The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, March 4, 1918, Page 11

Farmers Are Not Citizens in Minnesota! - League Campaign on in Two States—Precinct Caucuses Held—The Big Con-- spiracy in Minnesota—Candidates Being Indorsed by the Farmers league campaigns for 1918 have opened this year are North Dakota and Minnesota. The League caucuses in these two states were held on Washington’s birthday, which started the political ball to rolling. League members of Minne- sota and North. Dakota assembled on the same THE, first states in which the Nonpartisan day—February 22, Washington’s birthday—in every - voting- precinct in. the two states, except precincts in the cities. The League members met at their usual voting places and named delegates to legis- lative district conventions. These legislative dis- trict conventions are now meeting to indorse can- didates for 'the legislature and to elect delegates ta the state and congressional conventions, which will meet later and indorse a state ticket for Minnesota *and North Dakota and a set of con- gressmen. This is- the usual League'procedure -in the indorsement of candidates, and - it puts the indorsing completely in the hands of League members. The prim- aries in North Dakota and Minnesota are in June, and hence an early start had to be made. In South Dakota, a conference of League members from all over the state decided not to enter the South Dakota primaries, which are also held early in the summer. Instead, South Dakota I.eague members will put up an independent congressional, legislative and state ticket some time after the primaries, not attempting to win places for their candidates at the regular party primaries. In Montana and Idaho and some of the other states where the League is organizing the’primaries are not held until the early fall, so that the League precinct caucuses and legislative and state conventions will not be held for some time yet. But the hottest campaign Minnesota ever saw has already opened in that state. Things. are warming up also in North DPakota, although the carrying of North Dakota again by the League is a foregone conclusion, and there is not so much spectacular opposition as in Minnesota, where the political gang and its newspapers still think there.is a chance to beat the farmers. ~DESPERATE OPPOSITION IS AT WORK IN MINNESOTA Nearly 70,000 farmers met simul- taneously in the various rural voting precincts of Minnesota and North Da- kota on February 22. They met on the same day and at the same hour. The meetings bubbled over with enthus- iasm. The spirit of the day—the birth- day anniversary of the first president of the Great Republic—was manifest at every meeting. In nearly every pre- cinct resolutions were adopted pledg- ing the loyalty of the farmers to their country, three cheers: were given for Uncle Sam and three more for the League. And then these farmers, meet- ing together to select good men and true men to represent them in the indorsing conventions, laid aside party politics and got .down to business. : In every instance they sought men who were not self- seekers, neighbors they had confidence in, and they named them as their representatives to the conven- tions to follow. The precinct caucuses were an old story to North Dakota farmers, They went through them two years ago, as a preliminary to the sweeping North Dakota political victory of 1916, which was ‘a shot heard ‘round the world.” Nevertheless, the North Dakota farmers ‘displayed great enthusiasm. It is a ques- tion whether they or the Minnesota farmers, who were trying the League plan for the first time, were the more enthusiastic. The organized farmers of Minnesota are probably meeting the most desperate opposition ever put up against a political movement of the common people anywhere. Even the hard-fought campalgn of 1918 in North‘Dakota. in which the farmers were opposed state. N by practically all the newspapers and’ all the s pollticians, wln not surpass in excitement and in- and of the people. . been held except 40. tense interest the campaign in. Minnesota. Co-inci- dent, with the announcement of the Minnesota League precinct caucuses and the opening of the 1918 campaign, a big conspiracy against the organ- ized farmers, which had been in process of forma- tion for some weeks, was brought to light. The politicians and newspapers attempted a desperate game. The Minnesota league had under way a series of 250 meetings in various towns throughout the state. Urged on by the big city press; which for over a year has been trying to make out that the League is unpatriotic and pro-German, town authorities, and in some instances, county officers, commenced to stop League meetings. Business men of the small towns hostile to the organized farmers, and the big THE RISING TIDE --Drawn expressly for the Leader by W. C. Morris Thls is a graphic plcture of the present political situation. The rislng tide of the Nonpartisan league in 15 states is marooning the enemies of the farmers interests of the state which are hostile alike to organized farmers and organized city workers, urged on this move to prevent the farmers’ meetings. 