The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, July 22, 1918, Page 7

- b e i e o AR ST The Resolutions of the Y Loyal Leaguers Text Breathes Most Wholehearted Support of the Government in Every Line—Much the Farmers Urged Has Now Come True wm |HE indictments against President #1 Townley and the Nonpartisan league, which have just been thrown out by the supreme court, completely vindicating Mr. Townley and the Nonparti- san league, were based on reso- lutions adopted by ~the great Producers’ and Consumers’ con- ference of the Nonpartisan league last fall in St. Paul, and by several farmers’ meetings held in North Dakota in the early summer of 1917. The North Dakota resolutions are set forth in full in its own employes to buy grain direct from the pro- ducers or possessors of it, and be it further ® “RESOLVED, that in case the food administra- tion deems it impossible to make this change at once, we urge that the commissions paid to private purchasing agents be reduced to a sum commen- surate with the service rendered, and we respect- fully point out that we do not recognize any neces- sity for the government to maintain in idleness the staffs employed by the grain commission men and merchants in the processes of grain buying and spec- ulating as ordinarily conducted in times of peace. “RESOLVED, that we recommend the establish- of war and the surplus of production as it comes to the surface in the form of swollen dividends and incomes to pay the expenses of war, and be it further ; “RESOLVED, that we call upon congress and the national administration to cause the dollars of America to be enrolled for service just as the youth of this nation has been compelled and has gladly responded to the call to enroll itself to fight' and to die for human liberty, and that when thus enrolled the dollars of America likewise be taken for the uses of war, in order that our gov- ernment may live, and in order that autocracy may another page of this issue. The producers’ and consumers’ reso- lutions, only part of which appear in the court’s decision, were as follows, with the preamble and various “where- as” paragraphs eliminated: > “RESOLVED: that we will support the government to the best of our ability in all its efforts to deal fairly with all factors in production and will do our utmost to build up a public sentiment. which will make possible even justice in price-fixing, so that the rich speculator and the powerful trust may be compelled to bow to the same level rule as:the toiling farmer. and wage worker. Be it further “RESOLVED, that we do most earnestly indorse and approve the gallant fight made by those few sena- tors and representatives who have en- . > - deavored to protect the rights of our : people from the greed and rapacity of ‘ the war profiteers. ¥ STATE OWNERSHIP AS A REMEDY “RESOLVED, that we urge upon b our government, and especially upon | the food administration, that it take speedy steps to pass on to the con- the court’s decision, which appears on - The Men Who Drew the Resolutions m|HE resolutions adopted by the great Producers’ and Consumers’ conference, held under the auspices of the Nonpartisan league September 18, 19 and 20, 1917, at St. Paul, Minn., and which were the basis of one of the two indictments brought against President Townley of the Nonpartisan league, were framed by a committee consisting of representatives from 15 different farmer and labor organizations of the United States, and were adopted by the 8,000 delegates present. Mr. Townley was arrested and indicted as president of the League, because the League circulated these resolutions in pamphlet form. Following are the names of the persons on the committee which framed the resolutions, and the names of the organizations they represented:. A. C. Townley and Governor Lynn J. Frazier of North Dakota, represent- ing the National Nonpartisan league. i o J. Weller Long of Wausau, Wis,, representing the American Society of uity. o - Magnus Brown, representing the wool department of the American So- ciety of Equity. f A. Hoffman, vice president of the Farmers’ Equity union. J. D. Ream, master of the Nebraska state Grange. . C. H. Gustafson, president Nebraska Farmers’ union. § George Graham, representing the Farmers’ Co-Operative Elevator asso- ciation. : . D. E. Shipley, representing the Farmers’ Educational and Co-Operative Union of America. Dr. E. F. Ladd, president of the North Dakota Agricultural college. E. G. Hall, president of the Minnesota State Federation of Labor. die, and in order that this may re- main in truth and in fact a free, con- tented and prosperous land and a gov- ernment in very fact and reality OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE. INCOME OF $100,000 A YEAR ENOUGH “AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLV- ED, that as a means of raising war revenue we earnestly urge the con- scription of such wealth as it may be found possible to conscript without hampering the operations of industry ‘necessary to the support of the civilian population, as well as the maintenance of army and navy to the highest effi- ciency, and as regular war revenue sources we urge the levy of a 2 per cent tax upon the value of all unused or inadequately used land, whether in city or rural districts, and income taxes levied upon all incomes in ex- cess of $2,000 so that the total net in- come of any individual shall not ex- ceed $100,000 per annum. “RESOLVED, that we declare’ for the public ownership of