The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, April 19, 1917, Page 9

ERE is a picture story to make you laugh. Picturing the truth is one of the best ways of showing it, and the two white arrows in the picture on this page tell a certain truth in a most convincing way. This large building is the Gilfillan building in St. Paul, where the National Nonpartisan League has its headquarters. The League occupies all of the third floor of this six-story building. In these offices is transacted the central organ- ization work for the whole League. From here the organizers are directed in their work in distant states. To this office come hundreds of letters from farmers' all over the country. Many farmers visit it themselves when they are in St. Paul, for it is headquarters for the greatest farmers’ movement ever started. The upper arrow points to the third story, all of which is occupied by the National Nonpartisan League head- quarters. Look at the lower arrow. It points to a narrow, two-story building right under the nose of the National Nonpartisan League headquarters building. Guess what office that is. It is the office of the “Minnesota Non- partisan League”. See how close the two are to each other. This fake non- partisan league got just as.close to the real Nonpartisan League as it possibly could, both in choosing a name, and choosing a roosting place. Readers will remember that Presi- dent A. C. Townley and the Nonparti- san Leader pronounced this a fake or- ganization the very day it incorporated. Yes, it is ix_x(‘drporated—a pair of cor- pom{i’pn twins, 'as it were. First there is the Minnesota Nonpartisan League” incot; orated with a land speculator for its president;'a'lawyer-politician for its secretdry, and ‘A politician-elerk thrown in for good measure. Then there is the “Nonpartisan League Publishing company”, a' $150,000 corporation news- paper ‘generously launched by . this same trio of saviors, to tell the farmers about :themselves and their little venture into ‘“non-partisanism.” President Townley and the Leader knew it was a fake because it assumed a name 80 closely resembling the real Nonpartisan League, because it adopt- SEETHEPOINT? ed a platform with a few catch words built upon some of the Nonpartisan League planks, and begause it announc- - ed itself as the unselfish savior of the people and opponent of the real Non- partisan League. But they didn’'t know at that time that it was going to prove itself such a whole-souled bit of buncombe as this picture proves it to be. That was the day it was born. It had not yet found a home. Now it has found a home. Look at the other picture. That is a close up view of the home which these corporation twins found for themselves. The name on the window is that of J. A. Stoneburg, land speculator and head of a $50,000 land company. He is also president of' this “Minnesota Non- partisan League” and of its publish- ing company. This trio wanted to make themselves look as much like a farm aggregation as possible, and get as close to the farmers as possible. So they chose this office with a farm land mortgage sign on its window. Farmers are acquainted with mort- gages and with loan offices.- It had the merit of a familiar landmark in at- tracting the farmers this new League wanted. Look more closely and note the cows, horses =aand hogs in the window, a whole regiment of papier mache images of the real thing. These critters might also be counted upon to appeal to the farmers thought these plotters. There is a tiny make-believe windmill, make-believe barn, and make-believe pasture, (admirably con= sistent with the make-believe organ- ization inside). They wanted to make their show window look farm-like to the farmers. Just imagine yourself a lonely farmer in the big bustling city looking for League headquarters, a genuine Non- partisan League “sucker” (as the bank- ers call all League members). Wouldn’t this' window dressed up with a farm mortgage sign, and a drove of live- stock in a barnyard look like a friend? And:if over this array ' of familiar things should be swinging a signboard with the words “Nonpartisan League"” on it, wouldn't you think you had land- ed right side up? Of course you would. You might walk right in—it's so close to the In the upper picture, the Minnesota fake Nonpartisan League’s front win- dow dressed up to catch farmers. J. A. Stoneburg, head of this $50,000 land company is also head of the fake League's $150,000 publishing company, and president of the so-called Minne- sota League itself. In the lower picture, the Gilfillan building, headquarters of the genuine National Nonpartisan League. The upper arrow points to the third story occupied in full by the farmers’ own League. The lower arrow, right by it, points to the small two-story building occupied by Stoneburg’s Old Gang league. See how close to the real Non- partisan League he took up his station. When you go to St. Paul to visit League headquarters, be sure you find the right one, and if you write letters to the League, be sure you don’t direct them so as to go to the wrong one. The National Nonpartisan League is the only real farmers' organization. The other is a decoy, a fake and a fraud. genuine headquarters you were look- ing for. You might tell the publicity man who will be there to greet and to pump all such farmers, how much you think of the League, and you might leave your name for a copy of their paper. You wouldn’t know, if you were a total stranger, that you had been in the wrong place until the following week when you got the anti-League, Old Gang disguised sheet which this corporation is going to publish— you wouldn't know how you had been stung. Again imagine yourself one of the hundreds of farmers who write letters to the League. What the deuce is that name now ?—National — Minnesota ' — North Dakota League? You couldn’t remember to save your life, but would remember two words “Nonpartisan League”, and so you would write to President Townley or just to League headquarters, addressing your letter “Nonpartisan League, St. Paul, Minn.” And when the mail carrier got that letter he would just as likely as not leave it at the office indicated by the lower arrow as the one indicated by the upper one. 3 ‘Wouldn't it be bully for this Old Gang crew to get hold of some good genuine League letters boosting the organization, and praising its leaders, and then publish them as their own? Do you see now why they chose a name so nearly like that of the real . League, and a location so close to its: headquarters, and why they located in a window dressed up with pigs and cows amd a windmill?