The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, March 18, 1918, Page 15

> ‘Minn., a country editor who is presi- " place shortly. ' It is to be clean (God save the mark) and such advertising ' _Business) or with leanings pro-Ger- . organization and no doubt they (the »Rehance bureau) wxll refuse to place Publicity Bureau Finds a Friend IS remarkable to see what faith eénemies of the organized farmers place in paid publicity . bureaus — agencies established by - heavy subsidies to furnish ‘newspapers with poisoned news and opinion regarding the Non- partisan league -In the past such agencies have been effec- tive in puttmg over the propaganda of Big Busi- ness and their politicians, but they have been successful more because they were not exposed, or because there was no way of reaching the people with the truth about them. A paid publicity bu- - reau or, subsidized news agency must work in the dark. When exposed it immediately becomes inef- fective and useless for the purpose for which it was . intended. The Nonpartisan league in Minnesota has ex- posed such a bureau at St. Paul, branches of which, it is announced by the dummies who manage it, will be established in other states. This bureau is known as the Reliance Publicity service. Its true character was exposed in its first act, which was to send out an elaborate questionnaire to country newspapers, asking, among other things, what position they had taken or would take on the Non- partisan league, and intimating that if their atti- tude was “right” on the League (that is, against it) they would receive a lot of advertising patron- age from mysterious “clients” of the Reliance Pub- licity service. Later this paid, anti-farmer publicity bureau sent out to Minnesota country papers a number of articles attacking the Nonpartisan league, stating that they were sent out “at the request of a client,” whose name the bureau refused flatly to disclose. Several country papers swallowed the bait, hook, ~ line and sinker, and printed ‘this stuff, and are now waiting for the Reliance Publicity service to give them the promised advertising that is to pay them for hiring out their columns to secret clients who are afraid. to come out in the open, but work through dummies. USING EDITORIAL ASSOCIATION TO MAKE THE ATTACK P. C. Peterson, editor of the Frazee Weekly Press of Frazee, Minn.,, was one of the many country editors who did‘not fall for the game, and if there had been any doubt as to the true nature of the Reliance Publicity service, Mr. Peter- son dissipated that doubt. The Reliance dummies gave Mr. Peterson, as reference for their reliabil- ity, H. C. Hotaling of Mapleton, dent of the National Editorial asso- ciation. Mr. Hotaling has dragged the National Editorial association into the Minnesota political fight be- tween the farmers and the politicians by replying to Mr. Peterson on the letterhead of the National Editorial association. He wrote Mr. Peterson as follows: “Yours at hand regarding Reliance Publicity service, St. Paul. From my investigations I would say that this institution is financially responsible. I feel assured that they have some very good advertising that they will as all will be glad to accept. This advertising, however, I am informed, will not be placed with any pubhca- tions:of ‘questionable loyalty (to Big man. “The inquiries relative of the Non- partisan league were made because of - the disloyalty of the leaders (dis- loyal to the war profiteers?) of the their "advertising in papers support- ing that organization. (A very flat insult and threat.) I am also inform- ed that they nay handle matters deal- ing 'with the Liberty loan, which will also go only to papers loyal to the: government.” The' matter in parentheses in the quoted letter above was inserted by Now, Mr. ‘Hotaling seems to know bout the 'r&amzed farmers, A LETTER TO TOWNLEY Washington, D. C. Mr. A. C. Townley, President Nonpartisan league, St. Paul, Minn. My dear Sir: I write to request that you kindly send me, if you have had it published at any time, a copy of the speech which you have recently been deliver- ing at different points in Minnesota. I have been reading in the Nonparti- san Leader an account of your meet- ings. I am pleased to know that you are persisting in your campaign and are not suffering yourself to be influ- enced by the organized assaults and opposition leveled against you. An account of some of these pro- ceedings read a good deal like the inci- dents had occurred in a country where autocracy held absolute sway rather than where democracy was the form and spirit of the government. With assurance of the highest es- teem and best wishes, I am . Yours truly, T. P. GORE. United States Senator from Oklahoma. P. S. It happened that I was in the hospital when the St. Paul meeting was held. which intends to bribe newspapers to print it. ~ How does he know? As president of the National Editorial association is he “in on it” also? His letter is a frank statement that this agency will place advertising only with papers that print the filth and bought opinions of the anti-farmer gang. Does