The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, May 20, 1918, Page 16

s 2 reformed it must first be expose seriptions before it issued a copy, showing how strong was the people’s desire for an honest, fear- less paper. Yet this paper—the Seattle Sun—failed after a four years’ fight. Why did it fail? Simply be- cause the financiers and big business men of Seattle defied the public and used their secret influence to keep the department stores from advertising in- this paper. Several owners of department stores told the managers of the paper that they wanted to advertise, but did not dare to, for they had been given to understand that if they did advertise their credit would undergo a sudden restriction. ST. PAUL ORACLES - K’ OF BIG BUSINESS So the Seattle Sun went out of business. people of Seattle wanted it to stay in business and they contributed some $700,000 to keep it in busi- ness. But no paper can continue to publish with- The out the support of the big department stores and the big department stores could not advertise in the Sun because the financiers of Seattle willed otherwise: It was a convincing object lesson for the people of Seattle. It ought to be equally convincing for the people of other cities and states. However, if there are any persons in Minnesota who have any lipgering. doubts about the utter prostitution of the daily press, their doubts can be dispelled with- out going so far afield as San Francisco or Seattle. The press of Seattle, San Francisco or of any other city is not more subservient to big business than most of the daily papers of St. Paul, Minneapolis and Duluth. This is not a matter of hearsay. It is not a question of opinion, unsupported by evi- dence. It can be shown by facts—facts which can not be avoided or denied—facts which are sup- ported by names, dates and specific instances. To support this sweeping charge that most of the metropolitan press of Minnesota is thoroughly Walter W. Liggett, author of this series of articles on “The Poison Press,” should know his subject, for he has been a newspaper man for 13 years and worked on most of the leading dailies of Minnesota and the Pacific coast. He has served in every capacity from cub reporter to city editor, was managing editor of a daily in Alaska and later published his own weekly in eastern Washington. ; Prior to his employment by the Nonpartisan league, Mr. _ i He was discharged by that paper for “disloyalty.” Mr. Liggett’s “disloyalty” consisted of attending the September conference of the Nonpartisan league and applauding several of the speakers. The Dispatch at that time was bit- terly attacking the League. The editor of the paper called Mr. Liggett to account. ' Sy “I was at the meeting,” Mr. Liggett said, “and my presence there calls for no apology. My private opinions are my own, and my self-respect is too dear to me to allow me to try to remodel them after those of the Dispatch.” This caused his dismissal and the paper immediately gave out that he had been discharged for “disloyalty.” - Mr. Liggett went to work on the Minneapolis Journal the next day and after staying there for nearly-a month resigned to accept a position with the Nonpartisan league. , _ G h LT Mr. Liggett is son of the late Colonel William M. Liggett, for many years regent of the University of Minne- sota, dean of the state agricultural college and a member of the board of directors of the Minnesota State Fair association, well known to all the farmers of the state. W. W. Liggett was born on his father’s farm near Benson. “These articles on ‘The Poison Press’ are dictated by an unescapable sense of duty,” Mr. Liggett stated. “The great portion of the American daily press is utterly prostituted. Itis the most vicious influence in our national life. Itis deliberately poisoning gl’}blic opinion. It must be reformed before we can have healthy progress. To be Liggett was editorial writer for the St. Paul Dispatch. and viciously controlled, body and soul, by big business, we will, in a series of articles, consider the following papers in turn: The St. Paul Dis- patch and the St. Paul Pioneer' Press, the. Min- neapolis Journal, the Minneapolis Tribune and the Duluth News-Tribune. We are prepared to marshal a mass of evidence to support our indictment, evidence which can not ' be refuted. In a later article we will consider the P case of the St. Paul Dispatch. This oracle of big business, by the most underhanded methods op- poses nearly every man and measure which threat- ens to curtail the profits of big business, and throws its support to nearly every project which is favored by and promises to increase the profits of big business. The St. Paul Dispatch and its Siamese twin, the Pioneer Press, delight to question