The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, May 3, 1920, Page 10

‘Why Not Be Fair? Montana Farmer Asks Some Pointed Questions B. EASTMAN of Fair- view, Mont., has written the Country Gentleman a splendid letter in which he says: “I have been a reader of the Country Gentleman until this last fall. I al- ways considered it one of the strong forces for better agriculture. By, this I mean the bettering of all those many interests which make up the average farmer’s environment so that he may become a better man and improve his condition spiritually, mentally and physically, for all thinking men are agreed that in him rests our hope of the future of America. He will have the final word as to whether or not we make a steady, orderly advance or whether we shall advance by fits and starts, marked by oppression on one hand and revolution on the other. “Agreeing in this we may yet hon- estly disagree as to the best road to travel to accomplish the ends we have in view. Yet I do not think we are ever justified in making statements about the policies of those with whom we differ without a thorough investi- gation and we.ought not to go to the enemies of any man to get “facts” and then pass judgment without giv- ing the accused an opportunity to be heard in his own behalf. “After reading your | editorial, ‘Brightness and Blessings,’ and Gover- nor Norbeck’s ‘For the Whole Family,’ I have concluded that you have either fallen into this error or else you are using your paper to help the political fortunes of certain men or interests. EASTMAN POINTS OUT A FEW “MISTAKES” “I wish to call your attention to some errors I have found in both arti- cles and hope you will see your way clear to correct them, giving the same prominence you have given the other articles. “Your statement as to 1919 taxes in North Dakota stands as follows: “Your statement ............$4,548,826 “Actual assessment ..... 3,676,039 “Amount of error .....$ 864,787 “Of the total state tax $761,873 goes to the soldiers who served in the World war. No other state has made so lib- eral provisions for its ex-soldiers and the percentage of increase in taxes in all the bonus states is higher than in North Dakota. - “I understand you will have a new series of articles regarding the North Dakota ‘Bolsheviki.” Might I suggest that you compare the tax situation in other northwestern states with North Dakota and that your correspondent go to the state officers friendly to the League in search of facts as well as to its enemies? “Your correspondent can also find out that the ‘Townley Soviet govern- ment’ exists only in the imagination of certain badly excited profiteers—if he is looking for facts. “As to Governor Norbeck’s article I can only say that I grew up in South Dakota and am proud that I helped in a small way to put across some of the reforms he mentions. In those days we were known as ‘progressives’ and the only reason we did not get as much abuse as Mr. Townley and his League is because the English language has been growing for the last 10 years and such words as ‘Bolsheviki,’ ‘reds,’ etc., were unknown then.” On this page are a few of the many letters received by the Leader from farmers and others who resent the unfair and untruthful attacks upon the Nonpartisan league appearing in the so-called “farm journals” and daily papers. believes that those who have written directly to the papers which have distorted facts should be commended especially. In a number of cases the offending papers have felt impelled to print these letters and thus correct their “mistakes.” this page, too, is documentary evidence indicating why so many papers and magazines make such “mistakes.”” To please un- fair advertisers they have to say something opposing the farmers and lacking FACTS they turn to LIES. All adver- tisers do not resort to such threats and blackmail. The columns of the Leader furnish a pretty good index of fair advertisers. The Leader On H ow Advertisers Control Publications Branch of Sugar Trust Offers Fat Contracts to Editors “Who Will Betray Farmers BY RAY McKAIG newspapers is shown by the accompanying photo- graphed letter from the Idaho Sugar company. Idaho sugar beet grow- ers are fighting the battle of their lives for living prices .on their beets. The profits of the sugar factories, as revealed by federal investigation, are enormous. In my meetings in southeastern Idaho I was told many times that the sugar interests were buying up the newspapers. Nearly all the papers were publishing sugar trust propa- ganda and attacking the Nonpartisan league. We .have been on the lookout §|OW big corporations