the National Editorial association, whose stationery Mr. Hotaling uses in giving this recom- mendation for the Reliance Publicity service, know of and approve of his action? Mr. Hotaling’s letter is a double insult. It is an insult to the organized farmers of America, who are thus charged, without proof, of being dis- loyal and pro-German. It is an insult to the edi- tors of Minnesota papers that, by the hundreds, are supporting the Nonpartisan league and are as loyal and patnotlc as any -citizen in this country. In it also an insult to the editors of Minnesota to imagine that they will stand for the kind of illy | HISTORIC KANSAS FARM HOUSE | S The first Nonpartisan league picnic in the state of Kansas was held at the farm _home of Victor Johnson at Lindsborg, on October 2, 1917. “by Organizers C. N. Tharp, A. J. Dille, Albert Wnllman and a committee of farmers, who were members of the League, of Lindsborg. A. E. Bowen spoke for two hours to a crowd estimated by some of the business men to be between 1,200 and 1,500 persons. were served after the meeting, The committee that had the meeting in charge raised by collection a fund of over $20 and it was decided to spend this money us. - for a bunch of “We’ll Stick’”” buttons. The farmers in the vicinity of Lindsborg have decided to stick to the finish with the other farmers in the state of Kansas all about this agency paid to send out — and they also wish to urge the farmers in other parts of the state to come in son.- ‘with them. The Kansas slognn is “Farmer Made ans for Farmers’ Use.” There were over 200 autos counted. PAGE m'rm It was advertised Refreshments concealed bribery that Mr. Hotaling so frankly approves. Is Hotaling using his position in the National Editorial association to thus besmirch the farmers and intimidate the editors of Minnesota for noth- ing? Or is he getting something out of it? Or is he just a weak fool and tool of the mysterious clients who are spending vast sums of money to buy publicity in the Minnesota press to discredit the organized farmers? We make no charges. We want to believe in Mr. Hotaling’s honesty. We merely ask these questions in order to get at the truth. We would also like to ask if the National Editorial association approves of this use of its stationery. A Montana Man To Townley Mr. A. C. Townley, Helena, Mont. President National Nonpartlsan league, St. Paul, an Dear Sir: While I may not agree with you on some ques- tions of the day, I desire at this time to go on record as being heartily inaccord with the views expressed in your recent statement regarding wheat prices and the further advantage thereby sought by the food sharks. In my opinion, you have the situation sized up correctly, and you de- serve the thanks of countless consumers, now pay- ing heavy tribute to the holdup profiteers, for " stating the matter so clearly and logically, as well as having the courage to take this stand. In this connection I am prompted to emphasize that it is no wonder the producers and consumers of this country are arousing to a keener realization of the brazen methods by which they are being systematically robbed. Yours very truly, GLENN L. FOSTER. What a Bank Calls the League The Security State bank of Havre, Mont., in a recent circular advertising its business, refers to the Nonpartisan league as the ‘“Hun-Partisan league.” This is a very good joke, indeed, quite worthy of a bank which depends largely on farm- ers for support. To the nearly -200,000 farmers who have paid their- hard-earned money to build up the Nonpartisan league in the interests of good government and democracy, who are supporting the government in this war by sending their sons in the army and mortgaging themselves to buy Liberty bonds and put in crops to help Uncle Sam, this is surely a very, very good banker’s joke —the “Hun-Partisan” league! For the circular containing this in- sult to the farmers of America and their organization, the Leader is in- debted to a League member in Mon- tana, G. G. Miller of Havre. Mr. Miller shows by his letter that it is hard for him to contain his indigna- tion and we can assure him that he is not alone in this feeling. We knrow several hundred thousand American farmers, banded together for freedom and liberty, at home and abroad— loyal and patriotic citizens—who will get hot under the collar also wlien they hear of this Havre-bank circular. Mr, Miller says that this bank, while calling the farmers’ organiza- tion the “Hun-Partisan” league, is still soliciting business from farmers. “I. have a little balance in this bank,” says Mr. Miller, “and tomorrow while in town-'I intend to close my depends for existence. teaches and am very anxious for this fall’s election so we can hear the re- turns and know that the grafters are out of power forever. The League continues to have my support and best wishes.” deal with banks that call their organ- Not many, we hope. account with them as I don’t care to. patronize any establishment which, knocks the workingmen on whom it “I am for the League and all it _ How many other Montana farmers ization the “Hun-Partisan league”?