The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, February 24, 1919, Page 11

A w T S ¢ 7 6 ~ ~ N _ not the views of organized capital; - the views and the aspirations of the _ resentative of the organized effort of “-ment of the officers of the National .~ Nonpartisan league and of its mem- bers so far as they could be reached . and" consulted.. They are entering - _will help the legislature of 1921 to plan intelli- gently for a state-owned terminal elevator and flcur mill, a state sugar factory, a state packing plant and any other enterprises that may be de- cided upon. Senator' Taylor has a companion bill that will authorize any community in the state to proceed along public ownership lines at once, especially along the line of marketing farm products. This second bill authorizes the creation of districts to - operate any enterprise such as a public market, a public elevator, flour mill, or the like. The district may take in as much or as little territory.as the voters decide upon. The district might be a city, a city and 10 square miles of tributary territory, a city and 100 square miles of territory, an entire county, a group of counties, or the whole state. The other League legislators have a number of meritorious bills, all intended to give some imme- diate benefits to the farmers. The big steps to- ward providing state ownership of marketing de- vices and taxation reforms can not be taken yet under the present Nebraska constitution. But Ne- braska has voted for a new constitution. The Leaguers -in the legislature are helping in the movement for a reasonable, flexible and progres- sive new constitution. They are working on a fair election law that will allow the people of Nebraska to choose the delegates to the constitutional con- vention on a nonpartisan basis. Two of the Leaguers are on the subcommittee that has drafted the bill for the election of delegates and unless the majority of the legislature upsets their work, a fair election will be provided. - : Helping the League men and working with them are a group of labor men from the cities and a group of Farmers’ union members and a number of independent progressives. These men realize that the League is on the right track and that it is destined to be the po- litical organization of the producers of Nebraska, as the Farmers’ union is the educational and co- operative organization. They see, too, that the cam- paign of anarchy, of lynch law attempted against the League last year has failed in its purpose. A reaction has set in and the League in Ne- braska is bound to go ahead. Today the League provides the nucleus around which the progres- sives of Nebraska are rallying. In 1920 the League promises to be the organization that will lead them to final victory. A Great Daily Paper for Minnesota Farmers and Workers Unite on Plan for Independent Press in Minneapolis— Articles of Incorporation Filed—Capital to Be $1,000,000 (The Minnesota Leader) HE common people of Minnesota, the workers and the voters, the farmers and the city working- men, at last are to have their own great daily newspaper. Articles have been filed in the office of the secretary of state at St. Paul for the in- corporation of a ‘daily news- paper in the city of Minneapolis. The capital stock provided in the articles of in- corporation is $1,000,000,- 3 The men whose names are on the list of five incorporators are known as leaders of organ- ized workers and organized farmers in Min- nesota. They are: ! J. A Urness of Douglas county, member of the state legislature, elected on the indorse- ment of the organized farmers and leader of the farmer delegation in the house. ’ W. W. Wilcox of White Bear, influential - farmer and leading citizen of ty, who was elected state senator last fall by a majority of the voters of Washington county and was thrown out of the senate by vote of the gang in one of the rawest political deals ever perpetrated in the state.. - Thomas Van Lear, former mayor of Minne- apolis and one of the chief leaders among or- ganized labor in the metropolis of the .state. Thomas V. Sullivan, attorney of St. Paul,” candidate of organized labor and the organ- ized farmers for attorney general of the state last year and active in organized labor affairs in St. Paul and throughout the state. Herbert E. Gaston, general manager of the Nonpartisam Leader and associated pub- lications, former editor of the Nonpartisan Leader and later editor of the Fargo Cour- ier-News, the first farmers’ daily paper in the Northwest. .