The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-12-08

D., a farmer who had gone busted"
trying to conduct a bonanza farm,
conceived the idea OF the -Nonpar-
tisan league, he may have had a
grievance. According to the history
of the organization, TownIey tried
first to interest fellow farmers in
legislation to curb the grain specu-
lator and the miller. But ambition
carries man too far, and Townley
is ambitious. He Is shrewd, too, and
knows how to appeal to prejudice
and class against class, as does Vic
tor L. Berger.
Follower of Berger.
The records show that on April IL,
1914, Townley was a member of the
Socialist party and q follower of
Berger. He has disowned his former
political associates in recent
speeches. The following affidavit is
interesting because 1t shows that the
man who is at the head of the pow
erful and fast growing Socialist or
ganization is a young man, as lead
ers go:
Estate of North Dakota, county Of
Golden Valley, S.:
I. the undersigned elector, do SOL
EMMY swear Cor afirm) that my
name and signature as signed below
is my true name and signature. If I
have not personally signed it it is
because ----- and 1t was
signed at my request by the attest
ing officer. My age is 33 years and
occupation farmer; nativity, Ameri-
can born. Present address is in Gold
en- Valley, North Dakota, Third ward
in the city Of Beach; postoffice adj
dress, Beach, N. d.
Il belong to the Socialist party"
This affidavit is signed by Townley
and sworn to before a notary public
and is a part Of the records OF Gold.
en- Valley county.
Tells of the Founding.
Townley made a speech IN Grand
Forks, N. D., March 80, 1917, in
which he described the founding of
the league. 1t was published in The
Nonpartisan Leader, the official pub
ication printed each week at Fargo.
It is a clever appeal to class pref
udice and has done much to cement
the organization.
Townley and another farmer nam
ed Howard Wood, now speaker OF
the Nonpartisan assembly, conceived
the idea of organizing the farmers
by signing them up as members upon
the payment Of IS in the form OF a
post dated check. He describes the
first three months work, and, as an
example OF his constant aim to set
class against class, the following is
quoted from this speech:
when we had organized seventy
nine men or thereabout we slackened
up bit.
Used compuIsion7
Sup to that time, If a man would
not join we took him in the car, or
/ don't know, but. anyway. we gave
him the impression that he had bet
ter join. Iaughter.)
And Howard began wondering
how we were going TO go on, and
buy automobiles. etc. That got to be
pretty good sized problem.
Il said to Howard: There is a
way to buy automobiles
"At one time out at Beach / had
bought two steam plows without q
cent in my pocket. and had that
experience TO back me up.
II ran them about six weeks, until
I had used up all the water there
was in the country. and then ] let
the machine companies have them
back again"
Charge Of BIC Robbery.
Townley's chief argument in these
days, when the league was unheard
Of and meetings were being held in
secret-just as they are being held In
other states today--was the charge
that the farmers Of the state had
been robbed OF $55, 900, 900 q year
through the grading Of grains, es-
pecially wheat.
Figures were cited from the rec
ords of elevators to show that grain
was received as mo. /, ''no grade"
and rejected" and shipped out as
mo. / northern" and mo. e." These
records show, IL Is true, more BUSH
els Of the higher grades shipped out
and fewer bushels Of the lower
grades, compared with the receipts.
Grain Men Reply.
Grain men have answered this
argument by saying that the eIe-
vators purchased the wheat as it
came from the threshing machines
and applied cleaning processes which
naturally increased the outward
shipments OF high grades as COM
pared with the receipts and reduced