The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, January 13, 1919, Page 4

B A D D et bk s " $17.89. - show “an honest purpose » bankrupt. * * * As -~ following up these clues . “by. the trustee, the cred- “ = itors and their detectives, '~ gument at ~ sion is justified, and the Townley Wins Old Bankruptcy ‘Case - Federal Judge Amidon Decides in His Favor After Long and Careful = Investigation—Proceedings Dragged Out for Political Effect % |ARMERS of the Nonpartisan league have won again. After a fight extending over more than a year, during which enemies of the organized farmers sought to secure the funds and publi- cations of the Nonpartisan league, and to discredit Presi- dent A. C. Townley through bankruptey. proceedings, they have lost at every point. Federal Judge Charles F. Amidon of North Da- kota, a man who has no connection with the Non- partisan league, but is an appointee of the presi- dent of the United States, heard the bankruptcy case. Judge Amidon gave the creditors the right to examine all books and records of the Nonparti- san league even when it appeared to the judge that the investigation was made with political mo- tives, instead of being an honest search for funds. But the evidence that was disclosed by this search has been unanswerable. In a decision just issued, settling the case and dismjssing A. C. Town- ley and his brother, C. S. Townley, from bank- ruptey, Judge Amidon makes these findings: That creditors of the Townleys have no right to any funpds of the Nonpartisan league or to any of its publications. : That -Mr. Townley has never received any money from the - Nonpartisan league except his month- ly salary and that he now ‘Hhas no financial interest in the League or any of its publications. That Mr. Townley has no large sums of money on deposit anywhere, se- cured from League farm- ers or otherwise, and that the only amount which his creditors can claim is That the books and - records of the League are honestly kept and to give an account of an honest stewardship.” Judge Amidon tells in detail of the opportuni- ties given the creditors to examine all books and records of the League, in an effort to show some “hidden treasure” that Mr. Townley had stolen from the farmers. SEARCH REVEALED . NOTHING } “The search,”™ says the decision, “has been pur- sued not only with the zeal of creditors intent upon collecting their debts, but that of polit- ical adversaries seeking to discredit a party be- lieved to be dangerous. Detectives were hired to ingratiate themselves with the wife of the the result of months of “counsel for the trustee state frankly on the ar- the recent hearing that no secret deposit or specific prop- erty held upon trust had been found.” The conclu- court so finds the fact to be, that the reason why this’' hidden treasure has not been found is that it does not exist.” Judge Amidon, at con- siderable length, went Cartoonist Morris here shows the sorrow and remcrse of a certain very fat hog is reflecting for about the first time seriously, that if he hadn’t been such ‘a hog, there wouldn’t be any hog-killing Nonpartisan league, ‘Many years ago he was performing some useful service for society, but he saw a chance to fatten himself by holding up the producers of the nation rather than by serving, ang he grabbed at it for all he was worth. He did not hesitate to corrupt our public life to accomplish this end. Then the great war came on and his opportunities to hold up the government and the people grew almost without limit,” Now he is so stuffed, so fat that he can do nothing at all in the way of service, and at the same time the cost of keeping him is beyond what the people can stand. Tmme- " * diate slaughter is necessary, and the old hog realizes it himself as much as the farmer does. R e Y L S P B T T into the plan by which the publications of the Non- partisan league were handled. He compares the League plan with that adopted by the Equity dur- ing the Loftus fight and finds that the League farmers adopted a plan that was legal and avoided the difficulties which the Equity met. ' : In concluding his decision Judge Amidon said, referring to-the League and the League publica- tions: .RECORDS FULL, AND HONESTLY KEPT “The trustee has béen permitted to go through the record of all these concerns as with a lighted candle. He has found no trace of any grant of any of the funds or property of the Nonpartisan league or its subordinate agencies to Mr. Townley except a salary of $300 per month. He has found no trace of any claim by Mr. Townley to any part - of such funds or such properties except his salary. He has found no trace of the use of any part of the funds or properties by Mr. Townley for personal purposes or for any purposes except the accom- plishment of the objects of the political party of which he has been leader. “On the contrary, the record shows clearly and affirmatively that the Nonpartisan league and its subordinate agencies have never granted to Mr. “\\u\\m\\\\\K\\\\fl ' PAGE FOU hog after it is too late. The Townley any part of their funds or property as his personal estate, that he has never made any claim to those funds or properties as belonging to himself personally, and he has never used them for any purpose except that of a political leader, de- voting them honestly to the achievement of the objects of his party. “The record is full, and has been honestly kept, and it shows an honest purpose to give an account- ° of an honest stewardship.” : The Townley bankruptcy case has been used by enemies of the farmers in. an effort to injure the League. The facts of the case are these: ; Five years ago, long before the League was even thought of, A. C. Townley and his brother, C. S. Townley, were flax farmers at Beach, N. D. They determined to try the “scientific farming” that was urged then as a sure means by which any farmer could become wealthy. They determined to raise flax on a large scale, using all known labor-saving machinery. They contracted for land and bought tractors on time. The owners of the land and the tractor agencies backed them, taking the same chance that the Townleys did of failure. For two years the Townleys got good crops and sold their flax at a profit. They bought more land and more tractors. The Townleys were pointed out by banks, railroads, machinery dealers and PAINFUL REFLECTIONS OF AN OVERFAT HOG . other interests as exam- ‘ples of what could be done by “scientific farm- ing” and A. C. Townley was called the “flax king.” £ N . FROST AND MARKET, GAMBLING Then the brothers met the same adverse condi-; tions that, sooner or later, meet every farmer. First came the earliest snowstorm known in that section of North Dakota. At the same time grain gamblers were busy beating down the price of flax. The price had been above $2; it was beaten down so that when the time came to market the Townley crop the price was less than $1. A C. Townley was sure that, in spite of the adverse conditions, the price was bound to go up. He went to his creditors, asking additional time to hold his flax, and offer- ing to settle all claims at #-100 cents on the dollar. time. Nothing was [eft to him but to give .up all the property that he had won through years of hard work. He left Beach with only the clothes on his back, with his property in the hands of his creditors, to seek a job by which he could make enough money to support himself. 2 Mr. Townley did not have sufficient money at this time to go through - bankruptcy. After he left Beach the price of ° flax--went up, eventually reaching the $2 mark. If he had been allowed suf- ficient time. he would have been able to meet ’ every claim of his cred- itors. Nothing was heard of the ' claims: against 'the Townleys until a couple time the Nonpartisan league had become a’ They . denied him this * of years ago, by which & : (Cbntinued on page 14). : - ,l" o Sl X 6 e vl v L e i w . - & 7 ol ~ R BRI ." -~ - il & | B2 ¥ 25 Bl A A b 4 e ) E},o‘; : ke T 32, [P Al A . i v( . 1% i % L R i3 ol & R « 8 A’ & | { « il . o il 24 e 2 i g - - ey & 3 B | AR v