The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, May 20, 1918, Page 5

HE farmers of Pine county, Minn., have declared that the reign of ter- ror there must end. Made desperate by the progress -of the League movemcnt, cowardly League opponents ig the county resorted to armed and drunken violence May 2. The “pictures above show the Hunnish treatment inflicted on Nels Hokstad, a farmer, who has been helping in League organization worls, The outrage occurred nine miles from Hinck- ley, Minn, Last October there were only 40 Nonpartisans in the county. But the political gangsters there felt themselves slipping into the abyss and decided to stamp out the League. At that time they mobbed an organizer and brag- ged that no League speaker could enter the county on pain of death. This was the high wind that set the League membership spreading like ' a prairie fire. There are now 600 members there. Finally these clerks of big business perceived that it was up to them to attempt to answer the argu- ments of the League. In their effort to meet the program, they announced a debate. A speaker from national headquarters went down and spoke from the same platform as-a banker. Thousands of farmers from the surrounding country attended, and all agreed that the League had won. Foiled in their hope to win by calm reason, the gangsters once more fell back on violence. Mr. Hokstad, who is a Pine county farmer of Norwegian ~ A universal rule of self-respecting publications is not to publish what unnecessarily offends the sensibili- ties of readers—that is, sensational matter that serves no purpose ex- cept to excite or to shock readers. Those photographs are shocking.: But the Leader believes it is war- ranted in publishing them. We be- lieve that this night-rider business has to stop, and that one of the ways to stop it is by pitiless public- ity for the contemptible cowards. If these pictures arouse citizens to realize the damage done our cause in the war by the people guilty of atrocities in the name of patriot- ism, they will have served their purpose.—THE EDITOR. birth and is working as an organizer, was seized as he was about to address 'a group of farmers at Turpville schoolhouse. ' Although he suffered the greatest pain from the hot tar, Mr. Hokstad told the mob: “If you think this will stop my organizing, you had better swing me, for a coat of tar and feathers won’t do it.” True to his word, this organizer two days later stood on a platform in Pine county before a crowd of more than 750 loyal farmers who had insisted that the League hold another meeting as a protest against the outrage. Among the League speakers there was Mrs. Huldah Harrold Bain, wife of an American naval officer. . After the addresses, Mr. Hokstad signed up many new members. The answer to the Hokstad outrage was this big meeting of farmers a few days later, at which Hokstad sat on the platform. It was the biggest political meeting ever held in the county. The farmers defied their perse- cutors, denounced mob outrages and let it be known that no future business of this kind by poltroons would be tolerated in the county. The pictures show Hokstad after the mob was through with him. The hangman’s mask he wears in the second picture was the kind worn by the “cowards who kidnapped him and submitted him to indignities and who were ashamed to show Hokstad their faces. One of the mob leaders placed a mask over Hokstad’s head. . T A AN A7 30790 e P 5PN A 5T LAY 1. 5 P MR 0 555505 N o quick.” Realizing, of course, that it would be futile it to offer any resistance, I complied with the request. I unlocked the door, and in rushed a man who asked me to hand him my gun. I told him, “I am a peaceful, law-abiding citizen and have never car- ried a revolver.” He looked under the pillows, among:the bed- clothes, in my coat pockets and rummaged about in my traveling bag and went into the drawers of the dresser, but without any results. Then he said to a man standing in the hallway in the glare of the light: “You have your gun ready, have you?” “Yes,” this man rejoined, and he displayed a belt around his waist and a -big revolver attached to same. He lifted it up out of his belt, brandishing ~ Then the man who was looking for a gun in my room asked another whether he had the stuff ready. I did not know exactly what he meant by this, but I got the impression that he had reference to a rope. THE DEED - OF COWARDS . They also brought Edwards out of his room. We were taken into the lobby and one member. of the crowd -said in a solemn voice: “Well, fellows, I believe we better blindfold them.” And this was done. While Edwards was paying his hotel bill one man standing at my side said this: “We heard your conversation last night and you are against President Wilson to Speak Out ‘ MMEDIATELY on hearing of the cowardly mobbing of. League organizers in Mineola, Texas, cised his duty as a citizen of the republic and wrote to Attorney : General Gregory. “I unqualifiedly condemn mob violence.in any shape. I have repeatedly in public addresses, in ' to that effect. The president entertains the same views that I do, and I think WITHIN THE NE WHICH: WILL BE OF GREAT BENEFIT TO THE SITUATION. Much more good will be accompli accomplished by my issuing a nu‘mber of them, as HIS IS THE ON “Mob attacks are particularly deplorable under present conditio: | _over matters of this kind, and THE STATE AUTHOR PAGE' FIVE - a month ago, C. E. Obenchain of Greenville, Texas, exer- The answer from this cabinet officer follows: printed articles and otherwise, announced my views XT FEW DAYS WILL ISSUE A STATEMENT shed by his issuing such a statement than would be LY VOICE REACHING FROM ONE END OF THE CONTINENT TO THE OTHER. . As far as the federal government is concerned, it has only a very limited jurisdiction ITIES ARE BEING URGED TO EXERCISE THEIR FULL POWERS in dealing with the situation.” the government, 21l right.” I answered in a quiet way that it was my object to support the govern- ment in every way. He suggested that this was done for mere camouflage. He also made mention of the six cars that I had talked about in my con- versation, saying that I would not have any further use for those cars, desiring evidently to give me the impression that I wasn’t going to live much longer. : 1 We were taken across the road down a dump. One fellow said: “Now, two take a hold of this leg and you two here take a hold of his other leg and some of you fellows grab a hold of his arms.” This was done. I was laid flat on the stom- (Continued on page 28)