bribe for months for the proof and it came to us from the editor of the Bingham " County News, owned by the farmers * and edited by an ex-service man, one of the founders of the American Legion in Idaho and a fearless pro- gressive. R : Like many small newspapers, the way of this paper hasbeen hard. The credit of this one was shut off by Salt Lake City suddenly and the next week this letter was sent out to him as a bribe. Shall I call it a bribe or a sugar-coated pill? It is to the ever- lasting credit of this progressive edi- tor that he preferred to make the let- ter public rather -than bow to the sugar trust and get “future business profitable to us both.” Lying by Fiction William Barr Points Out One Method of Deceit _Leader: Are stories in the newspapers the only way the big interests have of spreading their fake propaganda and giving the people false impressions? How about some of the interesting lit- tle stories in some of our most popular magazines? For instance, a story, not only absurd but uninteresting, about a consumers’ co-operative buy- ing plan and how it failed. Another about a manufacturer who turned ev- erything over to his employes to be run on a profit-sharing plan, which also failed. The writer covers his in- tention with a few heart throbs and that sort of thing, but the false im- pression is there just the same, Rugby, N. D. WILLIAM BARR. “GENTLEMEN” DO NOT LIE Editor Nonpartisan Leader: I in- close a letter I received from our friend, the enemy “Country Gentle- man.” I told this fellow that if he were a country or even a Philadelphia “gentleman” he would apologize for his slanders and lies about the League, that Pennsylvania was the home of bunco, boodle and booze and every kind of pork-barrel politics and graft, and that the “Gentleman” could find sovietism and tax-eating in his own vicinity without going to North Da- kota to commiserate the farmers there. I have lived six years in North - Dakota and know that the best Amer- HEBER J. GRANT, PRESIDENT THOS.R.CUTLER WicE Pacs. WG WHITNEY, SECK & ThEAS € W.NIBLEY, GENERAL MANAGER MERRILL NIBLEY,ASST GEwi Mok Sarm AT CopiiTam " Binghiam County Daily News, Blackfoot, Idaho, Gentlemen: Feb. 25; 1920 _ Enclosed herewith copy for display advertisement, single column, 6 inches deep, to be run in the next issuve of your paper. Also find enclosed cut to be used in the "ad, which wa will ask you kindly return to us as soon as possible. Kindly 86nd me to copies of the issue in whick our advertisement eprs ars and we will be pleased to ascept your Bill for same. B e o Will also advise that this Company is now plaming to extend its advertising activ¥itigs, and the mediom we will mos't naturally ctoose, is the paper that is friendly and loyal to the beet szgar industry generelly and our own ogganization in particular, It is our intention to read your paper with a view to learning your editorial and general attitnde towara us, azid we trl_:st it will prove such aw to warrant fudure bus iness profitable to us both. Yours truoly, CBW/3 UTAH-IDAHO SUGAR COMPANY PAGE TEN ican ideas and the sturdiest American- ism are to be found on the plains and prairies. Why should any one object to the majority of the voters running the state of North Dakota? Is not the rule of the majority pure American- ism and safe democracy? Yours for the cause of freedom and humanity, above property and the dollar, H. V. ROMINGER. Underwood, Wash. TURN OUT THE LIARS Editor Nonpartisan Leader: I de- sire to call your attention to what appears to me an unsound policy of League members and sympathizers in contributing their support to publications which are deliberately falsifying about the League and its administration. I refer particularly to such articles as are being published in some of our so-called leading agri~ cultural papers, as well as the .press in general. In justice to ourselves and our fellow men let us do the thing right and exclude from our homes all publications'that do not confine their statements relative to the League to facts instead of what appear to be de- liberate falsehoods. I move that we all unite in this movement and “stick.” Yuma, Col. W. A. LANE. ~ DEMAND CORRECTIONS Editor Nonpartisan Leader: I am inclosing page 8 of the March 20 issue of the Country Gentleman, with the article entitled “Taxing the Rainbow.” Knowing that these statements are false would it not be a good idea for a lot of League members who are tak- ing the Country Gentleman to write the editor that if the article is not corrected there will be a great falling off in their circulation? Nevada, Mo. J. E. WELTMER. DITOR ,Nonpartisanb