The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, October 11, 1917, Page 11

. Attempt to Stop League Wor 7 i L e B 2 Misled by False Charges of Twin City Big Business Press, Small Town Officials in Minnesota Try to Prevent Farmers’ Organization Plans TTEMPTS are being made to block organization meetings of League farmers in Minne- sota. These attempts are be- ing made, not in any one locality, but by business interests, town mayors, and commercial clubs in widely scattered sections, indicating an organized fight against the League, backed by Big Business interests and the Controlled Press‘at Minneapolis, working through their connections in the small towns. At Lake City, Wabasha county, Oc- tober 4, the business men and Commer- cial club issued orders through the mayor that a meeting scheduled by the farmers for 2 o’clock that afternoon, could not be held. They frightened the owner of the hall into refusing to open the doors of the building which had been reserved for the meeting. . Two hundred and fifty farmers were gathered outside of the hall, waiting for their meeting to begin. Someone in authority caused a fire hose to be laid out in plain view and threats were made that it would be used to disperse the farmers. MEETING IS HELD TWENTY MILES AWAY The farmers, naturally, became angry at the denial of their undoubted right to hold a meeting, and at these added threats and insults. However, on the advice of President A. C. Townley of the League, who was present to ad- dress them, they dispersed - quietly without insisting on their rights, after arranging for a meeting to be held that night at Dumfries, 20 miles distant. Many of these farmers had to go to their homes and do their chores, necessitating more than 40 miles of travel in many instances. But at 8 o'clock that night the hall at Dum- fries was packed with farmers, nearly twice as many as were in Lake City. This League meeting, like all those being held in Minnesota at the present time, was to promote the League or- ganization plans. The farmers have paid $16 each to perfect the organiza- tion of the League and carry on the campaign for themselves and their can- didates next year. The League is a serious matter with them. They resent the attempt to prevent their entering Minnesota politics as an organized body. Besides discussing organization plans and the Minnesota political situ- ation, these meetings are patriotic meetings, calculated to solidify the peo- ple back of the government in the pro- secution of the war. The Wabasha county attorney, who had no part in the unlawful action of Lake City business men in denying the farmers the right to hold their meeting, addressed the farmers at Dumfries and told them there was no reason why they should not organize and hold meet- ings anywhere they pleased. The sheriff was also present, and after hearing the speech of Mr. Townle.y and the resolutions adopted unani- mously by the farmers, both he and the county attorney declared fchet the meeting was a real patriotic rally. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED AT DUMFRIES MEETING The farmers at Dumfries, by unani- mous vote, adopted the following reso- tutions setting forth their attitude to- ward the business interests of Lake City: “Whereas, some of the business men of Lake City, Minnesota, using the mayor as their mouthpiece and instru- ment, prostituting themselves in be- half of Big Business and in the inter- est of the war profiteers, food gamb- fers and political shysters, did on the fourth day of October, 1917, unlawfully refuse to permit the farmers of Wabasha county, to hold a loyalty meeting under the auspices of the Na- Nonpartisan league, - flqma, wl;Ierea,s, some authority in Lake City did cause the fire hose to be prepared with the intention of unlaw- fully attacking the farmers there peaceably assembled. “And whereas, the growth, prosper- tty and development of Lake City, de- pend entirely .upon the farming com- munity, and the goodwill of the farm- ers surrounding it. \ “And, whereas, those business men - . who have attempted to create dissen- The Big Business controlled press of Minneapolis and St. Paul and other Big Interests allied with the politicians and war profiteers, haw:e.succeeded in influencing a number of business men and town offl(:}als throughout Minnesota to try to prevent organization meetings of the Nonpartisan league. These League meetings are of the utmost importance to the farmers’ organization, which mem- bers are paying $8 a year to build and maintain. They are neces- sary to perfect the organization and discuss plans for the next campaign in Minnesota. Big Business and the gang press hope to prevent the organized farmers” entry into politics by preventing the meetings and breaking up the League. The attempt, of course, can not succeed, but it is an insult to the farmers that they will not forget. The League is of tremendous importance to Minmne- sota farmers, 40,000 of whom have joined. In counties where the organization has been perfected practically every farmer belongs, and the work of organization is rapidly proceeding in every coun- ty of the state. sion at a time when all our people should be united in the support of our government, are either un-American and disloyal, or they are blinded and misled by the villifications, distortions and untrue statements that fill our subsidized press of today, “And, whereas we farmers knew that our constitutional right of free as- semblage was being denied us, and knew that the authorities were usurp- ing dictatorial power, nevertheless, un- der the advice of the representatives of the National Nonpartisan league, we withdrew, and have gathered together at Dumfries to hold our meeting, rather than to cause disorder by insist- ing upon our rights, BUSINESS MEN ARE DENOUNCED FOR OUTRAGE “Now, therefore, be it resolved that we, the farmers of the vincin- ity of Lake City, do hereby express our utmost disgust and disapproval of those business