The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, June 28, 1917, Page 10

A Part of the Great Crowd That Gathered at Buffalo Springs, Near Bowman, N. D,, to Hear Gov. Frazier and President Townley of the Nonpartisan League Some people think the thirteenth day of the month is an unlucky one. secured. In nearly every instance the business men or city authorities, arranged to make their meeting a pienic and hold it at Buffalo Springs, a At the afternoon session, also, some of the Bowman business men who The farmers of Bowman county, who held their first annual Nonpartisan anxious to show every courtesy to the farmers of the Nonpartisan League, small cluster of buildings seven miles from Bowman. There wasn’t any hall began to realize what a mistake they had made in fighting the farmers’ League picnic at Buffalo Springs, June 13, weren’t afraid of the hoodoo. made arrangements to secure the hall or theater and donated it without at Buffalo Springs, so they imported a big tent, large enough to hold 800 movement, came to the meeting and tried to honey around the farmers. A The picture above shows a few of the hundreds and hundreds of farmers charge for the use of the meeting. Deople, from Aberdeen, S, D. ; -, few of them, who had not heen concerned in the boyeott of the paper fight- who drove in from all parts of the country to hear Governor Lynn J Frazier, At Bowman, the county seat of Bowman county, a short sighted policy e Cayeel o mesting blowup, one, of ilie Deaviest gales ofiwind ing forithe ‘armers movemont; woro well recelved, but the others were given 4 . & that has ever visited Bowman county. But that didn’t interfere with the pretty much of a cold shoulder. President A. C. Townley and other League speakers. on the part of most of the business men has made them hostile to the : i : : < 1 attendance. Farmers and their families flocked in by hundreds. At the The farmers of Bowman county are going to have a newspaper of their The Buffalo Springs meeting was different from all the other meetings League. By an organized boycott they forced out of business the only Bow- morning session they were able to get into the tent but by the afternoon own, owned by farmers and operated under their direction, to take the place addressed by Governor Frazier and President Townley. All other meetings man paper that was friendly to the farmers. I L 5 session it wasn’t nearly big enough to hold the crowd and they all piled of the one that the unfriendly merchants put out of business by their organ- were held in the largest town in the county, so that a large hall might be As a protest against this unfair attitude the Bowman county farmers: into a big Imber shed to hear the speakers. ized boycott. Minnesota Hears and Cheers = Baer Speaks to Great Crowds League Meetings Addressed by President Townley and Others Bring - Farmers’ Candidate in Whirlwind Campaign---Old Gang and Anti-Farmer ‘Out Record Crowds---Enthusiasm Runs High Bunch Conspire at Grand Forks to Beat Baer 3 EAGUE workers thought they. were doing wonders when, during their recent tour of North Dakota, they talked to Dbetween 25,000 and 30,000 people at 11 meetings ~during two weeks, making it the greatest series of meetings ever held in that state. But when they swuna over into Minnesota last week, they came to the conclusion that the North Da- kota meetings had just been an ap- petizer to get the people interested what was coming. In the first four meetings held in Minnesota, those at Montevideo, Glencoe, New. Ulm and Chatfield, President A, C. Townley and other League speak- ers talked to more than 10,000 peo- ple. And this did not serve to sat- isfy the Minnesota farmers—they way in which the businessmen co-oper- ated with the farmers. ‘When the meeting in New Ulm was first discussed, L. W. Samuelson, who owns a farm mear New Ulm, and is a member of the League executive com- mittee for Minnesota, went before the directors of the New Ulm Commercial club to tell them about it. The New Ulm Commercial club is made up of the business men of the town, the bankers, the hotel men, the merchants and so on. One of the directors is Charles Vogtel, head of the Eagle Flour mill, one of the largest flour mills in the