The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, April 14, 1919, Page 3

4 In the interest of a square deal for the farmers Nonpartisan Teader Official Magazine of the National Nonpartisan League A magazine that dares to print the truth VOL.8,NO.15 AR ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, APRIL 14, 1919 WHOLE NUMBER 186 Twin Cities Chip in for N. D. “Uplift” Anti-Farmer Interests Use Lyceum and Chautauqua Entertainment in Fight Against League—Outelde Jobbers Stand 25 Per Cent of Cost HUGE chautauqua circuit, built up for the special purpose of fighting the Nonpartisan league; paid for in part by lpcal mer- chants and in part by big busi- ness interests of the Twin Cities and Duluth, is now in operation in North Dakota. If it proves successful the circuit may be extended to every state in which the Non- partisan league is organized. Ninety-seven towns are included in the North Dakota “circuit. Each town is given four dates. The total cost is estimated to exceed $100,000. A musical entertainment is given as part of each program. This is to get the people to attend. After an audience has been attracted by the music a lecturer is introduced. He starts off on a general topic, generally having some relation to co-oper- ation between farmers and business men. After a little he launches into an attack upon the Non- partisan league. The Billboard, a theat- rical magazine publish- ed in New York City, in its issue dated March 22, exposes the plan of the backers of this great publicity venture, de- signed, if possible, to- wipe the organized farm- ers off the map.- PLANS REVEALED BY EDITOR Fred P. High, editor uf the lyceum and chau- tauqua department of the Billboard, written from Chicago, says: ~ “We hear a great ‘deal about the Non- partisan league of North Dakota these days. A dozen other gtates are beginning to fight this Nonpar- tisan league idea. Editer Norman B. Black of Fargo, N. D., recently passed through the city of Chicago and while here- he gave the newspapers some interesting stories about the way this League is working in his state. He - started ‘off with this thought: ‘The North , Dakota idea is the real menace to this country.’ “Editor Black also says: ‘We have either got to oppose them and stop them or see the United States sive F , slowly being swallowed up by this wave of dis- content.’ “How are they meetmg this situation? The lyceum and chautauqua idea being a very flexible one it was made to fit this field and set to work to solve this problem. The fol- lowing was taken from a report prepared by the manufacturers’ and jobbers’ trade exten- sion branch of the St. Paul Association of Commerce, and it sets forth many facts that are worthy of profound study by every busi- ness man and every amusement purveyor in this country: - "% ¢The Federated Commumty L1fe Development association, F. P. Mann, Devils Lake, president; Alexander Karr, Fargo, secretary-treasurer, was organized early in 1918, through the efforts of the North Dakota Retailers’ association in. co-opera- This clipping from the Billboard gives the Leader’s au- thority for stating that big business interests of Minne- sota are supplying the money to fight the League in North Dakota and other states. -“Bankers and Business Men Work With Jobbers and Manufacturers to Bring Town and Country Together,” the headline says. Is That for Intensive Farming?” it is pretty geod for the gang that always has been “farming the farmer.” R T S O S R B O SR B N N O R iz tion with other business organizations of the state. “ ‘Bookings are made by advance agents of the association and for 1919 97 towns have been signed up. The agents make the arrangements with the merchants of each town, who guarantee their co- operation and financial and moral support. “‘It is a big and worthy work. Seventy-five per cent of the cost is borne by the merchants themselves. The remaining 25 per cent is cared for mutually by St. Paul, Minneapolis and Duluth jobbers.’” THE INSTRUCTIONS TO TRAVELING MEN The St. Paul Association goes on by teiling what traveling men, already instructed to attack the Nonpartisan league, should do to encourage this chautauqua program. It says: “It is the duty and responsibility of every St. The Billboard CoNDUCTED By FRED HIGH THE CHAUTAUQUA IDEA AND THE NONPARTISAN LEAGUE|} Thirty Weeks in One 1e State—How Is That for Inten- —Bankersand Business Men Work With Jobbers and Manufacturers To Bring Town and Country Together Paul traveling man who works in North Dakota to. boost for this organiza- tion and to watch its activities, It'is his duty to report to his house the re- sult of his observa- tions.. When con- venient he should visit a town which is holding one of these community days and mark the interest shown, the attendance, ete. “There are four dates for - each place. not ma.ke one you may be able to make another. “We as jobbers want to co-operate in every rea- sonable way with our dealers. ' If this North Dakota “How Our answer is that The chautauqua idea has been very popular in America. It has received generous support from the ' public. Those who are anxious .to see it live and grow should think twice before they allow it to be used for special interest politics. = The story on this page, however, shows that Twin Cities . interests and those allied with them in North Dakota are now “using” the chautauqua plan in that state. Itisa good way for small town business men to discredit themselves and a good in- stitution. Both need the support of b the people rather than that of ' the special interests. PAGE THREE If you can- MARCH 22, 1019 LYCEU MY CHAUTAUQUA , Laying all prejudice aside, what s the cag ' plan is successful it may spread to other states. ‘We must observe it closely.” The Billboard tells more about the classes of at- tractions that are used to peddle poison about the Nonpartisan league. The theatrical paper says: “There are now four systems of attractions on the road filling engagements for this asso- ciation. They consist of concerts, lecturers and entertainers. They stay two days in each town. They give two concerts and a lecture, and hold a business conference in which all possible angles are discussed and plans laid for the better development of their purpose to bring townspeople and farmers together. “They wind up the second night with a dance and sort of social soiree, and it all leaves the local com- munity longing and waiting for the next event, which will be about six weeks later, when a differ- ent set of entertainers, musicians and lecturers comes to that same town for another two days of . pleasure and profit to all.: “Lyceum and chautau- qua attractions are given 30 to 40 weeks’ con- tracts and never get be- yond the bounds of that one state. How long will it take to cover the Unit- ed States if an attraction worked each state as thoroughly as North Da- kota is being worked?” The last paragraph evidently hits what the Twin Cities jobbers are hop- ~ing to do.. The expense of “educating’” North Dako- ta farmers, with nearly 400 separate “days of pleasure and profit to all,” must be considerable— ceratinly not less than $100,000 altogether, of which the Twin Cities and Duluth pay 25 per cent, or $25,000. But the ultimate intention undoubtedly is “to cover the United States as thoroughly as North Dakota is being worked.” MANY THINGS EXPLAINED BY THIS EXPOSURE The exposure of the plan by which big Minnesota business interests are financing the attack on the Nonpartisan league program explains a number of things that have happened in North Dakota. A - new. magazine has been established there, devoted to the “Community Life” movement and attacking the Nonpartisan league. The Billboard report shows where this magazine gets its money. The Billboard story also makes it clear why Mr. Mann, head of the retailers’ association, and other North Dakota merchants have been in the Twin iCities so much recently, where they have been cn- tertained by the St. Paul Association and other business men’s organizations.. Mr. Mann and the other North Dakota retailers evidently came to the Twin Cities to collect the money that St. Paul, Minneapolis and Duluth jobbers had promised as their part of the $100,000 pot to fight the League in North Dakota. How much these same interests are contributing to fight the League in South Dakota, Iowa, Mon- tana and other states is not known. But there is no reason why the chautauqua plan, as suggested by the writer in the theatrical magazine, should not be extended “to cover the United States,” or-at least the 13 states in which the League is organized. Of course it will be a big blow to the chautauqua, which the people generally have learned to trust. But corrupting an honest institution is one of the spe- cialties of the interests that are fighting the farm- ers. Are those interested in the success of the real chautauqua movement aware of what is going on?