The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, September 27, 1917, Page 7

— - e 4__‘_,A__ A. —— | AL SECT Union were fighting one another in South Dakota. Now, the Forum would like nothing better than to have these two farmers’ organiza- tions opposing one another—such a condition would break up the solidarity of the farmers the Forum and those it represents so much fear. If the Farmers’ Union and the League were fighting in South Dakota, or any other state, it would hurt both the League and the Union, two strong and useful farmers’ organizations. And so the Forum, wishing this condition to exist, couldn’t resist faking up a story intended to encourage such a fight. ' I'. W. Mees, secretary-treasurer of the Morton county (North Da- kota) Farmers’ Union, knowing how the Union in North Dakota worked with the League and helped the League cause, doubted the Forum’s fake story from South Dakota, and so-wrote R. B. Warne, secretary-treasurer of the South Dakota Union, to find out the facts. Mr. Mces got the let- ter reproduced herewith, brand- ing the Forum story a fake and stating it was manufactured by enemies of the Farmers’ Union. In the letter reprodiced here Mr. Warne refers to a eclipping, which he sent Mr. Mees and which he says sets forth the attitude of the South Dakota Farmers’ Union. That elipping is as follows: “At the suggestion of the execu- tive board of the Nonpartisan league a conference was held in the city Tuesday afternoon with the executive board of the South Dakota Farmers’ Educational and Co-Operative Union. There is lit- tle or no friction between the executive boards, but some diffi- culties have arisen between the deputy organizers of the two CLIPPING ~l& bodies, and it was for the purpose . fRON of smoothing out these that the meeting was held. After a discus- ‘(ORU sion of the matters which have come up between the deputies the situation became thoroughly un- derstood. Adjournment was taken with the most friendly feeling existing and future work of either organization will not be hampered in any way.” This shows that there is not or has not been any friction be- tween the I"armers’ Union and the League in South Dakota, but that field organizers of the two bodies had had some minor differences, which did not affect the organiza- tions or their officers, and these SEPT 4™197 THE UNION'S STORY - STATE OFFICERS R W. RICORDS, Pree, Parmer CLAIR D. JOHNSON, V. Pres, Kinbul) R. B. WARNE, Sec.-Tress, Loorals KD MAKTLRY, Organiser, Mitchell R. & FARMERS ANSWER T0 FORUM'S FALSE contained news of big and vital developments in the people’s cause. Even if the Leader did not thrive on fight and really wanted a little quiet and rest, it could not have it, for the enemics of this great organi- zation never sleep. There are always trumped up charges to answer, plots against the League and the people’s cause to expose, truth to be dug up and passed on for the benefit of Lieague members. Two big campaigns have been won by the farmers and none lost in the Leader’s two years—the historice election of 1916 in North Da- kota, and the congressional campaign this summer. The political gangs in all the states where the League is now organized, and the Big Interests, do not quit when a campaign is lost by them. They Farmers Educational and Co-Operative Union of America SOUTH DAKOTA DIVISION DIRECTORS ((ENRY TURNER. Alexsndria J. GLENN RICHARDS, Plackinton FRANK J. BRADLEY. Trivp KU KVERSON, Uonesteel 0. J. MURPHY, Vivisn Loonmis, S. Dak., Sept 12, 1912 Mre Fo W. Mees, Sec.-Treas., Glen Ullin, N. Dake Dear Brother:- i Your letter of the 8th referring to the newspaper report that I made a stalcuent that the South Dakotn Farmers® Union was planning a campaign againstthe League is at hande This repox‘t. was started and gotten into the newspapers by sowecone unfriendly to the Union and more espesially the officers of the Union in this state. I assurc you that we are thinking of no such thing as fighting the League,and further part of our state board are members of the League. ofee. I an enclosing herewith a ciipping setting rm-t.l}mw the attitude of the South Dakota Union officials towards the &i/) League. Cfiffu? Trusting that you will correci these uistatcaments of the press,whevever a chance prescnts itsell, I am Yours very truly, PR Warca, 5ec.=Treas, PeSe Would you kindly scnd we the name and address of the state secrclary of the Union in North Dakota. R.B.Y. Above are photographic reproductions of a front-page article in the Forum declaring the South Dakota Farmers’ Union plans a campaign against the Nonpartisan league, and of a letter from the secretary-treasurer of the South differences were adjusted by a Dakota Farmers’ Union, branding this Forum story as a fake and as damaging to the Union, being the work of ene- 1 mies of the Union. Again the Forum is proved a liar, and is caught trying to damage both the League and Union conference of the officers of the ¢wo big and useful farmers' organizations. ; : League and the Farmers Union. : Instead of reporting these facts, the Fargo Forum publishes a lying headline saying, ‘‘Farmers’ Union Plans Campaign Against League— Fight for Control of Rural Vote in South Dakota Is in Prospect—Or- ganizations Differ in Aims.’" In its anxiety to deliver the goods to its owners, the Forum has no regard for truth—anything goes so long as it reflects on the farm- ers and their organizations. ¢ & @ Representatives of the farmers and of the consumers occupied the same platform and spoke to a mixed audience of producers and consum- ers at the League's great meetings last week at Fargo and St. Paul. And there was perfect harmony. This makes the newspapers which are al- ways playing the consumer against the producer look pretty sick. Can you blame them? . * = THE LEADER’S BIRTHDAY { ITH this issue the Leader enters into its third year of exist- \’\/ ence. It has been in the field two years—two as interesting and eventful years as any publication ever had. Two years ‘ago this month when a paper called the Nonpartisan Leader was sent out to several thousand farmers who had joined an obscure organiza- tion known as the Nonpartisan league, nobody but those few thousand farmers paid any attention. It made no stir. Today the Leader is read by a half million people in 13 states, and the numbgr is ever in- creasing, as new thousands join the great people’s movement. The Leader stands unique in the publication field. No other farm paper is like it. No other politieal paper is like it. : The Leader’s two years have not been peaceful or restful. It has been a fight every minute. Hardly an issue of the Leader but that has PAGE commence on the next campaign immediately. And so it will always be. The Leader is condemned to continual, never-ceasing activity to defend ground won and to win new ground—and it loves to fight. Elsewhere in this issue the Leader’s cartoonists present their ideas about the Leader’s second birthday. The cover is by Foss. To him the Leader is a two-year-old -horse—a fully developed racer at that age— and has left the rest of the field far behind, much to the disgust of Big Biz whose ‘‘hoss”’ hasn’t even hove into sight. Billican sees the Leader on its second birthday as a great, high-powered racing auto- - mobile, passing the 100,000 circulation mark on the second lap. Con- gressman Baer drew the Leader a birthday cartoon a year ago, which he incorporates in his drawing for the second birthday of the Leader, shown on another page. * * % SPILLMAN AND HOUSTON N effort was made by Congressman Baer to have the United A States department of agriculture send W. J. Spillman of the _department to St. Paul to address the producers’ and consum- ers’ meetings called by the Nonpartisan league. Mr. Spillman is an economist. His data, submitted to the wheat price-fixing board, enabled farmers’ friends on that board to do as well as they did. Mr. Spillman, contrary to the desires of the department, gave out facts and figures showing the real costs of farmers, including astonishing statisties deal- ing with the unprofitableness of the average farm under existing con- ditions. Secretary of Agriculture Houston refused to send Mr. Spill- man to St. Paul. ‘‘He loses his head sometimes and says things he ought not to say’’, said the secrctaity. That is how Mr. Houston looks on friends of the producers. »