Northwest outside of Minneapolis They are organized to boost New Ulm and help business there. THIS COMMERCIAL CLUB 1S “ONTO ITS JOB” “Sure,” said the directors of the Com- mercial club. “We want to see the farmers come to New Ulm. Nearly all of our business comes from the farmers and we appreciate it. We are organ- ized to boost New Ulm and help busi- ness and what helps the farmer helps us.” They didn’t take the attitude that some North Dakota business men took at the start. The New Ulm Commer- cial club is organized to boost New Ulm, not to boost the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce. So they asked Samuelson what he thought they ought to do. He proposed that arrangements be made for music. So the Commercial club engaged the Second Regiment band. He thought some advertising would be a good thing, 50 the Commercial club made arrange- they insisted upon Samuelson telling them some more about it. So Samuel- son told them its purposes, its plans to get the producer the full value of his product and to do this by eliminating the middlemen by securing state own- ership of grain elevators and flour mills and cold storage warehouses and such properties. EVEN FLOUR MILLER DOESN'T OPPOSE FARMERS “I suppose that program will be stepping on the toes of Mr. Vogtel, who Tuns the Bagle flour mill” said Sam- uelson. “No, indeed,” said Vogtel. ‘T'm not going to fight the farmers' program. State ownership can’t come too soon for me.” F BIG crowds and enthusiasm are any criterion, John M. Baer, Nonpartisan candidate (@) for congress, will get practic- ally the united support of the farmers of the First North Dakota dis- trict at the special election of July 10. John Baer opened his campaign tour in earnest at Page last Tuesday, fol- Jowing this with meetings at Hillsboro, Portland, Cooperstown and _Stump Lake. He will have one or two meet- ings every day, Sundays excepted, from now until the election, winding up with a monster mass meeting in his home city of Fargo July 9. With his_campaign hardly started, Baer has already carried his message personally to 10,000 residents of the First district, 3,000 hearing him speak at Fargo, 3,000 at Devils Lake, 1,600 at Grand Forks and at least 2,500 more at president of the city commission, and by President Iver Aker of the Com- mercial club. NONPARTISAN HAS ADVANTAGE IN CONGRESS Mr. Baer declared that the present critical moment in the nation’s history Wwas no time for dividing the people of the country on the old party lines. - He called attention to the fact that the government, in war times, is selecting its experts for difficult tasks on a nonpartisan basis instead of asking Whether each one is a Democrat or a Republican. “If nonpartisanship is good enough for Uncle Sam it is good enough for us,” said Mr. Baer. The audience ap- Pplauded this statement. Mr. Baer also reminded the audience grain to market today and in spite of the high prices of other merchandise, can get more merchandise in exchange than ever before,” said Baer. “Now I would like to see every farmer who has wheat Teady to sell at the high prices that obtain today hold up his hand.” No hands were held up. “My eyesight may not be very good but I don't see any hands,” said Baer. “We didn’t get those prices last fall” a farmer cried out. “That is just it,” said Baer. “Last fall, when the farmer had to sell his Wheat, the prices went down. Today, when the farmer has nothing to sell, when the speculator has the wheat, the prices are up. This is just the situation that ‘government ~ control would end.” The farmers are not the only ones behind Baer. In Fargo last week thero appeared a little white button with a bear's head on it and the words “I'm out for Baer for congress.” Almost everywhere in the cities these buttons can be seen now. UNION LABOR BACKS FARMERS’ CANDIDATE Union labor has indorsed Baer as a andidate for congress and the farm- ers and the working men in the cities are joining hands in the fight as they never did before. While Baer has been engaged in carrying his fight to the people, the old sang politicians have been engaged in quite a different sort of a fight. In defiance of the election laws of North Dakota, as interpreted by the attorney 