The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, June 9, 1919, Page 4

“issue of the Minnesota Leader, How the Fake League Was Started Business Interests of Minnesota Came to Rescue of So-Called “Farmers’” ‘ Organization, Johnson, One of Founders, Says HERE is an ancient and deep- seated tradition that it is the habit of druggists to offer pa- trons “something just as good” in place of merchandise which they do not carry. This was the plan of a group of political druggists in the Twin Cities—to offer to the farmers of Minnesota an organization “just as good” as the Nonpartisan league. They called this economic nostrum “The Nonpartisan League of Minnesota,” incorporated it, issued a paper called “The Nonpartisan,” and adopted a platform that was full of words that rolled nicely off the tongue, but didn’t mean much of anything. The Nonpartisan Leader has carried several ar- ticles exposing the fake “league,” but not until now has the entire scheme of the thing come to light. The first glimmer of the men behind the affair came when Clarence Johnson brought suit in the Minnesota courts against Charles F. Pat- terson and other prominent business men of the Twin Cities for salary arrears while he was em- ployed by the anti-League outfit. Johnson, to- gether with John A. Stoneburg, a Burnquist poli- tician, established a newspaper called “The Non- partisan,” which pretended to be issued in the interests of the farmers of the state. After a few issues this paper suspended, and Johnson, in his suit, alleges that he entered the services of Patterson, Oliver Crosby, managing partner of the American Hoist and Derrick company, St. Paul; Cyrus P. Brown, president of the First National bank, St. Paul; John R. Mitchell, president of the Capital National bank, St. Paul, and Eli S. Warner, treasurer of the McGill- Warner company, printers and publishers, St. Paul, to “perform such services as the defendants from time to time should indicate and direct,” as the complaint phrases it. The five defendants, Mr. Johnson explained in a recent comprised the executive com- mittee of what he styled the “anti-League” outfit, with headquarters in the Merchants National Bank building, St. Paul. Recently, however, Mr. Johnson told a represen- tative of the Nonpartisan Leader more about the workings of the political group operating from the Twin Cities, and the at- tempts of that group to keep in power the financial autocrats that were virtu- ally in charge of the af- fairs of Minnesota. “After 18 months of close association with the most bit- ter opponents of the Nonpar- tisan league, it is my opinion that a large part of that opposition is based on wholesale misrepre- sentation and half truths, given to the public as whole truths,” Mr. Johnson declared. “The under- lying and most bitter opposition to the farmers’ program is based wholly upon the natural oppo- sition of a group firmly entrenched in power and opposing any change from the existing order of affairs which would threaten their control. ANTI-LEAGUE COMBINE ARRAYS BUSINESS MEN AGAINST FARMERS “The anti-farmer organization now in control has successfully arrayed the small-town merchant against his farmer friend and customer, and the one hope of this group is that the country merchant will continue to believe that the farmer is polit- ically incapable of actual control. “While in Fargo; N. D., in the fall of 1915, there was held a convention of the Nonpartisan league in which I became interested, at least to the ex- tent of inquiring as to the aims of the League and _ the manner in which it expected to remedy the conditions and their plans for the best manner to put their program into actual, successful pract:,ice. “During the many years that my father, J. A. of Tawnl : Unmasie Johnson, was mayor of Fargo, he tried to put into effect a larger control of the political machinery by the people and dispense with the political en- deavors of a clique or gang which ran things for its own profit and advancement. “Through the impetus given by the League move- ment in North Dakota and the beliefs of my father to guide me, I conceived the idea of going into Minnesota and attempting to interest persons who were presumed to serve the people in a move- ment to assist to remove some of the most glar- ing irregularities and injustices of the political and economic system. “In my original plan, I had decided to attempt to form some kind of a tax league, and with that aim in view I consulted with several men whom I knew, as to the benefit to be derived from a movement of that kind. Often since I have realized that in consulting these persons, I had taken into my con- fidence those least liable to assist in putting through any such remedial measures. Among those whose advice I asked were George H. Sullivan, whom I~ knew through my residence in Stillwater, Minn., from 1874 to 1880, and Colonel R. A. Wilkinson, also of Washington county. I also talked with several other persons who I believed to be of suf- U s ok cgites April. 