of the “Good Government league” and beg to thank you for the courtesy extended. The scheme was a good one’but was a little slow in its action. So long as a certain little coterie~of politicians had any prospect of controlling the affairs of state, all was well; but the moment they find things slipping away from them they are ready.to organize a good government league and have the people whom they have wronged contribute to support it. AS ! Before deciding to join your organization we would like to see -added to your executive committee some real good government men that would give character and stability to such an organiza- tion—men who have been tried and found to be “true and efficient” —such men as Governor Hanna, Hon. R. S. Lewis, Hon. S. F. Crabbe, Hon. Addison Leech and the Hon. Secret&ry_ Brewer of the State Board of Regents, Duncan McGillis and a few other equally good men so well known to the business administration vouched * for by L. B. Hanna and who have so long toiled in the interest of the state and done so.miuch to bring about the splendid state of . affairs that your organization now appears to be bent on destroy- ing. By their works you SHOULD know:them, but ‘you seem to be lacking in observation. : : Wishing you success in any effort put forth in the interest of good government, we have the honor to remain with distinguished consideration, - ol 5 Yours very truly, vy 5 HANCOCK BROTHERS, Architects, Fargo, N. D, : : Per G. H. 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 \ - ''This, then, is the- bunch of men who have appointed themselves saviors of the farmers of North Dakota. This is “the bunch which sees a “crisis” in North Dakota.be- cause the farmers, . constituting a majority of the people’ and paying most of the taxes, have decided to run the state for a while in the:in- terests of all the people, instead of . in the interests of a class of the people, as in the past. : a_mong_bus_iness men and bankers, in an attempt to make them see falsely the farmers’ movement and put up money to fight the farmers, % ‘SEEKING TO ARRAY CLASS AGAINST CLASS The correspondence referred to makes this statement: : “Will you give a few minutes of your valuable time to a serious consideration From the same secret correspondence of the business of government, and ask of the Good Government league, which Messrs. Pagé and Black ' little thought . ENROLL AS " BERS’ AND CONTRIBUTE AS THE order to work up a eclass prejudice yourself whether North Dakota SHALL. -YOUNG CONTROLS would be made: public, something more of the purpose and policy of the organi- zation is learned by the Leader. The appeal is to be made to business - ‘men chiefly and the argument to join and furnish funds for.the moye is that the farmers movement is a “class” movement," and that when 'the farmers .‘control the state offices” and ‘the legisla- ‘LATES FOR ALL THE ENDURE AS A STATE THAT LEGIS- 5 PEOPLE, and not for one ‘class as-against ‘all others® This .says two: things, in effect. It says that ifi the past the state has lepis. lated “for all the people and not for one: class” and it says that if this condition is, to -prevail the farmers’ movement must be crushed. The Good. ‘Govern- NEVER LEGISLATED FOR ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE PAST? It means that when the legislature denied the. people a terminal elevator, when the, elevator was demanded by a vote of i over 80 per cent of the people, that the state was legislating for all the people.' And that is the kind of legislation for all the people that the Good Governiment league wants and would continue in this state. The League wants and it woald con-- tinue, class legislation - against the farmers and the people, in the interests . of certain of the bankers and business’ men and powerful interests. No. other meaning can be placed on the para- graph " above . quoted. It' absolutely misrepresents the farmers’ movement - in that it says the farmers do not intend and will not restore representative government to the people and will not legislate for all the people. “SUSTAINING MEMBERS” MAIN SOURCE OF FUNDS Something of the financiat methods of the new organization also is_learned by the secret correspondence ' above referred to. The letter.says: “The nominal membership fee is §t, but WE ARE ASKING BUSINESS MEN. _WHO CAN AFFORD.IT TO ‘SUSTAINING MEM- IMPORTANCE OF THE WORK MAY APPEAL TO THEIR BUSINESS JUDGMENT.” : S The public is asked to get in on this scheme to fight the farmers at $1 per head, BUT THE REAL FUNDS OF - THE ORGANIZATION ARE -TO "BE FURNISHED IN PRIVATE BY. SUCH BUSINESS MEN AS WILL FALL FOR IT. : The “sustaining members” referred to . "by " the Good - Government league are - still a mystery. The Leader asked their names two weeks ago. but was refused. . The men and corporations who are. put- ting up for this fight prefer to remain “in the dark, fighting the farmers froin under cover. This “sustaining mem- . bership” list has already put up enough money to pay Mr. Black a handsome salary for a year and to. keep open the headquarters . of the organization in Fargo, as well as to send out 'the liter- ature already sent out, in an attempt to .o _ser ttempt to . rope the public in 3t $1 per head. Tt is' admitted “that ‘the new organization’s attempt to get new members at $1 each has been a flat failure, 8o that the “sus- ;a:lxlx;mg members” have had to foot the P THE LEAGUE'S WORK - The Leader is told that funds out on advice and order of N,:C./ Y counsel for the N. P, at secrecy is " maintained, even among the members of the organization, about the ‘amount "of - money ‘raised and where it ) ‘Mr. Young simply draws on the treasurer ment league wants to know if legisla- tion for “all ‘the people is to continue, mposed of the men above, the Leader ‘having * the documentary evidence to -prove it. : ture they will legislate for one class and not for the whole state. The new league - What does it mean by that, when every- boldly ' makes this false ‘assertion in Wy knows THAT THE STATE HAS G o RawGe o SORCRSTAIRE PR R S S S ~A IO e oo s o S - B f SLSAEREA SRS