The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, March 11, 1918, Page 12

! "the total area, we would /have had no food problem T SAP HEAD, HERE'S A WIRE STORY ABOUT TH' LEAGUE -YOU'D BETTER LEAVE SOME OF IT OUT OF THE il THSUATARRANS A1 i030 s |IRIRRY T today. We have to remember that we have a sub- normal wheat crop; that we lost probably 200,000,000 bushels of wheat by low yields. We have a sub- normal corn crop, taking our normal crop at 2,700,- 000,000 bushels, for although the yield is 3,100,000, 000 this year its food value is below normal. If next year we could duplicate the same acreage we had last year and get a normal crop, we would have no food problem at all.” “Assuming that we may not get a normal crop this year,” said Young, “and if we find ourselves HMMM — AT A NON- PARTISAN LEAGUE MEETING, 300 DOLLARS WAS COLLECTED FOR THE RED CROSS- WOW - 300 Bucks) | WOUL.ON'T DARE TO MENTION. THAT (N MY STORY ‘CAUSE THE PUBLIC WOULD GET WISE THAT WE LIED WHEN WE SAID THE LEAGUE WAS 9O15- able to finance or extend credit to the men who need the seed and succeed in getting in every avail- able acre, do you think we will have more food than we need?” “Not a bit,” said Hoover. “We never can have more than we need. Even when I say that we have no food problem, I am assuming that Europe runs on their subnormal consumption. If we can give . them their normal consumption, it would absorb more than we can produce. In other words, there is no maximum than can furnish Europe with more than she can take, in the present transportation outlook.” SO I'LL JUST cuT | WELL,WELL, | SEE MR. THAT oUT ANO -PLAY uP A YARN ABoUT SOME MILLIONAIRE, HELPING THE RED ROTROCKS HAS DOMATED 50 DOLLARS TQ THE REDP CROSS. —Drawn expressly for the Leader by B. O. Foss “Do you think,” Young concluded, “it would be dangerous and ill advised for us to sit by and see any portion of the land not seeded this year?” “I do not think we should fail on a solitary acre,” Hoover replied. ¢ Such was the food administrator’s opinion of the Baer legislation, given before the house committee on agriculture. He wanted only to make certain of - the extent to which the states would‘promptly take care of their own farmers’ needs, before advising federal action, and he agreed that congress ought - to take no chances on future state action for ‘this relief. “Stand Firm,” Minnesota Farmers Told " League Members of Other States Send Words of Cheer to Brothers Fighting for | Democracy and Free Speech in Gopher State -- Letters Swamp Leader 5 [ HE . conspiracy in Minnesota to stamp out the farmers’ organization by preventing ¢ League meetings in no way has affected League organization work or campaign plans. More than 10 meetings a day are being held in the state in a new series just started, and in this new series no meetings as yet have been molested. Forty of the series of meetings which ended two weeks ago were stopped, but this has succeeded in mak- ing the farmers more determined. Thousands of new members are coming into the League weekly in Minnesota, many of them solely as a protest against the suspension of the constitution as it applies to farmers. One of the big things that has heartened Min- nesota farmers in the great fight for democracy and good government is the response from other states where the League is organizing and where the 1918 campaigns have not yet opened or where the op- position is not as thoroughly organized or financed as it is in Minnesota. Hundreds of farmers’ meet- ings and individual farmers throughout these other League states have showered the Leader with let- ters and resolutions protesting against the treat- ment of the organized farmers in Minnesota. The Leader wishes it could print all these letters and resolutions from outside of Minnesota. In this issue _only a few can be used. Chairmen of farmers’ meetings in other states ° which have sent words of encouragement to their Minnesota brothers and individual members of the League in other states who have sent the Leader splendid letters on the subject of the Minnesota conspiracy are requested to be patient with us for our inability to print all these letters in this issue. We will endeavor to print as many of them. as possible in subsequent editions. Meridian Grange No. 265, Kent, Wash., is one of the farmers’ organizations that has protested against the treatment of Minnesota farmers. We have re- ceived resolutions from this Grange signed by Peter T. Nelson, master, and C. R. Cottrell, secretary, de- manding a United States government investigation of the Minnesota conspiracy and denial of rights of farmers to peaceful assemblage and free speech in the interests of farmers’ candidates for office. 