public utili- ties, and that all of the great basic industries are public industries, and { be it further . ‘ g sumer all of the saving represented F. A. Canfield, president of the Iowa Federation' of La'bor. . “RESOLYED, that we do em- B by the reduction on the price of the _ Henry Ohl and William Coleman, representing organized labor of Wis- phatically indorse the resolutions of X farmers’ wheat, and in addition such . consin. X A ’ " the miners of Butte in favor of gov- 4 saving as can be gained by compelling C. A. Mayo, representing union labor of Minnesota. ernment operation of the copper 3 manufacturers and dealers in flour, George B. Lischen, representing organized labor of Illinois. mines. bread. and other flour products to W. W. Royster, representing the locomotive engineers. “RESOLVED, that we heartily in- i forego extortionate profits which they C. E. Fitzgerald, representing the railroad conductors. dorse and commend all truly co- i have reaped even in times of peace, F. E. Tillquist, representing the railroad firemen and engineers. operative organizations, both of pro- &g < and be it further . P, L. Collins, representing organized railroad trainmen. ; duction and distribution. ‘. “RESOLVED, that if this can not Ole Langhoff, representing Farmers’ Society of Equity. “RESOLVED, that wherever the b’ be fully achieved by price-fixing or by L. V. Strayer, representing Farmers’ National Congress. government’s plan of price-fixing or : other regulation we urge.the food . A. R, Hammergren, representing the Minnesota state Grange. conscription of wealth to pay for the administration to exercise its power -J. B. Hagelberger, representing the North Dakota state Grange. war can not be made to operate suc- { at once to seize and operate storage These were the members of the resolution committee which framed the cessfully through the failure to co- - e elevators, flour mills, bakeries and resolutions passed by this big League conference last September, which reso- operate of the persons or corporations cereal and breadstuffs factories for - lutions were later circulated in pamphlet form by the Nonpartisan league, and engaged in the various industries, we Loe Sl the benefit of the people of this na- for which® President Townley of the League was indicted in Martin county. urge that our government, following tion, so that workmen may be fairly The supreme court holds that there is nothing in the resolutions that in any the course found necessary by our b treated and consumers may have their way can be distorted into disloyalty or discouragement of enlistnients. allied nations, immediately comman- bread at a price which bears a fair No effort was made to molest any one except Mr. Townley of those who deer all necessary industries suclg as k and just relation to the cost. framed the resolutions. . flour mills, terminal elevators, iron { “RESOLVED, that for the welfare © © ¢ =3 LORR OB ) © © © mines, coal mines, copper mines, oil e | of the nation and to make it possible fields, packing houses, railroads, tele- 1 to raise a food crop equal to the needs. of our _ment by the government of -price-fixing zones, as phone and telegraph lines, express companies, b} e country and its allies, we do respectfully urge our has been done by France, with a uniform price to clo_thing factories, steel mills, armor p.la.te mills, ¢ government, and especially do we urge upon the the farmer at the point of delivery from the shipyards and any and all other industries or pub- $ president, the congress and the department of ' farmer’s wagon. Be it further resolved .that the lic service utilities-as may be needed by the gov- 8 - agriculture, to provide at once for lending to:these. practice of co-operative buying and peddling from ernment-in the conduct of the war and to prevent | farmers at a Jow rate of interest such surs as . Tailway:cars-and public markets be aided and en- ' the lowering of the standard-of living upon which- : they need in order that they may remain upon:the couraged by our government and tlie food admin- -the strength of the nation depends. T A battle line of production for the nation’s war - istration. L ; s % “RESOLVED, that our soldiers during the period A L necessities. ' - “RESOLVED, that the glfimng value of grain b(el Ofdth:h;::al;h be p::d not li:sd tlfian tifio per monthé ¥ “ : urge made the basic test of differences in price an and ey protec y the governmen Mfifiifiififfi;flgfisfi;fi;‘f&g‘f&m ::3 ;:;‘3 grade. against foreclosures of mortgages and enforcement - __ing’ toll to useless middlemen and that it engage “RESOLVED, that this nation take the profits (Continued on page 15) PARAGRAPH of the resolutions on which Mr. Townley was indicted denounced both political and indus- »'% ¢ trial autocracy and held them to be jointly responsible for the war of Germany against the world. ' The 1s - word Germany was not mentioned and enemies of the League said America was meant. In regard to this (Townley and Gilbert), namely, in Septem - paragraph the supreme court of Minnesota says: “The language quoted from the indictment is an accurate char- : geterig;at?i%n of tlga German-Austrian military machine and of the purposes intended to be accomplished, as indi- | cated and shown by the facts of common repute at the time the matter was published and circulated by defendants nber, 1917. The language used has no application to the United States.” R AR A T S N IR T I £ .| 3! 8! 5 ] 3 g | B - § t § |4 £ § e B A T e e R T S ARt S S e