The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, March 29, 1917, Page 2

n Praise Men Who Made Goo Farmers Welcome Representatives and Senators Who Were Faithful—Ask Others to Explain Their Conduct ONPARTISAN League meet- ings are going forward throughout the state with the zest and large attendance of a campaign in full swing. The messages being brought home to the isolated neighborhoods and the small towns that sent League repre- sentatives and senators to Bismarck, are finding a welcome, and receiving the indorsement of public metings in all parts of the state, and many new members are being added to the rolls. At some of these meetings anti-League men have appeared to defend them- selves, and at a few, the flying squad- ron of the Old Guard, comprising O. J. Sorlie, and representatives of the Grand Forks Herald and the Nor- manden have dropped in unawares, de- manded a hearing, and have been given time by the League speakers to present the opposition’s side of the case. In all such instances, the Old Guard has retired discredited, their arguments have been answered by League speak- ers, or shot to pieces by pointed ques- tions from members of the audience, and the enrollment of members at the close of the meetings they- attended, has shown how fully the people re- pudiated them. DUNN CENTER IMPRESSED BY SPEAKERS’ SINCERITY At Dunn Center, March 16 farmers and business men united in a big Non- partisan League meeting, as told in the following letter from Thomas G. Nelson, an attorney of the town. “On March 13, W. B. Evans and Chris Flegel, representing the Nonpartisan League, conducted a meeting in our town. Both men made a good impres- sion among the people as a whole, and Mr. Evans proved to be a very enter- taining speaker. In spite of the busy season and bad roads and poor adver- tising that had been done ahead, some over 100 farmers and business men as- sembled in the hal! to hear the speak- ing. The Dunn Center bar? iturnished music witk w=hich to gather the crowd, first playing in the street and then in the hall. Many of those present who had not already paid their dues to the League for the next two years, did so at the conclusion of the meeting and several new ones. joined before the two men left our town. “Every one who had the pleasure of meeting the men and hearing them gpeak was profoundly impressed with their sincerity. Their visit brought home to us again the fact that there must be a tremendous readjustment in the social and economical structure of the present age and that the readjust- ment must not come in the form of a clash between country folks and small- town business men, but between the common people on the farms and in our towns, as against those who gather millions as middlemen in handling the necessities of life on the way from the fields to the retail market as finished products in the form of food and rai- ment for civilized man.” LEEDS COMMUNITY IS STRONG FOR LEAGUE Writing from Leeds, March 14, W. D. Conway, secretary of the Federation of Benson County Farmers’ clubs, gives an account of an enthusiastie meeting, as follows: “Our League meeting at Leeds March 13 was a complete success.: One hunded and forty-seven farmers were present, the greater number of them were en- thusiastic League members who had already joined for two years more. Some had come a distance of 12 miles. About 15 business men were present also. "E. E. Pinkham of Maddock, N. D., spoke for an hour and a half and presented his arguments in a clear con- vincing manner, showing why the farmers should stick by their organiza- tion, and also stating what had been al- ready accomplished by the League. He was liberally applauded throughout his address. “Some of the business men who at- tended left convinced that the organi- zation would work a great deal of good for the people of the state, and spoke favorably of it. Those among them who had not attended League meetings before had been under the impression that the League was knqcking their business, but these fears were alleviat- ed after hearing Mr. Pinkham. One business man stated that if the League » i8 a good thing for the farmer, why shouldn’t it be a good thing for us. The League is gaining support amorg the business men here.” A mass meeting of Nonpartisan League members at Rock Lake March ’ . 