The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, March 17, 1919, Page 7

e " to a Utah man by “Rev.” Maxwell, the ex-League organizer who - accepted a large sum of money from League enemies in Minnesota - to write a series of articles to bolster up the false charges of the press., The League is “proved” to be allied to the I. W. W. because - one of the League’s staff of lawyers, Mr. LeSueur, several years ago was attorney for some I. W. W. members during a strike, and because a number of North Dakota farmers two years ago sought to agree with members of the Agricultural Workers’ union on a scale of wages for harvest work. This wage agreement plan fell through, by the way, because the A. W. U. wanted too high a scale. * The pamphlet contains such statements as this: “Every Non- partisan league ‘organizer is as bad as a German spy.” The- pamphlet announces that the “Oregon. Voter,” whatever that is, PAMPHLETS ABEAINST \ THE LEAGUE “will give $10 for the name of any pro-German farmer in North Dakota, Montana or Idaho who has not joined the League.” When men are driven mad by hate, passion and prejudice they conceive such pamphlets as these. The theory, of course, is that given in court by a candidate for the legislature in North Dakota, who confessed to forging the name of his League opponent to a seditious statement, and who said: “I did it because I believe any means are justified to beat the Nonpartisan league.” ; & GIVING THEM ROPE HE Republican gang political machine in Minnesota got their , state office candidates through the primaries and the election last year by the skin of their teeth. The farmer-labor forces failed to put over a majority in either house of the legislature, but this coalition filled about a third of the seats in the legislature and _ missed electing 30 or 40 other legislative candidates by very nar- row margins. ; This result, in the opinion of the gang majority in both houses . of the legislature, is a mandate from the people of Minnesota to “legislate the Nonpartisan league and union labor out of politics, and to pass as much oppressive legislation against political non- conformists and reformers as possible. Thus, bills have been intro- duced, some of which have passed one or other of the houses, to the following effect: - . - = - : Abolishing the direct primaries and restoring the convention system dominated by bosses—intended to prevent the farmer-labor forces from maintaining their nonpartisan policy and forcing them to work as a third party instead of exerting their strength as a - __ balance of power in the old parties. g Creating a state constabulary disguised as a motor corps home guard, composed of rich men’s sons and officers and employes of big industries and corporations—intended to overawe and intimi- date people’s organizations which hold - massmeetings or public demonstrations, and as an insult to organized labor, which sent a delegation of 6,000 to the capitol to protest against its passage. Forbidding the red flag and, which is more important, forbid- ding the display at meetings or in parades or otherwise of signs - and banners inscribed with criticisms of the state government. ) Prohibiting labor unions or farmers’ organizations from spend- ing more than $10,000 in a political campaign to elect people’s can- didates—intended to hamper the farmer-labor forces in their cam- paigns, while allowing their opponents to spend the usual hundreds -of thousands of dollars to elect political machine candidates. This legislation shows the terror with which the farmer-labor - coalition in Minnesota has inspired the reactionary, special-privi- st PSR YouR SELF. oLO e AL ; : PUNNESOTH PROFESSIONAL POLITICIAN 8 FRCIER- «A8or » E N lege gang. There is not a daily paper in the staté supporting- League or labor union policies, and the people’s movement labors under other terrific handicaps. Yet the gang does not feel- safe. - It must needs resort to oppressive legislation against its opponents. It is net willing to face its enemies in fair argument and discussion. All this will help rather than retard the people’s movement in " Minnesota. It is bad politics on the part of the gang from every point of view, and so the farmer-labor forces are supplying all the . rope necess'_ar_y for the gang to hang itself. - ment ofjecqndmjcs.t; Professor- Levine is a scholar of nation-wide COPPER TRUST CONTROLS UNIVERSITY ‘§ the dismissal for “insubordination” from the Montana uni- _versity at Missoula of Professor Louis Levine of the depart- - THE people of Montana have learned with astonishment of contrib the liberal press and, so far as we kno Nonpartidsn