Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1916-05-11
TALKED TO BUSINESS
men ON COOPERATION
Interests Are Identical and They
Should Work Together.

Lynn J. Frazier, republican candi-
date for governor, met a number of
business men in the city Friday and
explained to them the real objects of
the Non-Partisan league, of which
organization he has been endorsed as
head of the ticket.
Mr.. Frazier stated that he found
a disposition amongst the business
men to consider fairly the questions
presented He believed that with
further study of the benefits to be
derived, by cooperation between the
business men and the farmers, that
much can be accomplished in the leg
islature for an economical admins
tration of state affairs and to benefit
financial interests of both business
men and farmers.
In the evening number of bust
ness men and farmers met Mr..
Frazier and Mr.. Thompson, one of
the organizers of the Non-Partisan
league, at the Gladstone hotel sam
pie rooms. There was an informal
discussion Of matters of interest and
later on Mr.. Frazier and Mr.. Thomp-
son both made short addresses be-
fore those present. The principal OBJ
ject of the meeting, said Mr.. Thomp-
son. was to refute the erroneous I'M
pressions that the farmers had or
ganized to take business away from
local merchants and that the leaders
were a wild. hair Drained aggrega-
ton of radicals. The league was
composed of many of the best and
most conservative men in the state.
The reason why farmers patronized
mail houses was an economic
reason. After the farmer paid his
bills in the fall, after paying the
store bills, taxes, interest on his
mortgage and notes, the doctors, law
yers, and every other class Of people
with whom s1he farmer deals, he has
as rule avery limited amount OF
money left. Often with large fam
lily of children to support, he had to
buy quantities of shoes, clothes, hats
and other necessaries besides grocer
les for the household: He was COM
pelled to make his dollars 60 as far
as possible; and so the big catalogue
houses, knowing the value Of adver-
tising, had nicely printed catalogue
sent to him free, and he could size
up his pile with the prices In the cat
alogue, and although he knew he was
getting cheaper quality of goods
than the local merchant usually car
ried, he could get more of them.
1t was this condition that has built
up the catalogue houses-the farm
ers' necessities, and the enterprise of
the big concerns, and not the farm
ers desire to patronize outside firms.
Mr.. Thompson also asked the busi-
ness men not to take seriously the
canards and statements published In
some of the state papers knocking
the league. He said that not over
half a dozen farmers who had Joined
had become estranged, and those few
who had done so had been given un-
usual publicity in regard to 1t. That
there were $4,000 or $4,000 farm
ers pledged to support the ticket and
it was practically as certain as any
political event could be. that the Non
Partisan league would elect not only
the majority of the next legislature,
but the most important officials on
the state ticket. 1t was essential that
the head of the ticket should be a
farmer, and in selecting q farmer as
a candidate they got good man, one
qualified for. the job, not a candidate
for the United States senate after his
term had expired, and not man who
sought the Office or said that he was
the only man the people should elect;
that Mr.. Frazier did not intend to
build up political machine, and en-
courage the passage of unnecessary
appropriation bills in order to ap-
point boards of control, and to get
men to work for him for reelection
to that or any other Office at the ex-
pense of the taxpayers of the state.
The object of the league, If their
plans were realized, would be for the
benefit of both business men and
farmers. The main object is to I'M
prove marketing conditions within
the state, and to keep much of the
money at home that is now sent out
side the state. II state-owned ter
minal elevators, or state-encouraged
packing plants and -four mills could
be secured, the big profits, instead Of
going to Minnesota and eastern inter-