The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, August 18, 1919, Page 4

National Lééders on the Townley Trial ONVICTION of A. C. Townley, president of the Nonpartisan-league, and Joseph Gilbert on a trumped-up charge of conspiracy has drawn from progressives everywhere severe condemnation of the unfairness of prose- cution and court. Following are statements from liberal leaders at Washington, D. C., showing how fair men regard the verdict: From Judson King, Economist and Lecturer, Now Executive Secretary National Popular Gov- ernment League: : “The trial of Townley and Gilbert was a judicial farce. I sat through six days of it and felt all the time that I was in the midst of a political battle, not attending a proceeding in a court of justice. Always there was an impression that gigantic un- seen forces were struggling for supremacy and the battleground happened to be this little obscure court- room. So it was—the old order and the new were at grapples. The pity was that the poor jurymen had no knowledge, nor the ability to form any ade- quate conception of the real issue at stake, and the judge’s rulings made it impossible for the defense to present facts that would have informed them. I recommend that professors of political science and instructors in law colleges make this trial Exhibit A in a study of ‘the political court.”” * * * From Congressman M. Clyde Kelly of Pennsylvania: “Unprejudiced accounts of the Townley-Gilbert trial which have been brought to my attention show that in spite of a most serious charge the defendant was tried in an obscure court, outside of his state, before a judge who had admitted prejudice against the Nonpartisan league. ’ “These accounts state further that the defendant was refused permission to speak in his own behalf, an immemorial right of American justice; that docu- mentary evidence showing the support Townley had given to the prosecution of the war was arbitrarily ruled out; that all attempts by the defense to im- peach the character of witnesses for the prosecution, no -matter how good the grounds, were promptly ruled out by the court. : “If these things are true a condition is revealed beside which the mere conviction of Townley pales into insignificance. Prejudice in the courts is-indi- cated, and prejudice in the courts menaces the very * foundations of democracy.” * * * From Louis F. Post, Assistant Secretary of Labor: “All I know about the Townley trial I gather from the Nonpartisan Leader. With this paper I am quite familiar, and from my knowledge of it I have no reason to doubt its story in any important respect. If it is substantially correct, the Townley trial was no trial at all. To imprison any man after such a hearing would be a shameful thing.” L \ From Hugh Reid, Washington Correspondent of the Public: ~ “The United States is one country, not 48. If Townley is guilty of any crime in the nature of treason or sedition, he committed it against the United States and could have been convicted in a . federal court. If the state of Minnesota sets up standards of treason or sedition other than those recognized by the United States, the state of Minne- sota has seceded from the American Union. I know A. C. Townley. He is an American. He recognizes the United States of America as one country. So do all Americans. If the state of Minnesota does other- wise, so much the worse for the state of Minnesota.” From Gilson Gardner, Journalist and Author, Former Manager Washington Bureau Newspaper Enterprise Association, Now Member Scripps Editorial Board: “I went to Jackson to investigate the trial of Townley and Gilbert of the farmers’ Nonpartisan league. This is what I found. The case was ob- viously framed up by the local county officials, who were inspired by powerful financial interests which have been making war on the farmers’ Nonpartisan- league and have been doing everything in their power to discredit Townley and other members. “After sitting through three days of the trial, I became convinced that the judge would not permit a fair trial and I felt certain that the jury was not above suspicion. The refusal of the judge to permit Townley to act as his ewn counsel and speak in his own defense should be enough to convict any judge of prejudice. Judge Dean, however, had previously shown and admitted his prejudice. “In normal times no such travesty of legal pro- ceedings could have taken place. Townley was tried in a county which he had never entered; for utter- ances which he had never delivered. Because other people had said certain things, Townley was accused of conspiring to have these people say such things and ‘was dragged into a remote country district where all the local prejudices were against him and where the influences were such as to make a fair trial out of the question. The whole thing was like a Salem witcheraft procedure. i “If there is any ‘justice in Minnesota, the state supreme court will declare this procedure a farce and remand the case for retrial. To any one at all familiar with the facts, such a conviction will carry no prejudice. Townley should feel honored by the enemies he has made.” * * * ‘From ex-Congressman Clarence C. Dill, Washington: “To the great mass of the people the result of the trial of Mr. Townley is a farce, so far as justice is concerned. : “The people have already lost faith in the great cosmopolitan daily and weekly press. They have also little faith in the old party leadership of the country. Now the great farming population of the Northwest will have less faith than ever in the justice of their courts. \ ) “Why men in positions of power, such as a trial judge in a case like this, will so violate the principles of plain justice can not be explained except on the theory that ‘those whomthe gods would destroy they first made mad.’ ” ‘ » * * * From George P. Hampton, Managing Director of the Farmers’ National Council and Editor of the Farmers’ Open Forum: s “The farmers of America know that Mr. Townley and Mr. Gilbert, whatever their mistakes of judg-: ment, loyally supported the president in the purposes for which he entered the war. The president of the National Nonpartisan league is hated by the priv- ileged big business interests which have exploited the farmers, not only for North Dakota but of every other agricultural state, for many years.”