7 5 b FOR FEDERAL AID general, they held at Grand Forks last n s Samuelson told ‘the directors that ments for all the printing that they It rained Friday morning when the that as a nonpartisan he would be able E 5 T e & i { are demanding more meetings—a yunareds, perhaps thousands of farm- wanted. They went ahead and agreed Speakers got to New Ulm. It was de- the smaller meetings held last week: 4 yote his independent opinions on N RED’VALLEY D s anon st endy i lot more. ers, would be brought to New Ulm by to get still more music it Samuelson = cided that it would not be necessary The campalen tour started at Page every good measure that might be pre- . Tollowing the Hillsboro meeting Baer reprosont all the counties of the dis- 3 The Minnesota tour was a remark- the League meeting. He thought it thought it would be desirable. to send for the second band, a farmers’ under circumstances t} Ml m'GN av; sented to congress, while.a Democrat talked to a big crowd at a League triet, Ransom county failed to send s able success from the moment when WAS UD to the business men to make The business men had heard a good band, which the Commercial club stood ¢ Qiscouraged fl"'“dc?“ e e haa ight be compelled by his party or- picnic at Portland, and from there any delegatos whatever. In Rameey 5 She speakers stepped off the train at SOMe arrangements for entertaining deal about the League and knew in a Teady to provide if the farmers wanted el e i e e ar e & 000 mea~ Went to Cooperstown and Stump Lake. county after the county chairman and e 2 them. 2 general way its plan of operation but It 5 D A e > Republican Tverywhere the farmers' candidate has county executive committe had re- Montevideo last Wednesday, to be 5 that Baer was coming and no meeting gide, and a Republican, similar] nt i i/ oo Ie. b But the rain didn't prevent the farm- n Side, an: publican, simllatly,smigh! been received with cheers and ap- fused to participate in the illegal - greeted by a brass band that escorted ] 1 had been arranged. But as 50om 85 feel constramed. to vote against particip: egal con i . ers from comi > against a plause from big crowds. i & o £ fhem up town. Thil wasnt the omy Roticedble extent. ere. than 3.0 the farmers and townspeaple leamed Democratic measure that wowd be > mmes rer ot s e for securing LSTAR Metod, @ trumy’ commitico pandsott Hor, theroccasion pltamwasen) Th “B Y D 1 h H 7 flocked in altogether, f P that Baer was in town, a crowd quick- likely to be used as Democratic cam- federal aid for the reclamation of the gates {0 (he state comventic gala day for the farmers of Chippewa € acr oing the unting eishl s Frounii: e e 1y gathered. A hall finally was secured paign material. 1100d€d 1ands in the Red River valley. " But while thore weve mat snny real and Lac Qui Parle counties, 5o two oilsen I e timas T and by the time the meeting was ready Mr. Baer came out strongly for fed- The Nonpartisan candidate formerly delaentes. there wis o ond aeomon ey bands were arranged for, one of City e ithrong, ein aaditlon to start it was filled to capacity With eral control of the transportation and was connected with the United States 4 5 ‘ e nearly 1,000 city people attended the S N e and e ecte of the old crowd that used to run North ent and another of farmers. Two meeting, bringi; = between 200 and 300 people. distribution of food products, to elimi- reclamation service in Montana and Dakota politics. Judge Spalding and thousand people were present—farmers T Ieeting, bringing the total attendance R nate middlemen's profits and make Jmows the need of work of this kind. Treadwell Twichell and Jerry Bacen i ity eobiv Wilh g T S “Attendance “record ds -still - golng MEETING SUCCESSFUL gavings for the producer and con- “1 am against the pork barrel” Mo and Senator Hyland and all the others ot ot She Lniceiii el ;le:‘; AP A oS o i Sl 1 5 mfl ss.