the patriotism and muckrake the motives of others. We will give them a dose of their own medicine and place before the public a few facts about these “moulders of public opinion.” Not Ready for a League ‘Ticket in Wisconsin ' WAS decided at a special meet- ing of the Nonpartisan league held at Madison, Wis., April 30, that the League will not place a ticket in the field and conduct a campaign in that state this year. Urged by the success of the League in other states and growing restlessness of the: farmers for a general cleaning up, there had been considerable demand that the League enter the campaign there this year. ' This meeting was called for the purpose of deciding what action to take and was addressed by Beecher Moore, state manager for the League; Walter Thomas Mills of the staff of national lecturers, and O. M. Thomason from the national office at St. Paul. The speakers explained that the sue- cess of the League in the past had been due to thorough preparedness. It was pointed out that the League had not fallen down as yet because it was content to always wait until fully equipped with members and means and that a premature entry into the campaign would make success not only "doubtful but that a defeat re- ° sulting from Ssuch unpreparedness would have a bad moral effect on the whole movement. It was contended that the.safer and better plan would be to wait until the farmers: were thoroughly organized and equipped with a sufficient cam- paign fund to assure victory and thus avoid discouragement that would- re- sult from a failure. - After thorough discussion by the speakers, members of the audience were called upon to express them- selves. When put to a vote there was only one out of the 500 that favored ‘going ahead with the campaign. It was explained, however, by the representatives of the League that if the farmers on their own initiative, B e e e e T B O S AT S0 ST A or under the auépices of the Equity éociety, decided to enter the campaign, the League would not oppose . such a move but would lend what encouragement and co-operation it could, consistent with its policy of thorough preparedness before making a fight. The plans outlined met with the approval of practically all the members present and it is ex- pected that all will work the harder during the next two years making the organization strong and pre- paring for the campaign of 1920. The League in Wisconsin is not laying down on the job, it was explained, but will be constantly getting ready for -the big battle of 1920—and sure victory. On the following day, however, there was a meet- ing of farmers, called by the officials of the Equity society to put in the field a state ticket and enter | PAGE SIXTEEN = . ON CAMPAIGN IN MINNESOTA "All over Minnesota, in*town and country, the people already speak of C. A. Lindbergh as “Governor.” Immense crowds are greeting him in his speaking tour of the state. Here he is shown on the right side of Old Glory. Overflow- ing at the back and sides are the farmers who gathered in Thief River Falls to hear the Nonpartisan platform discussed by their candidate, May 1. T NDNRET 3 o 1O B2 1 st o D R ) at once into the campaign. And this was done, but not under the auspices of the Nonpartisan league. It is expected that all the organized farm- ers of the state will do what they can in this effort and League leaders hope that results will be ob- tained. . The farmers of Wisconsin are awakening to the fact that they must follow the example of their brothers in other states and get together if they are to get full and complete justice and whatever the results of this campaign may be it is expected that they will in nowise be discouraged but will -work and fight all the harder in preparation for the next battle. . If the present effort fails it will only emphasize the importance of thorough organization and it is believed' will prove a spur to greater activity in organization work. While the League opposed going into the campaign at this time, it will offer no disapproval of the action - taken by the farmers in the decision to enter the fight this year but will wish them God-speed and good luck. WHAT ABOUT THE HORSE? A Flaxville, Mont. Editor Nonpartisan ‘Leader:. I have been looking in vain for something about “Why Farmers Should Stay by the Reliable Horse,” but all I see is “Buy-a Tractor.” We _can produce our own horse and the feed for it. A:,CHRISTENSEN. READY IN NEW YORK L.:F. Dow of Fowlerville, N, Y.; Times-Union, which tells of the mas- ter of the state Grange attacking the Nonpartisan league. “Can’t you get Dow asks.. “The farmers in this state now—we need you.” % sends a clipping from the Rochester busy heré in the Empire state?” Mr." ) are rotten ripe for organization. Come