Teader Official Magazine of the National Nonpartisan League—Every Week Entered as second-class matter September 8, 1915, at the postoffice at St. Paul, Minnesota, under the Act of March 3, 1879. OLIVER S. MORRIS, Editor E. B. Fussell and A. B. Gilbert, Associate Editors B. O. Foss, Art Editor Advertising rates on application. Subscription, one year, in advance, $2.50; six months, $1.50. lease do not make checks, drafts nor money- orders payable to indi- i Address all letters and make all remittances to The Nonpartisan Leader, Box 575, St. Paul, Minn, MEMBER OF AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS THE S. C. BECKWITH SPECIAL AGENCY, Advertising Representatives, New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Kansas City. Quack, fraudulent and irresponsible firms are not knowingly advertised, and we will take it as a favor if any readers will advise us promptly should they have occasion to doubt or question the reliability of any firm which patronizes our advertising .columns. - NOT a Socialist. He was recently assigned by the university to make a study of taxation in Montana, and after a long and elabo- rate investigation submitted to the university for publication an analysis of Montana’s tax laws and a study and discussion of how they are enforced. Briefly, he demonstrated that mining corpora- tions, like the notorious Anaconda Copper Mining company, have paid taxes on an assessed valuation about one-quarter of true value, while other property in the state has been paying on vatluations ranging from 35 to 60 per cent of true value. Anybody who knows anything about Montana was surprised to find Mr. Levine’s figures so conservative. It has generally been believed by the public and urged by tax reformers that the mining interests were benefiting by a much greater percentage than that found by Professor Levine. = . Levine’s investigations and report quickly aroused the inter- est of the mining companies which dominate the state’s politics. Pressure was brought on the university and Professor Levine was told his book would not be published. He replied that if that was the decision he would publish the book himself as a private venture. He was “requested” not to do so by university authorities, but as a ?. 9- ? a Jd e PROFESSOR $ by X s LEVINE —=—— N A c AN 71 1t ) ; i i B A B ; L0 AP ——rS ST a scholar and a man of honesty and integrity he could not tolerate this suppression dictated by a special interest of the state anxious to protect its graft. He published his book, independent of the university, and was_dismissed for “insubordination.” Future issues of the Leader will contain the principal chapters of this book, together with a more detailed account of the whole outrageous proceeding. In the meantime Leader readers can ob- tain the book through B. W. Huebsch, publisher, New York, for $1. LOYALTY LEAGUE GUILTY HE noisy National Security league, organized, we were told, I to promote loyalty and “100-per-cent” Americanism, has been found guilty of being a mere political organization, financed by munition makers, war profiteers and millionaire reactionaries to furnish a patriotic camouflage for activities against liberal and progressive men and organizations. The decision of guilty was handed down by the congressional committee which has been in- vestigating the Security league’s activities. Among other things the league was found to have violated the corrupt practices act. This is an important decision and the Leader will publish a full account in a coming issue. Watch for it. CONFLICTING ESTIMATES N A formal statement Secretary Houston of the United States department of agriculture announced recently that Argentina, Australia and Canada combined had a surplus of wheat for export amounting to 495,000,000 bushels, divided as follows: Ar- gentina, 185,000,000; Australia, 210,000,000; Canada, 100,000,000. Senator Gore made public telegrams to him from the Amer- ican consuls general in the three countries mentioned, showing that the total wheat available for export was only 239,000,000 bushels, less than half the figures given as authoritative by Secretary Houston. The American consuls general reported as follows: Ar- ; gentina, 44,000,000; Australia, 120,000,000; Canada, 75,000,000. Are the American consuls general wrong or is Houston deceiv— ing the grain trade? Was Houston trying to make propaganda against the $2.20 fixed wheat price? Was he trying, by magnifying the visible supply of wheat, to make it look as though the farmers _were benefiting more than they are from present. prices, thus giv-: “ing _the grain combine .an argument to show that farmers are