\d,dx‘n addri;s):g_tlgxs def J]zlwer of the bunch that the farmers last | &l y reception by bof = had attended the ‘,,;;‘fi,‘“g SR At Hillsboro the next day was held \wiiv GOVERNMENT valley audiences, “but it is not follow- . November kicked out of power were clagses. -The Montevideo paper, friend- “The sky’s the Mmits one of the most successful Nonparti- gOUID STEP IN ing pork barrel methods at a time 1ike there. They might have adopted as 1y to the farmers’ movement, had been 2 v san League picnics ever held in Traill this, when the world is clamoring for their official song: “Hail, hail, the preparing the community for the BIG CROWD STANDS county. It was particularly notable “Some of our opponents, who believe more food, to bring under cultivation gang’s all here.” League meeting and the speakers re- TO HEAR SPEAKERS because of the way the business men there is no need of eliminating the acreage that can not be deyended upon SECRET CONFERENCE. ‘Gelved. the glad hanid on everyiaide: of Hillsboro co-operated with the middlemen, and who think the farmer to produce grain now. It is a need ot 2SRCRET CONFERE Dr. L. A. Fritsche, mayor of New farmers, The farmers were busy in is getting the full .value of his product the nation as well as the need of North BUSINESS MEN AID Ulm, and President G. A. Ottemeyer iheir fields so the Commercial club Dow, say that a farmer can take his Dakota.” % The convention was advertised as an THE BIG MEETINGS of the New Ulm Commereial club were took charge of arrangements for the open one but the first thing that was ] on the platform at the meeting to wel- picnic. They got a brass band out to done Was 1o get the men Who were go- the Bi o 2 ic for the crowd and plenty ing to pull the wires into a secret 1 Next day the party made Glencoe. come the Brown county farmers and supply music B vires i ret con- el i e those from the surrounding counties, of coffée and sandwiches, Furtner, ar- By a heavy vote John M. Baer, Nonpartisan ference, Four canaidates for consress . 5 G A and to introduce the L 3 rangements were made for every busi- . B who were present were told that the b el e S ness house in Hillsboro, including the | candidate, has been indorsed for congress by | Repubtican machine was in pretty baa e German park, with th 5 banks and even the store of Senator shape, that in an effort to stop the e o Sttt e e e el oot e Vo s Pavison, 0 ve cioea an atier- | the Fargo Trades and Labor assembly. The | &6 0G5 Sl faer, the v sand people were present, and the Min- The band is a crack musieal organi- noon se tbat the tawnepecnie eont | North Dakota State Federation of Labor in its | famer canaiiate it woula be neces: ; . zation, one of & €0 to the picnic wi : s 2 ; o | et itenianct recnd was ek Vet et paomr et e ‘The farmers. showed that they ap- | Tecent session, also indorsed formally the | ecandidates excopt one. o the four. another: notch. Tstween Tt At e 200N preciated the falr treatment of the £the N rti T Thi candidates were all required to sign Besides Fresident Townisy, A. B band gave & concert before. and after e e i the nunareds mey | program of the Nonpartisan League. This | ot Bowen and E. W. Barnes, who ad- orosanaalor came driving in from every part of i jom This statement was signed and given ey PRl s Tl T : the meeting, means that labor men all over the First Dis. . Meitzen made an address in German at Glencoe. > Next came the meeting at New Ulm. The New Ulm meeting is worth a story all by itself, especially because of the e This cartoon, boosting Baer, farmers’ man for congres in the First North Dakota, was drawn by Harry lami, a Japanese. Mr. lami, a friend of Baer's and a cartoonist of no mean ability, is night clerk at the Waldorf hotel, Fargo, North Dakota. PAGE TEN But it was easily to be seen that the farmers were more interested in the speakers than in the band. A crowd surrounded the stand on every side, most of them standing, packed closely. z (Continued on page 18) Traill county. It was a great get- acquainted meeting. When John Baer and D. C. Coates, who is traveling with Mr. Baer, arrived at Hillsboro, they were welcomed and introduced to the audience of farmers &nd business men by Theodore Kaldor, trict, will join hands with the farmers to put Baer in congress at the special election of July 10. - PAGE ELEVEN out before the convention had even started to hold its sessions, It is a remarkable document. In it the four candidates, Judge Vick of Pembina county, Fred T. Cuthbert, attorney and member - of the anti-farmers' league (Continued on page 15)