1919 St Panl; Minu. Here are some of the papers financed by big business interests in the Twin Cities to fight the League. At the top is. “The Nonpartisan,” the organ of the fake league, the story of whose financing by Twin Cities interests is told on these pages. The “Pan-American Anti- Socialist,” published in Chicago, will be remembered as the organ of F. G. R. Gordon, whose correspondence with H. M. Van Hoesen, bidding for a little Twin Cities money for establishment of “On the Square” was exposed in the Leader. “America First,” the recent venture launched by Tom Parker Junkin, was fathered by the same interests. ~ ficient political prominence to be of assistance in such a movement. “I have learned since that all these persons were of the ‘better-leave-it-alone’ type of officials and officeseekers.. I made trips to Northfield, Kenyon, Brainerd and several other places in an attempt to get into touch with the popular trend of polit- ical thought, and I found that, while the people as a whole were dissatisfied with the present posture -of affairs, there were in control politicians suffi- ciently strong to block any individual reform efforts. “With this situation confronting me, I realized that T could do little while I was outside the po- litical breastworks, and decided to let matters rest urtil I could frame some more comprehensive plan of .procedure. The result was the incorporation of an organization which would be known by the name best fitted to serve the purposes for which it wasd intended. Surprisingly enough, I found persons who were willing and even eager to assist me in the formation of the association which I had in mind. - “They insisted, however, that the organization be known as ‘the Nonpartisan League of Minne- sota,’ and as part of my plan contemplated estab- lishment of a newspaper or magazine to be pub- PAGE FOUR BATEDG UNDEQ THE LAWS OF MINNESCT N-PARTISAN . lished in connection with the organization, we would necessarily have to incorporate our publi- cation as well. : “The persons to whom I went for help in estab- lishing this organization were Carl G. Malmberg, Forest Lake, Washington county; A. H. Turritin, then treasurer of the Federal Land bank of St. Paul; J. A. Stoneburg of Cambridge, Minn., and Theodore Blomgren of Cambridge, Minn., state senator from the forty-fourth district. It was de- cided that each of us was to contribute $200 for the incorporation and the purchase of supplies and ob- taining headquarters for the organization. “One of the plans brought osut at the meet- ing of these five incorporators was to fore- stall the National Nonpartisan league, that is the North Dakota organization, from coming in- to Minnesota, except by joining forces with us. KEEP NAMES SECRET, REAL BACKERS INSIST “At this meeting, on March 13, 1917, in. the rooms of Senator Blomgren in the Hotel St. Francis, St. Paul, at which all of the incorporators were present, Stoneburg was elected president of the organization, Oscar W. Blomquist of Isanti . county, who was supported and in- troduced by Senator Blomgren, was named treasurer, and I was selected for the position of vice president and secretary. “THE OTHER GENTLEMEN AT THE MEETING THOUGHT IT FOR THE BEST INTEREST OF - ALL THAT NEITHER THEIR NAMES NOR THEIR CONNECTION WITH THE ORGANIZATION BE MADE PUBLIC AT THAT TIME. “I was instructed to arrange with Attorney George T. Propper of Minneapolis to draw up the in- corporation papers, as he makes a specialty of corpora- tion matters of that nature.” Here Mr. Johnson produced a copy of the articles of incor- poration of the Minnesota Nonpartisan league. Many of the planks, it will be observed, - are direct steals from the plat- form of the National Nonpar- tisan league, while others, high- sounding as they are, are mere generalizations and might mean anything or nothing. The program or articles of incorporation are given here- with: WE STAND FOR— I.—To favor laws that tend to the conservation of all property or prop- erties that, through the government, belong to the public, that will pre- vent ruin, waste or destruction; that will improve natural resources to the true benefit of humanity for all times. IL—To favor drastic laws forbid- X ’ ding the speculation in any necessity of life; making it a felony to gamble or speculate in certain commodities. III.-—:I‘o favol.' government ownership in telegraph and tele- phone lines, which shall be merged with the postal department. IV.—To favor laws Wwhich shall protect all legitimate busi- ness endeavors, wherein the people’s interests shall be para- mount. ~ V.—To favor a national incorporation law thereby more thoroughly protecting investors against unscrupulous people, VI.—To favor the Torrens Title for real estate transfers. VIL.—To favor temperance. VIIL.—To favor Woman’s rights. f IX.—To favor the Eight Hour law for all kinds of labo: other than farm labor during certain seasons. X.—To favor government or State owned and controlled, terminal elevators and warehouses. XI.—To favor the repeal of all personal property tax, other than for money and credits and in lieu thereof impose a fixed tax on all endeavors of life for gain and a gross earnings tax in all business endeavors. To make it a felony to report in- correct gross earnings for taxation. XIL.—To favor the enactment of laws whereby household %':ogs stmé;]y tgxsed }f]urt: househ{))]d purposes shall be exempt om any taxation whatsoever, below the value of (o) - DRED ($200.00) DOLLARS. a of WO HON XIII.—To favor a _national good roads law and have their construction and maintenance under government control and supervision, XIV.—To favor drastic Anti-Child Labor laws. XV.—To favor the government’s leasing and renting its resources. XVI.—To fa ini r fon i At vor minimum wage laws and compensation in- XVIL—To favor the enactment of laws prohibiting State sgzxgs a;o al:_ee %ieeitig }he g\gggase of properties, lo{:hgx- than . A st o SR or improvements benefiting the XV].II.—To_favor the enactment of laws whereby lands