The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, November 1, 1917, Page 15

& e ) “I thot if he wanted to die he had my konsent” peeple don’t know ennything about it. All thay know iz what we say, thay swoller that, the pizen takes afect an’ thar you air.” I never sed nuthin’. I wuz engaged in a deep, dark-brown studdy. In facked I cood hardly keep my shurt on, I wuz so hot. “Now az a result uv this,” he went on gleefully, “reports air cumin’ in frum all over the cuntry that orders air bein’ issued by local authorities that all Leeg meetin’s must be cancell- ed. Thay have sent wurd to the Leeg leeders not to hold theze meetin’s an’ in sum places thay have incited mobs uv boys to brake up the meetin’s ef thay do cum.” I coodn’t hold in enny longer. “Do you think this is a fair way to fite, Mr. Crafty?” I sed, lookin’ him strait in the ize. Crafty’s lips curled in a bitter snarl. “Fair! fair! Do you think we care ennything about fairness. Hell! ef we fit fair we woodn’'t git to the furst trench. This iz politicks, Mr. Hed, an’ I'll give you to understand that enny- thing iz fair in politicks—ennything. This ain’t a matter uv patriotism and loyalty — this iz politicks — politicks pur~ and simple.” e “But suppoze wneze men air really patriotic an’ loyal do you think it's fair to " MR. HED ASKS SOME EMBARRASSING QUESTIONS .“Of course thay're patriotic an’ loyal —jist az loyal ' az we air—an’ maybe more so—but what do we care fur that? I tell you agin this is politicks —politicks, not war.” - I managed to screw down the safety wvalve soze not to pop off enny more an’ knocked the ashes outen my pipe on the toe of my shoe. “Now az I started to say,” he went on, triumfantly, “I have informashun here that similar ackshun iz bein’ taken not only in Minnesota but- in uther staits—in South Dakota fur in- stance. Orders has bin issued that all Leeg meein’s out thar shall be stopped, and of coursé this will spread over all the staits whur the Leeg is operatin’, an’ it won’t take much uv this kind uv stuff to put the Leeg on the blink.” “Well, haint the Leeg got sum nuze- - papers, too?’ I ast probin'ly, az I re- filled my barn yard meershum, This question - kinder took the wind’ outen biz sales fur a minnit. He looked per- plexed an’ puzzled. Then the perplex- ety and puzzelness disappeared. T “Yes, but thay can’t hed this off, ’'m eceartain uv that. This 1z the time we've got ’em on the hip, Mr. Hed, got" ‘em on the hip, shore az shootin!” Jist then thar wuz a rap at the door an’ without lookin’ around Crafty sed in a loud voice: “Cum in.” St A messenger boy cum in, walked to the table, saluted, -pitched a telegram on the table, an’ held the receipt book out for Crafty to sign, which he did. He slipped the boy a quarter, who saluted agin an’ departed. Crafty tore open the message, glanc- ed at it hurriedly an’ then give a suden start. I wuz watchin’ hiz face. I seed the blud leve it instantly an’ he turned a paleish-green, then a dedly white, hiz han’s trembled like the han’s uv one with the palsy. The telegram drapped frum hiz han’ an’ fluttered to the floor, while Crafty pitched forward on the table groanin’ like a hoss with the col- lick. BIG BIZ TELEGRAHPS TO WILL B. CRAFTY I sot in amazement fur a minnit. I never got excited in the least. I jist maid up my mind that ef he wanted to die,why he had my konsent. He laid thar on the table, hiz shoulder bheavin’ up an’ down like a movie gurl tryin’ to put the sob stuff-in a meller- drama. I glanced down at the message az it layed on the floor, an’ this iz what I red: “Will B. Crafty, Colorado Springs, Colo., Care of Elk Horn Hotel. “Sir:—Your well-cooked skeem all turned to dough. Nobody beleves the cock an’ bull stories about Leeg con- vention bein’ disloyal. Leeg papers have all told the truth—farmers beleve them. Big papers in bad. Leeg meetin’ goin’ ahed az usual. Our spies report thousands now joinin’ where hundreds joined before. Iz this your big battle? Iz this the way you stem the tide? Iz this all the good we git from our mun- ny—our millions that we have given you to kill this thing? Air you a back number or what’s the matter with you? (Signed) BIG BIZ. “P, S.—What reezon have you got to give why you shood not be fired at once, wire reply— “B. B.” Crafty wuz still heavin’ his should- ers, but not quite so much. I got up an’ walked over to the winder. He raized up sudenly, looked around quickly on the table fur the message— then seein’ it on the floor, picked it up an’ crumpled it into his pocket. “Mr. Hed,” he sed weekly, “I've jist received a very sad message from my brother-in-law. My sister iz at the pint uv deth—my favorite sister, too. I'm all broke up oyer it,. I hope you'll excuse me, I—I—"; “Ceartainly, ceartainly, Mr, Crafty,” I sed, tenderly, ‘T’ll leave you alone with your sorrows, an’ hope that things will take a turn fur the better an’ that your deer sister will be spared,” an’ I quietly. walked outen the room, went down the elevator, walked out in the park, layed down .on a park bench an’ lafed till a policeman cum over an’ ast ef I wuz crazy. ‘Yoors Trooly, (To be continued in & subsequent issue.) Finds Farmers Loyal ‘(From the Montana Equity News) The editor of the Equity News has fnvestigated the St. Paul meeting as thoroughly as it has been possible dur- ing the past week. In this investiga- tion we permitted no prejudice, either in favor or against the Nonpartisan league to enter. This is what we found: 1. The speech of La Follette was garbled in the press dispatches, to La Follette's discredit. 