Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-10-23

eyacquired as the purchase price ofhis in
terest in the townsite of Devils Lake, and,
being hard up, his peculiar cunning sug-
gested the alliance scheme, as a means of
placing him where he might be able to
get possession of another "bundle." His
first move, after being chosen president
OF the alliance, was to furnish the farm
crs with "cheap Irvine" and "cheap ma
chinery." Everything was left to his
hands, and most of the alliance members
entrusted the Irvine and machinery bust
ness to him. The result of his steward
ship is we'll known to the farmers. Just
exactly what amount Creel made out of
he scheme, as the farmers agent, the
farmers themselves will never know, but
there are some machine dealers in this
city who can throw a light upon the sub
ject which would not reflect a great deal
of credit upon Creel as the FARMERS
friend.'
About the time Creel was working this
Irvine and machinery racket, an invita-
ton came from the alliance of Walsh
county to the alliance of this county re-
questing concerted action in the matter
OF legislative candidates. Creel instruct
ed the secretary of the alliance in this
county to inform the Walsh county alli-
ance of the fact that this allianse was 'too
young to enter the political field; that
it would be a "death blow" to the organ
%ization. Other invitations from the
Walsh county alliance were treated with
the same d~iscourtesy. Meantime Creel
was busy with the Irvine and machinery
business. He hadn't time to think of
politics. His great friendship for the
farmer was completely wrapped up in
Irvine, and he was working hard to un-
wrap tiff the Irvine wasn't too rotten
and didn't break.
Harvest was finally finished, the Irvine
season was over, and Creel begun to cast
about for some new employment as tho
farmers friend. Instead of going to the
field, like a true farmer, and taking in
hand the handles of a pillow, he COM
menced the political campaign. With
the proceeds of his ''farmcrs' friend''
business, he sent Havrevold to Walsh
countyto work the alliance in his (Creel's)
interest for the legislature, where he saw
visions Of the "boodle car" on the side
track next the state house, with Fatty
Edwards just across the way in his little
white cottage ready to "sit NJ at a game
of "draw poker" The Ramsey county
alliance was not now ''too young to 40
into politics, according to Creel's ideas.
1t wouldn't be a''death blow'to the alli-
ance nov for Creel to force the ~organiza-
ton into politics. There was no longer
any profit in Irvine; there might be some
profit in politics.
The result of Creel's sudden change of
front need not be told. BY scheming
and lying he got a following. By mis-
representation and deception, coupled
with the efforts of H~avrevold, he got one
majority at Grafton. He could now hear
tho rattle and rumble ofthe "boodle carr
at Bismarck he could see himself in the
state house; could hear himself making
"a great speech = could hear the soft,
rich click, click, click, of the poker chips
in Edwards cottage. 1t was a bright
dream, and he was so clated that his wife
escaped her usual humping.
But alas for tho rarity
Of Creel's popularity.
From the lofty pinnacle of fame which
his imagination had erected, he was sud-
denly prccipitated to the basement floor
of his ambitions castle. Every news
paper III the district opposed him, except
Il shuttlecOck sheet in this city, and that
isn't a newspaper.
The opposition wave spread rapid
ly from the Red river on the east to
the Big Coulec on the west, until now
there is none to do him reverence except
Orr and Havrcvold. The popular voice
is for Dwight w. Ensign, a clean and
honorable man, whose record is without
a blcmish. The people of Ramsey and
Walsh counties want an honost and con-
conscientious man as their representative
III the legislature. They will refuse to be
disgraced by a demagog, II cowboy hood
Mm, a w~ife-beater and an embezzler.
The time has not yet arrived for men of
Creel's character to be sent to the legisla-
ture to make laws for ~law-abiding peo-
pie. There should be a statute making
wife-beaters and emhezzlers ineligible to
office. Under such a statute Creel would
he forever barred from holding a place
of public trust, as he was long since
barred from the esteem and respect of de-
cent people.
CREEL, THE DICTATOR.
Victor f. Underwood, whom Creel has
deposed as secretary of the farmers alli-
ance, is a genuine farmer, and not a DO
litical domagog. He has worked faith
fully in the interest of the alliance, OBJ
served the alliance bylaws to the letter
and has looked hopefully ahead to the
time when the organization would accom-
plish something for the farmers. He
was not in the alliance for personal po-
litical purposes, and when he saw Creel,
the president of the alliance, using the
organization for his own selfish ends;
when he saw that the alliance was being
brought into d%isrepute by an ass hiding
his demagogy beneath a lions skin, Mr..
Calderwood very properly exposed the
hollow pretenses Creel was making as
the farmers friend" And that is the
reason Calderwood is deposed as secre-
tary of the alliance.
There are very few farmers who are so
blind as to follow Creel's dictation, and
those few will not much longer consent
to DO led "like sheep to the slaughter"
Farmers who earnestly believe in the al