14 unanimously indorsed Governor Frazier for his veto of Senate Bill 84, and copies of the resolution were mail- ed to the governor and to newspapers friendly to thé League. The resolu- ticns were drawn up by a committee comprising H. L. Doty, A. A. Mauger, D. W. Boyd and H. C. Murphy. Writ- ing of the sentiment of the meeting, Mr. Mauger, president of the Crocus Farmers’' Elevator company, Crocus, N. D, says: “The League meeting at Rock Lake March,14 proved to be a great success. The farmers of this vicinity are en- thusiastic about their organization and they resent keenly any attack upon it. J. P. Craig, the speaker, was intro- duced by D. W. Boyd, who presided and gave a lecture on the work of the League, and its program so forceful and convincing that no argument against it could be entertained. He showed how fulfilment of the program would save millions of doliars for the people of North Dakota, and why the farmers should be organized. “About 150 people were present and 1¢ new members were added to the list. After the lecture the meeting unanimously adopted resolutions in- dersing the governor for his veto of Scenate Bill 84.” WHIPPLE FINDS NEIGHBORS APPROVE HIS WORK Representative N. E. Whipple of Spiritwood, a League man, met many of his constituents at a meeting Satur- day March 10 at Fullerton, and told them of the fight the farmers had to make at Bismarck to put across the peoples’ program, and how they were “blocked and checkmated by the Old Gang in the senate. His address was accorded much applause. R. H. Johnson, a farmer writing from Fullerton March 13, said: “The work of reorganizing is well under way down here and we're all sticking. The year 1918 is just around the corner, and that is election year, when we'll all put/the clincher on the senate.” SUCCESSFUL MEETING HELD BY ED WOOD League Organizer Ed@ Wood, former first assistant chief clerk of the house of representatives, and Organizer Gor- don held a meeting in the opera house at Columbus, N. D., March 14 and 12, new members for two years were en- rolled. “We have a few business men in our town who try to discourage the farm- ers from joining the League, but that only makes the farmers study the League so much more, and consequent- 1y results in more farmers joining,” writes Albert Giegenhagen of Colum- bus. “I think the main thing for all the old members of the League who bave not yet renewed their member- ghip, is to renew at once. New mem- bers will eventually be added.” Charles Schick of Grant county who was indorsed and elected as a League man, tried to break up a Nonpartisan meeting held to review the work of the legislature at Lark, a few days ago. This was in Schick's home town, and without knowing it the League en- gaged a hall that Mr. Schick claimed to own. All around it was an attempt to prevent the League farmers getting to- gether to discuss the legislature and its doings. When F. J. Argast, the League organizer, tried to hire the hall, he was told by L. Thompson, its cus- todian that the charge would be $20, but by getting in touch with Tim Daily, a friend of the League, also interested in the hall, it was secured for $5. When opened it was found to have only a few chairs and old boxes and crates for seats, and the floors were drifted over with snow, but the meeting was held, and there was a large at- tendance, including many women. When Schick discovered the Nonparti- sans. were going ahead with the meet- ing he went to the hall with a half a dozen cronies, interrupted the speaker, repeatedly, (though he refused an in- vitation to take the floor and speak) and made such a disturbance that the _women finally withdrew. J. R. Fernbaugh of Rutland. N. D, writing of a League meeting there March 17, said: “The speaker, Mr. Cram, gave us an interesting meeting at Rutland. Every- body was interested in the League pro- gram, and there were quite a few new members taken in after the meeting, and old ones renewed.” 4 Organizer Wood’'s meeting at Am- brose, was reported by one who attend- ed, L. O. Anderson, in part as follows: “Ed F. Wood of Deering, addressed the Nonpartisan meeting held at Am- brose, N. D., March 15. - The hall was filled to the last seat by farmers and business people, and all appeared to be favorably impressed with the League's story as he presented it.” g WOOD'S ADDRESS IS PRAISED The Ambrose Tribune reporting this meeting in a lengthy article together with a League song sung by Mr. Wood, had this to say of it: “Mr. Wood gave a talk that was well received and one that left a pleasant recollection of facts well presented in a spirit of friendliness and fairness to all. He said he was neither a calamity howler ner a pessimist, but could not deny facts when shown to him. Fifteen vears on a farm the speaker said, had taught him some things that are facts. These same facts others farmers know, while there are still others