The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, March 4, 1918, Page 17

" Farmers Not Citizens In Minnesota ‘by phone, or telegraph him, that a (Continued from page 11) up by the chairman for the Red Cross, ‘resolutions have been adopted pledging the farmers’ loyalty to the govern- ment; and satisfaction with the war aims of the United States, as outlined by President Wilson has been ex- pressed in the resolutions. Not a thing has been said or done of an unpatriotic - nature, unless it {s “hindering the war” for the farmers to attempt to eléct men to office at a regular general state elec- tion in which all political parties are taking part, and in which various in. - terests have candidates up. ‘Wahile the threat to arrest Mr. Town- ley was being made at T.akefield, Mr. ;Townley himself was attending a ban- quet tendered to him by the business " men-and townspeople of Thief River Falls, in another part of Minnesota, .'where he was holding, unmolested, a big- series - of big patriotic League meetings, attended by thousands of farmers. Mr. Townley addressed about six monster League rallies in northern Minnesota, during the trouble over stopping League meetings at Lakefield and other points in the state. At each meeting big collections for the Red Cross were taken up and strong reso- lutions adopted urging farmers to grow big. crops to help win the war and pledging the support of League mem- bers' to the winning of the war. RED CROSS MEETING BARRED AT ONE TOWN - The stopping of League meetings in Minnesota has been confined to locali- ties where the League is not well or- ganized and where the local authorities who are in the conspiracy feel safe in denying farmers their constitutional rights. In counties where the League is organized and where the people know what the League is and how it works, League meetings are welcomed and League speakers banqueted. At one town where a League meeting was barred and a big crowd of farmers- disappointed, the farmers decided to - hold. an American -Society_of Equity meeting instead, most of the Léague farmers present being Equity men. But the authorities would not even permit an Equity meeting. Then the farmers proposed to hold a Red Cross meeting in order to take up a collection for the Red 'Cross. But the farmers were de- " nied a-hall even to hold that kind of - a meeting. “Hold it in the open,” they were told. * During-all this time that the consti- tutional rights of farmers were being’ trampled under foot by officious small- town officials,” what was Governor ‘Burnquist' of Minnesota and the }in- nesota Public Safety. commission do- ing? Were they trying to have the law enforced? Not at all! The governor and safety commission took a most remarkable stand: They said they would not interfere in the stopping or non-stopping of League meetings. They said they would leave it up to the town ‘and- county authorities whether or not to.allow the meetings. ’ ' Now, Governor -Burnquist. and ' the safety commission had “on file the stenographic reports of a large number-/ of theseé League meetings—probably 50 or more. These reports were made “by the governor’s agenfs who had at- tended League meetings. These reports -showed the nature of League meetings. ‘They showed they were loyal and pa-, triotic meetings in every respect and that their loyalty and patriotism could not be questioned in the slightest de- gree, ‘But, having these official reports “'of his own agents before him, Gover-- nor, Burnguist refused to- notify -local authorities that the League's meetings " ings, he would have told local author- . he had reports from his agents from . a large number of them, and they were . orities who illegally interfered with League meeting was scheduled at-a certain point. - They would ask him what to do about it. He would say in effect as follows: FARMERS DEMAND 3 LAW’S PROTECTION v “If you think this meeting 1s going to be seditious, stop it. If you think it is going to create disorder, stop it.” Now, the governor knew that League | meetings Wwere not seditious or dis- loyal, and that they would not create dtsorder, except when peace officers let it be known that they would not pre- vent rowdies from breaking up the ‘meetings. If the governor had been frank, instead of assuming that’ there was some ' doubt about League meet- ities that he had no reason to believe League meetings would be seditious, as perfectly legitimate. But by intimating that they MIGHT be seditious, and saying they could be stopped whenever any town official THOUGHT THEY MIGHT BE, he encouraged the denijal of constitutional rights to farmers. Last week a committee of over 100 farmers of Minnesota, representing practically every county of the state, | sent by their fellow League members, called on the governor. They demanded the removal of town and cbunty auth- League meetings. They demanded that the governor and safety commission take such steps at once as will protect the farmers and the League in their rights of peaceful assemblage and free speech. The governor begged for tirie to consider and act on this demand of | the farmers: At this writing he had not indicated whether he intended ‘to. en- force the laws of Minnesota or not. If the governor refuses to enforce the laws, the League and the farmers will appenl to the federal authorities. In the meantime, all the cases against League representatives charged with unlawful assemblage or other trumped- up charges, will be taken by the League to the highest courts, if neces- | sary, to obtain justice. The fight in Minnesota has only just begun. For a week or so small-town authorities who interfered with League meetings had their way. The anti- farmer press had opportunity to spread poison abroad. The reaction is setting in. Minnesota is going to be made safe for democracy. Depend on that!: Ans: other big series of League meetings- has been announced. The stopping of meetings has brought in thousands of new members in Minnesota. A new League state is in the making. -PROMISES “SOM ETHING DIDDING” Z Wolf Point, Mont. Editor Nonpartisan Leader: Please find enclosed a clipping from the Yellowstone Monitor, printed in Glendive, Mont. The Yellowstone Mon- itor is®just one more cog in the big wheel that is stabbing the farmer in the back. But thanks to our redeemer, the farmers of eastern. Montana are beginning to wake up and the Non- partisan Leader is doing more to edu- cate the farmers than any paper. in. ‘the United States. - There’s going to be something “did- ding” from now on in Montana.- All we need is more organizers and good speakers out here and we will have the old gang taking to the tall timber . in November. The politicians all have ‘were legitimate and patriotic meets'. - ings.. Instead, he strongly -intimated to local authorities that they were not patriotic. ‘He accomplished his! pur- ‘7~ pose, whatever it: was, in this way: - Local authoritiés would call him up. X e " together and next November come out, and show your colors.” Best wishes to: caught some disedse already and I would call it the “uneasy itch.” Now I want to say to the farmers of Mon- tana, “Get yourself in harness and pull the Nonpartisan league and all its membem.' i % A 0. B. HORSFORD. LHIL LT P T S A T TG T T LI Jmnmnnnn| i AT i \;\\~ \'\\ ¥ Pull ADVERTISEMENTS T E LT O T O T T g ut This AveryA Inner Cylinder Wal HE inner cylinder walls of a motor 2 are subject to more wear than about anyother of a tractor. In Avery Tractors these inner walls are separate castings. When worn or scored from any causeflyou canreplacethemata small cost, withlittletrouble and practicallynodelay. 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