The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, July 19, 1917, Page 4

UNDREDS of telegrams from all parts of the United States, from statesmen, promi- nent newspaper men, leaders in various lines of thought and action, from farmers and working men, business men and pecple in most every walk of life, humble and prominent, have deluged John M. Baer since he was elected by the Nonpartisan league to congress—the first con- gressman of the greatest farmers’ political and economic movement ever formed. : Space for only a few of these telegrams can be given by the Leader, though the Leader would like to print every one of them. Following are a few: “Congratulations from Ramsey county progressive Democrats on your election.”’ —W. A, FULKERSON. “Congratulations on your platform and splendid victory.” —E. C. ROST, Formerly secretary to Congressman Helgesen, deceased. “The officers and members of Dickenson Elks lodge, which has 1137 members, extend heartiest congratulations.’’ —DM. M. BURNETT, Seccretary. “As we are informed of the issues involved we regard your eleec- tion as a triumph for self-government and we join in congratulations.’’ —A. J. GRONNA, U. S. Senator from N. D. “ —ROBERT M. L’FOLLETTE, U. S. Senator from Wis. “‘Congratulations on behalf of friends you made during conven- tion of National Editorial association and on trip in 1915. You have great opportunity to help in food regulation.’’ —E. HOSNER, Past President —LEE J. ROUNDTREE, President —GEORGE SCHLOSHER, Secretary —W. R. HODGES, Treasurer National Editorial Association. ‘‘Congratulations on election.”’ —ARTHUR BRISBANE, Editor in Chief, Hearst newspapers in the United States. ‘‘Congratulations. Best wishes for suceess.’’ There was never a doubt as to the results. —LYNN J. FRAZIER, Governor of North Dakota. ORTH DAKOTA will have to look out for its laurels as the leading League state. Minne- sota farmers, at the rate of 1000 per week, are marching forward to join the League ranks. Minnesota now has more than twice as many members as it had when the snow fell last winter and the end is not in sight. Minnesota League meetings and pic- nics are drawing from 1000 to 5000 farmers and their families and the at- tendance is getting better all the time. One thing that has happened, as the result of the success of the League, is that the “fake” Minne- sota Nonpartisan league, which threatened for a time to discredit the work of the real League, has turned up its toes and quit. There is still an office in St. Paul, where the “Fake” league set out to make its headquarters, with “Minnesota Nonpartisan League” printed on its windows, but the office is empty and locked up and the windows are stuck over now with circus signs and recruiting placards. The “fake” league, after its first splurge, wasn’t able- to make much progress. They got out letters to all the farmers’ clubs in the state, show- ing their hand by devoting most of the letter to an attack upon the real Teague and they got some pretty hot replies to some of these letters. Then they announced one meeting of their own. That meeting wasn’t much of a success; the farmers came there pre- pared to denounce a movement started in an effort to destroy a real move-~ ment. Next the fake league tried to buy i out some real League organizers, and persuade them to work for the new organization and against the farmers. They didn’t succeedrin this and this is the last thing they have tried. Instead of having the windows of their .office placarded with circus signs, the fake “league” ought to have a sign “Rest in Peace” over its name. There is just one reason why there isn’t any such sign. The fake league is dead enough, but there are no mourners. > FARMER COMES IN TO “SHOW-UP” LEAGUE The fake league did some harm while it lasted, however.. It succeeded in confusing a few people and in creating the impression in some quarters that the real League was dominated by big interests. The writer of this article was in the National Nonpartisan league offices the other day when a farmer came in from Greenbush, Roseau coun- ty, clear up on the Canadian boundary. The farmer was B. F. Goodrich, a hard worker in the county for co-operative creameries, farmers’. stores and other projects for the good of the farmers. But Goodrich was against the League, he had told his neighbors that it was ‘no good,” that it was “controlled by the interests,” and so forth. Some of the other farmers were pretty good League boosters. They got into quite an argument. Finally one of the others told Goodrich they wouldn't let him into the League if he wanted to join. Goodrich promised to ‘“show the League up.” He made a special trip to St. Paul, 350 miles, to investigate it. The first thing he found out was that F. B. Wood was a member. Goodrich PAGE ¢““Qongratulations upon your great vietory. Shall be glad to wel- come you here.”’ —GEORGE M. YOUNG, Congressman from North Dakota. ¢‘Congratulations on your Chairman Ramsey "I wish you a long and succes election. Great victory for people.’’ —L.J. WEHE County Republican Committee. sful congressional career.’’ —J. G. CRITES, Sales Manager Equity Co-operative Exchange, St. Paul. “«“We and 140 others assembled send greetings and congratula- tions.”’ —ALEX A. LIEDERBACH —JAMES HARRIS Members North Dakota Legislature. ¢ Accept my congratulations. I knew you would do it. Your election is a big victory for the producers of the First district who have again demonstrated their ability to stick. I feel certain you will make us all proud of the fact we have a c artoonist in congress.’’ —H. P. KNAPPEN, Editor Palladium, Bismarck, N. D. ““Warm congratulations and best wishes.”’ —WILLIAM LANGER, Attorhey General, North Dakota. ‘¢ Accept my most hearty congratulations on your election.”’ —C. P. CROCKARD. “‘Congratulations. Hope to see you president next election.”’ ‘‘Congratulations. —P. 8. LEE Hiram A. Rube is going to congress.”’ —@. F. HUNT, Member N. D. Legislature. —GEORGE HOUGEN ¢‘Congratulations. Glad to hear of your success yesterday.’’ —L. M. BURKEY. ‘“Congratulations from a telephone man to a congressman.’’ ‘' —URBAN J. DUESTER ‘‘Congratulations. The pigs in the clover and the clover itself are nodding their heads, saying, ‘‘ Ain’t he a bear.”’ —N. S. RANDALL ‘‘Congratulations on your election to the sixty-fourth congress. Trust we may see you here in Washington within the next few days. You will be able to get right into the work of this session, as the real fight on the food control bill and new revenue bill are yet to come in both the house and senate.”’ —P. D. NORTON, Congressman from North Dakota. Fake Minnesota L.eague Quits Organization Started in Opposition to Real League Closes Its Office and Turns Up Its Toes—Lot of Farmers “Stung” by the Fake used to know Wood. When Wood was homesteading at Deering, North Dako- ta, Goodrich was homesteading another claim a few miles away. So Goodrich looked up Wood and demanded to know about the League movement. Wood took him down to League headquarters and showed him the whole workings, told him what the League had done in North Dakota and what it was doing in other states, showed him that there was no connection between the “fake” league and the real League. “I know better now,” said Goodrich, when the writer saw him after he had completed his investigation. “This is a great movement for the farmer and I'm a booster for it. And my neighbors are going to hear about it, too.” FEELS BETTER NOW, AFTER GETTING FACTS There has been an entire change in the attitude of the publie of Minne- sota toward the League. At the start almost every newspaper fought the farmers’ organization. During the re- cent congressional campaign in North Dakota, however, two of the leading St. Paul dailies @ strongly advocated John M. Baer's election and after Baer was elected with a vote greater than the combined vote of his Republican and Democratic opponents ~a third paper, which has in the past been one of - the strongest opponents of ‘the League, came out with a leading edi- torial declaring that the cause of the League was just and that better prices for farmers would not mean higher prices for the consumer, because it had been shown that the middlemen were robbing both the farmers and the con- sumers. FOUR LS Organized labor in Minnesota is solidly behind the League program.- For the first time in its history the Minnesota State Federation of Labor at its state convention at Faribault this week had two representatives of the Nonpartisan Jeague seated with them as fraternal delegates. Creden- tials designating Joseph Gilbert and L. W. Samuelson as the representatives of the farmers were sent to them by the labor men. RAILROAD MEN WITH THE FARMERS There is another group of organized labor, not affiliated with the state fed- eration, which is particularly strong in Minnesota. This group is composed of the four railroad brotherhoods. In their biennial report this year the leg- islative committee of the brotherhoods recommend in strongest terms co-oper- ation between the farmers and the railroad men. The report speaks of the record of the last North Dakota legis- lature in enacting laws for the benefit of the laborers as well as the farmers, “With the example which the farm- ers of the country have set us, it is surely time that we should emulate them,” says the report. ‘“What has been done in North Dakota has spread to other states and today we have the National Nonpartisan league. It be- hooves' us, therefore, in the state of Minnesota as organized workers to give consideration to this matter and be- fore another election takes place to council together and line up with the workers of the soil, so that together we may be in a position to eliminate the middlemen who are now parasites upon all classes of workers.” Pt