- These men whose names appear as the incor- porators of the Northwest Publishing company, are temporary trustees for all the citizens of the Northwest who believe in and are willing to support a daily press UNBRIBED, UNBOUGHT AND. UNAFRAID, ‘a daily press which shall represent— not the views of a few with big ad- vertising appropriations - to spend;’ not the views of tricky politicians like Burnquist, intriguing with business buccaneers to explhit.the people—but people themselves in their private ca- pacity as citizens. > A ¢ To -act in this capacity this new daily newspaper must have the liberal support of all those in Minnesota and the Northwest who believe in a free and honest press. The men who have taken the lead in forming this corporation are rep- ‘the people to combat exploitation and oppression, to purify government and to promote social and economic justice. They are entering upon this project with the full approval and indorse- ashington coun-, . as originally set. breaking this promise. upon it at the request of thousands of farmers and workingmen who have. appealed personally and through letter to the Nonpartisan Leader, to the Minnesota- Leader and to the national and state offices of the ‘League, that steps be taken by the League or the Leader, of themselves or through co-operation with others, to found a great, free daily newspaper in the Twin Cities. They are entering upon it at the request of thou- sands of union workingmen in the Twin Cities, who have seen their case repeatedly misrepresented by the present publications, without exception servile to the interests of big corporations; publica= tions which always consult their -advertising A SOLEMN PROMISE MY PROMISE TOC THE FARMERS MuST BE KEPT. WHEAT FOR 1919 winL. STAY : RIGHT WHERE oL 1s! —— - Uncle Sam’s faith is pledged to maintain the 1919 wheat price for the farmers Few even of the anti-farmer gang dare to openly advocate But there is great danger of maintaining it by meth- ods which will add big profits to the milling combine. 'By putting "the price down to $1.25 and giving the farmers the difference in money as the millers suggest, the wheat market in America and Europe will be broken and the public willlhave an immense bill to pay. The other way out is to maintain wheat at the fixed price. With more daily papers fighting for them like the one being planned by the Minnesota farmers and workers, the common people “would have more to say on big questions like this. All the kept: - press is working for the millers and other special interests. - . ' PAGE ELEVEN B R e e e S e department before consulting their consciences. It was felt and believed that an undertaking so great as establishing a daily newspaper, which would be a fit instrument in the fight for justice and honesty, would require the co-oper- ation both of city and couniry; that it weuld require particularly the support of the working people of the towns in addition to that of the farmers. : In spite of the determined efforts of selfish in- terests to divide them, the producers of the farm and of the city are united in their fight for “in- dustrial justice. In consultations between representatives of the League and leaders of organized la- bor, Thomas Van Lear was selected as the conspicuous leader of organized labor in Minneapolis best able to rep- 3 resent in the initial organization pe- 40 riod the interests of organized labor 1 3K of Minneapolis on the original- board of “directors. } Similarly, Thomas V. Sullivan was ( asked temporarily to represent St. Paul labor, both he and former Mayor \ Van Lear, of course, standing for the interests of organized labor through- out the state. Mr. Urness and Mr. Wilcox, both men of great ability and both earnest ‘workers for organization and economic justice for the farmer, consented to represent the organized farmers of the state on the board. Mr. Gaston, a man of practical business and editorial experience on daily newspapers and associated for three years with the publication work of the Nonpartisan Publishing com- pany, will have direct charge of the organization of the staff and the as- sembling of the plant for publication and will act in addition as treasurer of the company during the process of organization. The list of officers named in the ar- ticles of incorporation follows: President and treasurer—Her- bert E. Gaston. Vice president—Thomas Van Lear. - : Secretary—Thomas V. Sullivan. These, with Mr. Urness and Mr. Wilcox, form the temporary board of directors. ; K Minneapolis has been chosen as the location for the new daily newspaper because it is the largest city in the state, the main business center and the home of the largest industrial popu’ation; also because Minneapolis conspicuously suffers from lack of any free voice among its four daily newspapers, morning and evening. The newspaper which is to be established is not to be any feebly founded or experimental enter- prise. : It can not be. The forces of or- ganized greed will be ready to slay it at the start if it is not firmly es- tablished. Given the backing which the. people of the state and of the (Continued on page 14). : —_— / @ A e