'Thig state of Washington Grange in its resolu- tions in part said: i “Whereas, the National Nonpartisan league is a legally organized society of farmers, having as its object the economical welfare of the farmers of the nation, and 4 “Whereas, the officers and members of this League stand squarely behind the administration’s war program and are willing to make any and all sacrifices necessary to the fulfillment thereof, but are unwilling to support the profiteering, parasitic leeches that are sucking the life blood of this na- tion, therefore be it “Resolved, that Meridian Grange, No. 265, in reg- ular assembly at Kent, Wash., this 16th day of Feb- ruary, 1918, do demand a thorough and immediate federal investigation of the arrest, persecution and conviction for alleged unlawful assembly of Joseph Gilbert of the National Nonpartisan league at Lake- field, Minn., on or about Februry 13, 1918, and of the reported issuance of a warrant for A. C. Town- ley, and be it further : “Resolved, that copies of this resolution be for- warded to President Wilson, all our representatives and senators, the Nonpartisan Leader, Agricultural Grange News and the Seattle Union Record.” From North Dakota, where the farmers have gone through one campaign for democracy and good gov- ernment and where the ferocity of the enemies of the farmers is well known, the Leader has received, signed by League members at Maddock, the follow- ing message of encouragement for Minneseta tillers of the soil: \ 5 NORTH DAKOTA FARMERS - SEND WORDS OF CHEER Maddock, N. D, “To Our Loyal President, A. C. Townley, “Dear Sir:—The Nonpartisan league farmers of North Dakota are meeting today in every voting precinct. Discussions are heard through our state regarding the old gang politicians and their aids, calling the Minnesota Nonpartisan league farmers and their League organizers unpatriotic and dis- loyal. Some of them are our North Dakota farmers and their sons. Fifty thousand North Dakota farm- ers and members of the Nonpartisan league can prove that it is not true. It is some more of the dirty work of the old political gang, which is a big boom for the cause. Watch the big vote on election day in PAGE TWELVE those places where the gang tried to or did stop free speech! “How about Swift & Co., the second largest American meat patkers? They turned in a net profit of $20,000,000 for the year 1916, and $42,000,- 000 for 1917. “To you, Minnesota farmers, we pray that you stand back of our Nonpartisan league organization and its president, A. C. Townley, and help the or- , ganizers in your territory. We need you in this great National Nonpartisan, league organization of farm- ers to help us win democracy, our rights and a square deal to all. “Yours very truly, from a, Maddock (N. D.) com- mittee of League farmers. We'll stick and we’ll win! “T. H. KOLBO “B. OLSON “JOS. HEILING “GUST. A. NELSON “FRED SPRIGGS “B. C. TORGERSON “ED HANSON “CHRIS. HANES “P. E. AANDERUD “G. J. REINE “SIB. HOAGENSTAD “J. M. WOOGEN “A. B. TOGSTAD “THEO. TOGSTAD.” “0O. P. KAPPERDAHL “Editor Nonpartisan Leader: Jessie, N: D, “Am writing yau a few lines regarding the doings of some of the busy, over-officious officials of Min- - nesota. I see, according to some of our papers, that those corrupt, old-gang officials are doing their best to help along with the organization work of the Nonpartisan league by refusing the League and its leaders the right of free speech and organization. Now, if there is any one thing which will cause discussion, and thereby education, along those lines in a community, it certainly is this very foolishness of which these officials have been guilty. Is it pos- sible that those fat, shortsighted moles of Big Busi- ness already believe they have stolen American freedom, and are going to get away with it? It cer- tainly looks that way to a fellow up a stump. “Now, I believe those poor dupes ought to be un- deceived, and, for their own benefit, given a little hayseed information along those lines. Therefore, I would suggest that if those official tools of plutoc- racy think they have got a monopoly of the freedom of the whole American people, as they certainly . have on many other things, they had better rub the mud out of their eyes and take a look. “JAMES A. M’CULLOCH.”