who know but don't like to admit it. 5 “The Nonpartisan League have a well defined program familiar to all : “Down in Fargo there is a little mill in operation by Dr. Ladd who has demonstrated the very wide margin between what the farmer gets for his wheat and the price he pays for the flour, and has also demonstrated the fact that $55,000,000 were lost to the farmers of North Dakota in 1916 by the unfair system of grading and this insane system of distribution. “The worn-out theory that the farm=- ers as a class can never stick together, had to be thrown in the discard when their political machinery last year was carried through so successfully. But even before the farmers could begin to carry out their program and bring be- fore the people of the state the fact that it is practical and can be done, it was found that the constitution of the state must be changed to permit it, hence .the framing of House Bill 44. The unhappy fate of the bill in the Senate, however, by no means indi- cates its ending. ©On the other hand, House Bill 44 still lives to fight another day.” FROM NEBRASKA Tilden, Nebr., March 6, 1917, Editor Nonpartisan Leader, Fargo, N. D. Dear Sir: Some time ago I addressed you a short letter and requested you to for- ward me a few copies of your most valuable paper. With a view of seek- ing more information in regard to the fundamental principles of 'your great political movement which has swept your state the. past season and placed into office the true representatives of the people. The information asked for came and studying over its contents, I find that it represents the true principles of gov- ernment as laid down by the great Emancipator of 1860 to 1865 with the measurements of equality and Justice. May these officers who led your peo- ple to victory, prove true to the great cause which they represent and mea- sure justice by the scales of equality to those which gave them power and punish to the greatest extent those vile agents who are armed with an un- limited amount of enticements to de-. stroy the welfare of the masses. May this great political movement spread far and wide and in the fall of 1918 or 1920 be crewned with the great- est success. Let all our state and na- tion be truly represented by the masses and bury beneath the waves of the deep the capitelistic greed that has reigned in our beloved country for the last half century. Let us use every ounce of power that we are possessed of and make the great political move= ment a grand success. With the greatest success to the movement, I am, J. T. GREEN. League Meetings and Announcements WATCH THE DATES League members should look over the Iist of meetings every week, beeause new ones are added to the list weekly and often changes and cancellations are made. MEETINGS ADDRESSED BY A. C. TOWNLEY: Grand Forks, March: 30. NORTH DAKOTA MEETINGS . Important business meetings of the Nonpartisan League in North Dakota are scheduled for the fol- lowing places. These meetings are of great impor- tance and League members should not fail to be in attendance: Burnstad, March 29, 2 p. m. Guthrie, March 29, 2 p. m. Ayr, March 29, 2 p. m. . Omemee, March 29, 2 p. m. Des Lacs, March 29, 2 p. m. Burnstad, March 29, 2 p. m. Spring Brook, March 29, 2 p. m. Drake, March 39, 2 p. m. Wheelock, March 30, 2 p. m. Hunter, March 30, 2 p. m. Willow City, March 30, 2 p. m. Inkster, March 31, 2 p. m. Kindred, March 31, 2 p. m. Revere, March 31, 2 p. m. Temple, March 31, 2 p. m. Tioga, April 1, 2 p. m. Osnabrock, April 2, 2 p. m. Horace, April 2, 2 p. m. Easby, April 3, 2 p. m. Barnes Hall, April 3, 2 p. m. Hesper, April 3, 1:30 p. m. Langdon, April 4, 2 p. m. Brinsmade, April 5, 1:30 p. m. ‘ Dresden, April 5, 2 p. m. Hannah, April 6, 2 p. m: Silva, April 9, 1:30 p Cavalier, April 9, 2 p. m. Balta, April 10, 1:30 p. m. Hensel, April 10, 2 p. m. Orrin, April 11, 1:30 p. m. Mountain, April 11, 2 Concrete, April 12, 2 p. m.- . 1., p. m. Olga, April 13, 2 p. m. . Nekoma, April 16, 2 p. m. Loma, April 17, 2 p. m. Alsen, April 18, 2 p. m. Calio, April 19, 2 p. m. NOTICE TO KIDDER. COUNTY MEMBERS Owing to snow blockades on the Pingree-Wilton- line, meetings at Tuttle and other towns on that line have twice been cancelled. The following are now announced, and there will be both G‘erman“ and English speakers. Tuttle, Wednesday, March 28, 2 p. m. Robinson, Thursday, March 29 2 p. m. Lake William, Friday March 30, 2 p. m. Pettibone, Safurday, March 31, 2 p. m. Still, Tuesday, April 3, 2 p. m. These meetings will be addressed by H. P, Richardson in English and by F. J. Argast in Ger- man, - TWO T Co