The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, July 8, 1918, Page 12

e S — SSeeaes The Fiery Spirit of the Farmers’ Parades Long Motor Car Processions Drove Through Minnesota Towns Urging - Votes for the League—Stories of the Campaign BY C. K. GUMMERSON HAT'S that ahead there, another pa- rade?” queried President Townley as we sighted a long string of auto- mobiles .in the dis- tance. It was the Satur- day before the primaries in Minnesota and Mr. Townley was driving to Glen- wood, where he was to speak to a big audience of farmers gathered from miles around. On the automobile trip from 'St. Paul we had already encoun- tered two motor car processions parad~ ing the country roads advertising the League candidates with banners and pennants fastened to the machines. Both times as we passed them, or rather as they whizzed past us—for we had to pull off at a turn in the road to let them by—there came from each parading car that famous battle ery: “We'll stick!” A few minutes later we neared the long line of moving flivvers which were decorated from front to back with American flags, League pennants and banners. Again came the chorus of admeonitions to vote and stick. Mr. Townley stepped out on the running board “of our machine and hailed the parade leader, ask- ing him the best road to Belgrade, our next station. “Well, “stranger, if you promise to vote the League way, I’ll tell you,” jokingly retorted the farmer, not knowing his questioner. Mr. Townley laughed and promised ahd the di- rections were forthcoming. We counted the cars as they rolled by. There were 103 of them. During that last week of the great fight, when the campaign settled down to an intense contest for votes with the wildly enthusiastic farmers on one side and the bitter prejudiced townspeople on the other, hundreds of such parades were held. PROCESSION LIKE A SNOWBALL With a nucleus of a few cars the parade leader would start out about noon, stopping at each farm- house and picking up another car with its human load of League boosters. - In almost no time the machines began to number by the hundreds. it was thought there was a sufficient number to make a showing in town the parade would then go through every town in the county, just to let the townspeople know whom to vote for on elec- tion day. Reports telegraphed to League headquarters BB read like this: “Farmers Norman county touring prmclpal towns with auto parade seven miles long.” Kandiyohi county came across with 700 machines, Meeker county’s procession measured 12 miles and 100 machines paraded 60 miles through Isanti and Kanabec counties. It was the impression created by the parading of 50,000 Minnesota farmers over every-road and through every town in the greatest advertising campaign ever pulled off that helped the League poll three times the vote of its membership, Perhaps the most important factor in stirring up the sticking qualities of Minnesota’s Leaguers was the fiery meetings and rallies held in all parts of the state every day. When - ‘expense money. ‘Crowds such as had never . been seen before turned out to hear upea_kers, On the -Friday and Saturday before the primaries, Mr._ Townley and Mr. Lmdbergh talked to over 35, 000 in four meetings. i THE PART THE PICNICS PLAYED The biggest meeting of the campaign took place on Friday, June 14, at Wegdahl, when 14,000 peo- ple got together for a League picnic. They came from half a dozen counties and from places as far away as 70 miles. It took 2,228 automobiles and nearly half a hundred horse-drawn vehicles to bring the throng to the picnic ground. It was said that as early as 8 o’clock in the morning 1,000 people were in the grove wheré the speakers’ stand had been erected. Machine loads “of farmers and their families kept rolling in with- out cessation until long after the program had begun. Parked close together, the more than 2,000 cars covered for a mile both sides of the two roads leading into Wegdahl and every bit of available space in the field near the grove. became traffic that four mounted traffic “cops” had to be called into service to prevent minor collisions. As in the parades, the enthusxasm was of the purest variety that came from within every farm- er’s breast and not from artificial means. To be sure, there was the necessary crowd-enlivening . band. But the band was enthusiastic, too. There were some 36 players—every one a farmer and a League mémber. They played without pay or even Sixteen of them came from near Bellingham, in Lac qui Parle county, 65 miles away. RODE 130 MILES TO SING “I suppose you made the trip on the train?” the leader was asked. “Yes, and Henry Ford was the engmeer *. was : the good-natured answer, “and he’s going to take us back again, too.” One hundred and thirty miles in flivvers to play for the establishment of liberty and democracy in Minnesota is about the right spirit." Another similar instance was the case of a- young ; woman who rode 83 miles the day before to sing a campaign song at a picnic in Scott county. The sheritfe_stopped,the'meeting and refused to let her sing or the candidates talk. She had her father dnve her to Wegdahl, 50 miles away, the follow- mg day, where she got in her stunt. Meetmg atter meetmg throughout the entire So congested- > Upper left—A few of the 2,228 auto- mobiles parked along the road at Weg- dahl during a League meeting. This photograph was taken half a mile from the meeting grounds. Machines cov- ered every bit of available space in the town, on the picnic ground and on the two roads leading through Wegdahl. Upper right—Here is the consoli- dated band, made up of League mem- bers, who played for the monster Weg- - dahl meeting at which 14,000 people were present. - Lower—A section of the crowd in front of the speakers’ stand caught in the act of laughing at a joke told by one of the speakers. Center—Captain C. J. Erickson of the “traffic squad,” who directed the hand- ling of the immense flock of autos. campaign had its like features. No day was too rainy, no roads were too muddy and no sun was too hot to keep the farmers away from a meeting. The only thing that succeeded was the sheriff, and he only momentarily. For the meeting crowd, when persecuted in one county by a political gang- ster, immediately adjourned to the next and held its meeting. Thus will that old “We’ll stick” spirit, which captured North Dakota from the grasp of big busi- ness and that cnabled the League to treble its vote in the Minnesota primaries, lay low the poli- ticians and profiteers in the November elections. “Slacker and Profiteer Loyal Americans Put Men Who Refuse to Fight or to Serve in the Same Class BY W. G. ROYLANCE SLACKER is one who shirks the serv- ice he owes to his country. In time of war slacking is a serious form of disloyalty, and the very least punish- ment it should receive is the unquali- fied disapproval of all patriotic citi- zens. But there are more serious offenses than slacking. The slacker refuses his own services, or lies down on his job; he does not take anything from his country; he picks nobody’s pocket; he does not directly and positively hinder those who are servmg, his offense lies not in positive wrong- doing, but in doing nothing. e The only feeling a red-blooded patriot can have for the personal slacker is one of utter contempt, ° coupled with a desire to kick him in the place where a kick usually is most effective. And the slacker will get what is coming to him, and get it quick. He isn’t worth much at the best, but he will have to get into the fight for what he is worth. In every war there are men who refuse to fight or to serve. In every war there are men who take advantage of their country’s need to gain more for themselves than they could gain in time': ' The first are the slackers; the second of peace. are the profiteers. The first are slinking’ yellow curs; the second are ravening wolves. - We know instinctively just what to do in the-case of the in- dustrial and financial wolves that:prey: upon our industries in times of peace, and are still _more voracious now that the nation is at war. GOVERNMENT ' ALREADY HAS THE SLACK‘ - ERS WELL IN-HAND; WHAT SHALL BE DONE. WITH THE PROFITEERS?