'To’ date, of the 250. meetings scheduled, all have These 40 were flatly for- bidden by the local or county authorities, or the farmers were refused the use of all halls in town, -~ even after rent had been paid for one of them. In some instances hostile business men, applauded by the St. Paul and Minneapolis press and indirectly encouraged by the state authorities, rented all. the available halls, so that the farmers had to meet in the open. Even these open meetings in some cases were forbidden and the farmers had to go out of town, into the country, to meet in. wind and snow storms on the prairies. . . - TOWN PEOPLE RIOT TO INTIMIDATE FARMERS But not for an instant has the enthusiasm and ardor. of the Minnesota farmers ' been dampened. They ara "fightlng ma.d ” The stoppage of the meeb- PAGE BLEVEN Well may you be scared, gentlemen! But don’t try in other states what you tried in Minnesota, as reported in the accompanying article, for it will not help you elsewhere any more than it is helping you in the Gopher Long live democracy and justice! 5 ings has made them more determined than ever, and Minnesota is sure for the League next November. Organized labor in the cities is co-operating right down the line with ‘the farmers and big, important developments are at hand in Minnesota. The fight on the League farmers in connection with this big plot to stamp out the League by:pre- venting its meetings culminated in a disgraceful riot at Lakefield, Minn. Local authorities forbade a League meeting at Lakefield, so they say, but Joseph Gilbert, a League representative, attempted to hold a meeting. He was arrested for unlawful assemblage! “Unlawful assemblage!” Since when have farmers lost the right to peacefully gather and discuss politics or any other lawful subject? James Manahan was Mr. Gilbert's attorney, and it was determined by the League to make the Lakefield case a test in the courts, to ascertain whether politicians and newspapers and hostile small-town business men can repeal the constitu- tion of a great state off hand by deny- ing patriotic citizens the right to meet. During the trial, just after Mr. Mana- han- had conducted an auction for the Red Cross, he was surrounded by an angry mob, which the sheriff and other peace officers present made no. effort to disperse. The mob told Mr. Mana- han he had to get out of town, and threatened him with tar and feathers and hanging. Think of it! A lawyer there to defend a client in the courts of Minnesota, told he must leave his client and get out under threat of violence! The sheriff and other peace officers were present but mhade no effort to protect Mr. Manahan in his right to stay in town and defend Mr. Gilbert. Instead, the sheriff offered Mr. Mana- han “safe conduct” to the next village, and thence he escorted him. In the meantime the mob drove a League or- threats. A St. Paul men present in the town on business, a, .vu a state- ment heard in :the courtroom to the effect that the League was pat@int:- that in North Dakota, where PR way—the Liberty loan was oversub- scribed 73 per cent. For this defense of the farmers this man received a blow on the jaw, was driven by a mob to his hotel and forced to leave town the next day. WILL CARRY CASES TO HIGHEST COURTS on the charge of unlawful agsemblage, That charge was so flimsy that just before court adjournment the prosecu- tion felt itself slipping and preferred another charge against Mr. Gilbert, this time of making a speech calculated to “discourage enlistments.” In the mean: time the mob so intimidated the jury ‘that Gilbert was convicted on the first charge. At the same time the Lakefield local author- ities decided in some way to rope President Town- ley of the League in. At any rate, the papers an- nounced in screaming headlines that a warrant had been issued for Mr. Townley, on the ground he was the “employer” of Mr. Gilbert and “conspired with him” to hold the alleged unlawful meeting at Lakefield. - Papers throughout the ecountry announced that Mr. Townley had been arrested, or that a warrant for him had been issued, but at this writing no war- rant has been served on him. It may be that the Lakefield authorities will attempt to go through with this trumped-up charge against the League president later, but to date there has been no at- tempt to arrest him. The Nonpartisan league of course will carry these cases to the highest courts in the land. League meetings and speeches in Minnesota, as in other states, have been loyal and patriotic. At every Min. nesota League meeting a collection has been taken (Contlnued on page 17) ganizer out of town under similar . dominated . politically and every other - Mr. Gilbert was convicted, of course, °