The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, October 28, 1918, Page 5

8 ‘Attack on Lye\ague Now Nation-Wide T Publishing company to - Country-Gentleman referred to. Special Interests Menaced by Program of Organized Farmers Win Support of Saturday Evening Post Publishers, Who Originally Favored Farmers LITTLE over a year ago, the Curtis = Publishing - company, probably the biggest publish- ers of the country, favored the Nonpartisan league and its pro- gram. This company publishes the Saturday Evening Post, the Country Gentleman and the Ladies’ Home Journal. In the Country Gentleman a year ago last spring, a series of articles was published about the League by the editer of the paper, who came to North Dakota to investigate the new farmers’ movement on - the ground. The articles told the truth about the League and the League . opposition. The articles and the cartoons which accompanied them were reproduced in the Non- partisan Leader at the time. They aroused the ire of League enemies, and it is reported that Jerry Bacon of -Grand Forks, leading League- hater of North Dakota, prohibited the sale of the Country Gentleman on the newsstand of his hotel. By taking an impar- tial, if not friendly, atti- tude concerning this great American farmers’ movement, ~the Curtis Publishing company in- curred the wrath of the big financial interests and the forces in Amer- ica opposed {o democ- racy, social progress and industrial freedom. There . can be no doubt but that tremendous pressure was brought upon the pub- lishers to force them to reverse their attitude. The Curtis Publishing company enjoys probably the largest income from advertising of any pub- lisher in the world.. It features the political, “good will”. and other advertising of the great packers’ trust, the Stand- ard - 0Oil company, the railroads and other spe- cial interests anxious to delay or suppress the ris- ing tide of democracy in America, and the conse- quent passage of laws taking away some of the special “privileges of big business. Its income the opening of a nation-wide attack on the League by big, national publications. The League has become decline. But their lie is from these sources powerful enough, menacing enough and important enough to merit attention of this kind from a fiction apparent when it be- , amounts to millions of magazine which does not generally take sides in political contests. The cartoon was timed to have an comes necessary for dollars. . . : effect, through the 2,000,000 subscribers of the Post, on the con;ifig elections in the eight states where them to use the great Very evidently the the farmers have a ticket up. The farmer is pictured as a rooster, with a piece of hay in his mouth (the national publications, pressure of these inter- ests—openly or through the ‘subtle channels known to the beneficia- ries of special privilege in controlling publishers —was too great for the editors ef the <~ Curtis to decide. withstand. These editors : ; originally appeared friendly to the cause of the organized farmers, as shown by the articles in the At least they at- ~ tempted to be impartial in their opinions and fair in the statement of the facty, which is all the farm- ers desire of any -publisher. . They do not' expect- advocacy ‘of their cause publishers. - 3 Fla Ry The Curtis Publishing company began to weaken in its attitude toward the League early this year. by the great American About a year after the original articles: appeared: ~in the .Country, Gentleman concerning the League o in North Dakota, a subeditor of the publication was sent to the states where the League is working. He was a bright young man and was treated with the utmost frankness by persons connected with the League. In-several conversations he indicated that he understood the movement and that his ar- ticles would not take the view of the League which its enemies attempt to stamp on the public mi: d. In fact, he admitted that his investigations had shown the falsity of the charges of the opposition. Nevertheless, the Country Gentleman, in its new series of articles about the League, published after l -~ WHAT THE POST THINKS OF THE FARMERS I 5 —From the Saturday Evening Post, October 12, 1918. This insult to American farmers, particularly to the 200,000 farmers of the Nonpartisan league, marks usual “rube” stuff which cartoonists use in depicting the poor, ignorant tiller of the soil.) The farmer rooster has.a fatuous, imbecile grin on his face, showing what a fool he is and how easily he is taken in. The poer, ignorant rube rooster, with the silly grin (the Post’s idea of the American farmer) is being taken in by fierce animals, smiling amiably, who wi These animals are the “Nonpartisan league,” the “I. W. : picture is intended to convey, other than the idea that the farmer is a poor, /ignorant chump, it is hard As a whole the cartoon represents the Post’s idea of the movement of. patriotic, hard-working’ and intelligent American farmers who are banding together to better their condition and extend jus- . tice and democracy in America. Quite striking, original and VERY CONCLUSIVE, isn’t it? We'li say so. the trip through the West of this intelligent young _Jjournalist, reversed its former treatment of the matter. By giving'a few facts here and there, but by making. false deductions and actually twisting many other -facts, according to the method well known to clever and unscrupulous journalists, the Country Gentleman succeeded in producing a new series of articles: about the League entirely mis- leading and purposely calculated to reflect discredit oon this great American democratic movement. For "this the young man referred to can not be blamed. He did not: deceive himself, but. he was sent West i 5. PAGE'FIVE - later devour him, the Post wishes to indicate. 2 and the “Bolsheviki.” _ structive. It is a bulwark for the defense of things as they are. When its columns are used: for con-: on a mission to write a series of articles discredit- ing to the farmers’ organization, and he merely did his duty to his employers. This series was fol- lowed by an editorial in the Country Gentleman attempting to brand the League as “disloyal,” “pro- German,” with I. W. W. and bolshevik tendencies— merely the usual stupid assault on American demo- cratic tendencies. But the editorial made the “change of heart” of the Curtis Publishing com- pany apparent, and made it clear that the mission of the able young man who came out to “investi- gate” was merely to dig up what “dirt” he coulu as a basis for the edi- torial attack which , fol- lowed. Since then the various tis Publishing ' company regularly have taken what the publishers thought were sly digs at the organized farmers, in editorials, articles and cartoons. This campaign against the organized the part of these pub- lishers culminated in the October 12 issue of the Saturday Evening Post with the cartoon repro- duced on this page, which was published just suf- ficiently in _advance of the elections .this ‘fall to influence (so- they thought) unthinking vot- ers against the candi- dates indorsed in some eight states by the farm- ers and wunion labor, which is co-operating with them to make Amer- which to live. - The timing of the car- toon for political effect was good, and it will probably be followed by others in the Curtis pub- lications between now . and election. Its publi- cation is significant in the extreme. It marks the development of the Nonpartisan leagué from a mere movement for few states to a nation- al movement, strong enough and important .enough to merit the at- tention of the big publi- cations of mnational cir- culation.” They have told you that the League. is “dead,” or at least on the zines which usually avoid politics, to fight you and Just what else the they would not need-to that. It shows that the brains of’the opposition have been exhausted of new, original “arguments’’ publications of the Cur- . farmers of the West on" ica a better place in - better government in a even the fiction maga-: your organization. If the;: Léague was ‘“declining” use the Saturday Even- : ing Post against you.’_ The cartoon republished = herewith not only proves : against the League—that their cause is bankrupt’/ and that all they have left is repetition of the. silly, stupid attacks which fell flat over a year ago..: *Their argument is that the 200,000 upstanding;: - patriotic, independent and intelligent farmer mem- : bers of the League are “I. W. W.s and bolshevists”! The. Post stands for nothing fundamental or con temptible political attacks it is vicious. L ¥ =