The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-01-24

Continued From Page One
o'clock, and the audience stayed to
hear what I had to say.
professor Hoverstad expressed from
the platform yesterday mis- desire TO
hear our. side of the question, but the
speakers for the Equity Exchange
would not listen to his suggestion. They
say that they want to give US an Il
opportunity, that they are willing TO
argue the matter from the platform,
and TO hear our side, but they never 40
it. We asked for just one hour yester-
day to come before them and to speak
in our own defense, and they refused
us.
Il nave proof for every one of the
last night, against Mr.. LOTUS. And is
it not significant that in all the years
that the chamber of m a
been in existence, those who are most
anxious for it's downfall have only been
able to find one charge against II, the
charge which they brought against the
commission firm of e. i. welsh q 90.
And the court records, which anyone
came out with flying colors, entirely
exonerated of the charge against them,
which was that they had not paid fof
a number of cars of wheat which they
got from IN elevator mpa or Gil
max, Mimi.
mir. LOTUS firm has been in exist
ence one year, and look at the evidence
which I have against him. Much or
this evidence is on the court records as
a result of the investigation which the
Minnesota legislature made' last winter
as a result Of the charges MADE
against the chamber of commerce.
that those who are interested will
AXE the trouble to verify for them
selves the facts which / have set tortn.
If they will be fair enough to do that
- " ~.,LA +hnf NErn dhn ne
yindicated."
Mr.. Lotus Comments.
THE chamber Of m has II
credit and. discountenance us" said
Mr.. LOTUS today. "At Sioux Falls
they interrupted u meetings, and
they have done the same at other
places.
we are willing to give them an
equal chance at any time to defend
themselves from the platform, but
they have refused to meet us.
1--WE feel that we have been much
severely the methods which they used
last evening in their endeavor to get
the hall.
II opposed them, though they had
the officers with them. Il myself hit
Grover on the jaw when he attempted
to mount the platform. IF the officers
had attempted to arrest me there
would have ben a riot started at once.
'~un!Lo4!pnV seJnosS
Pc c.. C. Rieger, Of Woodward & Co,
Minneapolis, who vas head or the com
mittee representing the chamber of
commerce in their negotiations for a
place to meet last night, told today
just what action was taken by them
in securing the hall.
I'VE learned in the morning that
we would not be allowed a hearing in
the sessions of the. Equity Exchange.
We then inspected the programme,
and learned from it that. the Equity
Exchange was scheduled for the at
ternoon, but nothing was said about
an evening programme.
Accordingly, we went to Mr.. Hardy
to inquire if the auditorium could be
secured for the evening. MI. Hardy
said he knew nothing about it, n
he called up W., W. Smith. Mr.. Smith
expressed his willingness to let u
have the hall If President Worst was
willing thai we should.
while they were looking for Presi-
dent Worst, we were informed that he
had been seen by Mr.. Smith, and that
we could have the hall. Professor
Hoverstad, who vas presiding atAthe
morning session., was ASKED 10; an
nounce' this from the platform. and
he did So just before the noon hour,
stating that Senator Works and E. j.
Grover would speak from the am
platform that evening"
Late yesterday afternoon Mr.. Rieg-
er, who was at the auditorium during
the session. discovered that the pro-
granfme had been changed and would
evidently run over into the evening,
1t being announced from the plat
form that Mr.. Lotus. would speak at
1880 o'clock.
THE, chamber of commerce commit
tee" he continued, t"decided that they
would stand for their rights, Int would
go to the hall to speak. as they had
announced from the platform. We did
SO, and found the Equity people there
ahead Of us and evidently determined
to contest their right TO the hal. Chief
OF Police Bingham was asked to come
to the auditorium 10 see that the men
who had leased the hall secured the
platform. This la done and the
Equity people adjourned to Assembly
halls for their session,
This is what happened and the
lcharnber OF conlrnsr'es committee docs