2. It is admitted that La Follette went further in his war address than he had a license to, but even then, no more than he had said in the senate many times, - p 3. St. Paul and Minneapolis news- papers, as well as the Associated Press, refused to publish the resolu- tions adopted by the convention, which were most patriotic. 4, These same newspapers and news agencies refused to give publicity to the patriotic speakers who addressed the convention. 5. These same newspapers said the present administration at Washington was not represented in the convention, whereas the president had a personal representative there who gave an address and was accorded a great wel- come, 6. The whole incident shows, without a doubt, that Big Business had two purposes in calling the meeting “dis- loyal,” to kill the Nonpartisan league and to head off the demand for con- scr‘*ipt_ion of war profits. PAGE FIFTEEN ADVERTISEMENTS LEAGUE MEMBERS ATTENTION Do you realize the tremendous fight the League is up against? We are waging battle against the mightiest forces the world has ever seen. We are fighting Big Business which has the American people by the throat. These special interests are firmly entrenched. They control the natural resources of the United States. They own the railroads, the refrigerator cars, the terminal elevators, the ware- houses, the cold storage houses. They control the money and the credit of the country. They control the biggest part of the press. They determine what we shall receive for what we sell—what we " shall pay for what we buy—what we shall eat—what we shall wear— what we shall read—they even try to dictate to us what brand of patriotism we should adopt. They keep this upper hand through the power of political control. ‘We see far enough now to know that the first thing we have to do is to take away this political control through which they have legalized their robbery and thus go through our pockets in the name of the law. This is some fight we are up against—and we want to ask you if you are doing all you can to help win the fight? We know that you are an enthusiastic member and that you boost the League every chance you get. But you can do more. TWO BIG NEEDS There are two big things we have to meet. First—we need organ- izers. The farmers are coming in as fast as we can get to them. But we must have enough men to cover the ground. We need men in Washington, 1daho, Montana, Colorado, South Dakota, Minnesota, ‘Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, and we could enter other states if we had the men. Can’t you help with this job or organiz- ing? If you can write us at once. : Maybe you feel that you could do this job if you had a little help and training for it. All right, we’ll give you that. We have work- ed out a plan by which we can train you for this organizing work. Write and we wil send you ful particulars. You can give all your time to the job—steady work with good pay—or you can give just as much time q's you can spare and be well paid for the time you work. _There is another need. This farmers’ political movement means that we're going to represent ourselves after this. We're through with. being misrepresented by bankers and lawyers and professional politicians. We're through. with the volunteer system for political offices. We're going to conscript our own men for these places. Now here’s the rub. - We’ve never been up against this game before and we are not wise to it all. If we are going to make the rules of the game from now on, we need to study up a little on the rules we want. Suppose the farmers conscript you for this work if you are indorsed for office—are you ready? We need trained men for these positions. You can be one of these men if you will. THE OPPORTUNITY IS YOURS The opportunity to help in the biggest fight of your day—the fight for industrial and economic justice—the opportunity to tackle a man-sized job—the opportunity to be financially independent and socially useful—the opportunity to make a living and to make history -—the opportunity to give Big Business a blow between the eyes and to be on the firing line in what President Wilson calls “the silent revolution whereby America will insist upon securing a government devoted to the general interest and-not to special interests.,” Cut off this coupon NOW and send it in and we will send you full particulars. i The National Nonpartisan League EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT GILFILLAN BLOCK -St. Paul, Minn. — m— —— C— — — Go— S —— — — — — — — o— I would like to do organizing work for the League and to have I full particu]ars} of the League Course for Training Organizers. l Are you a League member?..ceoesas I l Name.... l AdAress..ieseeccescescssssecsarssrancsee : — s e S e . Cm— — — — w— — — G—— S— — MR. LIVESTOCK GROWER! Yofi Are Surely Entitled to the Full Market Value for the Livestock You Raise IF YOU DO NOT GET IT, somebody else gets the bene- fit you should have. The day is passed when business is done on sentiment, and only results in dollars and cents count. We want you to compare the results in dollars and cents we get for you with those received elsewhere. A comparison will convince you that “KIRK SERVICE" gets you the most money for your livestock. J. R. Kirk Commission Co., Inc. South St. Paul, Minn. Authorized Sales Agency of the American Society of Equity Mention Leader when writing advertisers [ R | |