men and authori- A Prosperous Farm’ ties who heaped this outrage and insult upon us, and that we warn the organized farmers and organiz- ed workers against the lying mis- representations of the Kept Press. “And we do request all our fellow men whom these resolutions may reach, to disregard the false statements put out by politicians and war prof- “iteers, who fear that the National Non- partisan league will depose them, as was done in North Dakota. “And be it further resolved that we are proud of our leader, A. C. Townley, president of the National Nonpartisan league; and that we uphold and sup- port him in his valiant fight for liberty and democracy. And we will not per- mit the poisoned vituperation and scurrilous attacks upon him tg go un- challenged. And, be it further resolved that in this hour of our national need, in order that justice, liberty, equality and democracy, polit- ical and industrial, shall be the herit- age of all mankind, we pledge our lives,” our fortunes, and our sacred honor, to our country and our flag. “G. F. TUSHATUS, Chairman; “JOE FUNK, Secretary.” Another attempt to block the organ- ization work of the farmers in Minne- sota has been made in connection with a meeting scheduled for Fergus Falls for October 20. The following letter, making insulting and illegal threats against the farmers, was sent to Presi- dent' Townley by Louis Keane, secre=- tary of the “Ottertail County Public Safety association:” INSULTING LETTER RECEIVED BY TOWNLEY “A. C. Townley, Dear Sir—Informa- tion has reached this office to the ef- fect that you contemplate speaking here in this county on October 20. “I am instructed to notify you that this association will not tolerate any kind of talk here except that which honors the flag and the country for which it stands. “So you will construe this notice asg an invitation NOT TO COME. “If after receipt of this notice you persist in trying to talk here we have made arrangements with our mayor who has given orders to the police force not to interfere if small boys (and others) use ancient eggs and other missiles wherewith to punctuate your discourse. (Signed) . “LOUIS KEANE, Secre- tary.” This letter was laid before Governor Burnquist of Minnesota, who also is a member of the Minnesota Public Safety commission. Evidence was also laid before Governor Burnquist that the shefiff of Renville county had stated that he had received orders from the commission to prevent any League meetings in his county. Governor Burnquist denied that (Continued on page 18) This year when farmers have come to the realization that raising wheat is not the rosy road to wealth, attention to the other lines which have proven the salvation of other sections, and the foundation of individual and com- munity prosperity, is important. While the wheat farmer is holding before his face the incontrovertible facts that it cost him this year $20 to $25 an acre to produce six to 13 bushels of wheat, let him also take a look at the good returns from other branches of farming. Here is a picture of a prosperous farm near Rocklake, N. D. where wheat farming is not the sole support. In fact the grain crop this year,-es- pecially the wheat, was almost a fail- ure, although rye and oats were pro- duced under somewhat better condi- tions.. - But-all through the slack sea- son while it was becoming apparent that the wheat would be almost a fail- ure, the cows on this farm were bring- ing in $76 to $100 a month in cash. The cows no doubt proved the turning point in making 1917 a profitable year for this farmer, the Rev. J. C. Forney, who 1s renting from E. B. Rorapaugh. Rent- er and owner agreed fully on the farm- #ng methods in use. Mr. Forney is milking about 20 cows (sometimes more, sometimes less) and selling the cream at his station six miles distant, for shipment to a Grand Forks creamery. The milk from these cows is being used to feed the calves, and also a small drove of hogs. For the hogs it has proven one of the most important feeds, although they get their ration of grain feed. This sea- son a big shipment of young hogs was turned off bringing in a profitable re- turn, and there are still enough to make one or two more shipments of considerable size. One point Mr. Forney has insisted upon at all times, was not to keep more livestock than he could profitably feed. ‘When he saw his feed resources de- creasing, he began to sell of his best livestock- suitable for killing in order to have feed enough to keep the others in good condition, Of course this is what farmers are doing all over the country, and it is due to this that the meat and dairy supplies are becoming so alarmingly scarce. But milch cows and beef cattle can not be made or kept fit for use if they can not get enough of the proper kind of feed, and it is up PAGE ELEVEN to every farmer to reduce to his feed- ing capacity. To help make up his feed shortage, Mr. Forney is using straw along with his hay. The hay crop was fairly good despite the drouth, and taking the hay and straw together, this ‘farm will winter a lot of stock. As'yet there has been no silo constructed here, a thing the need of which is recognized, but even without the silo the cows have proven valuable. The house shown in the picture is headquarters for a half section farm, is roomy, comfortable and modern. The barn is 52 by 100 feet in size, and well furnished to give room to the farm horses, and to the cows, while there are box stalls for the calves, and a large winter water tank that makes it unnecessary to drive cattle out during cold weather to water. The livestock interest of this farm is its fastest growing interest. There are a registered Shorthorn bull, two or three high grade Shorthorn cows, and several other lower grades. The plan is to grade up the entire herd into this breed, which is adapted to milking and also to beef production, and several promising calves are now coming on to contribute towards this purpose. i i i ¥ £ § 3 A T A B U I BT RIS T