New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-19
Non.Partisan League, at St.
Paul, Would Have Prices
Fixed on Necessaries
North Dakotan Hailed
AS Seer of New Era
Rody Plans to Unite With
Labor to Dominate Nation
in Interest of Producer
Rv Theodore Nj. Knappen

Rv Theodore Nj. Knappen
CT PAUL, Sept ls.-out of North
n.lo... from the windy plains Of the
ps5 River Valley and the storm-scarred
,n...s Of the Bad Lands, there was
uovn through St. Paul TO the nation
..-dsv the proclamation of new dis
..,,s.ion. A slight, sharp-faced, boy
;,s.Iooking man, yet in the thirties-
C Townley by name-was proclaimed
by worshipful admirers as the one and
,,,v tue prophet of the new era.
n ali the ages, said one Of Townley's
.,,,,,ss-Joseph Gilbert, manager OF
-. National Non-Partisan League IN
.,,r,nr the convention of producers
s,a consumers-in times of stress and
,-,,js when people are torn and dis
,-,.tss with wrongs and the lmagin-
;,ss Of new things and the aspirations
Gov better. leader is raised up from
among the common people.
u this moment, when the nations
vrestle in terrible combat and the peo-
,lss Of all countries are in turmoil with
grief and disappointment and hope LOT
b.,,sr times. there had come forth from
.bs obscurity of the farm, he said,
.r.,t leader. a great organizer, a pow
,rfp, champion of the rights Of man
Townley-and the instrument put
IN his hand with which to do his WORK
v.s the National Non-Partisan League.
This body. said Gilbert, was Ike
bsaeon fire to light the way for a sane
and aggressive progress to state Oh
,za;rs wherein peace. prosperity ana
Lann;ness should be the common lot
Worth Dakota had led the way IN TINS
vork that had given hope and inspira-
,ior 70 the rest Of the United states
srS had given rise TO this conference
@We stand at the threshold OF ne"
snochl" cried Gilbert. Nv nat Is oOhe
bere shall determine the course 'hat
shall be steered from now on IN these
United States. We have nooIe cause'
and there has been given TO US gleaI
leader. obscure and with no uhlEeisISS
diplona. but men everywhere are look
ing ID TO him with love or hate.
Farmers Cheer Townley
This NAV sound melodramatic, but
stalwart farmers gathered from all the
states bevond the Mississippi acclaimed
the description of Townley with roar
Ing cheers and with eyes that ghstened
with pride in their hero. Is he raise
prophet or true? Has North DAKOTA IN
new epoch of agrarlan revolt, pro-
duced a greater movement ana d
greater prophet than Kansas OF the W :
aid in Pfeirer and Populism, or is TINS
but a passing breeze OF dlscontent'
which will never expand and grow in
elemental force and fury till It shakes
the nation? Who can tell! The war
is unmaking the world. Such men SIS
Townley may be the makers OF the new
world
In the afternoon came the prophet
70 sneak for himself. A thousand
farmers grinned with cordial admira-
ton and applauded loudly with rough
hands and stamping boots al their ad-
mired leader stood up TO speak. Inc
theme Of his speech was the old one OF
the exploited classes-the farmer ana
the laborer-but in q new light, the
light Of the consequences Of the great
war.
The exploiters, the privileged classes,
the men of steel and coal and flour,
now appeared in the disguise Of war
profteers, and as ever the profits were
10 be squeezed from the toll OF farmer
and laborer. They had fixed the price
for the farmers product, wheat, and so
this conference had been called, not TO
protest against that price, but to pro-
test against the failure TO FIX the prices
Of the things the profiteers dealt in.
The farmers in their patriotism
would eheerfully produce crop on crop
al loss so that liberty and democracy
might survive; they would give their
sons TO die in France, but the exploit
ers must give up their profits. Inc
purpose Of the conference was not TO
Protest against the governments ac-
tion in fixing the price OF wheat too
low, but to support the government in
q programme of fixing reasonable
prices on all the necessaries of life, to
the end that the war for liberty should
not work injustice and that no man
should use patriotism as CLOAK Tor
profits extracted from a nation in the
agony of d great conflict.
Democracy" said Townley, "means
the rule Of the people; means the rule
OF the majority. 1t is the duty OF every
American to bow to the will of the ma
!orlty. He is an unworthy citizen VINO
does not obey the law, just or unjust:
am willing TO go with majority OF
the people as far as they are wiling 10
90, but | am going to talk to them on
the way. Just as il is the duty OF the
people to obey the will of the ma
lority so it is the duty of leaders TO
ascertain and carry out the will Of the
majority
To-day the halls of Congress swarm
with men who go thereto do what.
70 represent the will of the majority !
Not altogether. They are the PAID
lobbyists Of special interests. To-Day
In Congress there are not very many
men lobbying as representatives OF ten
million farmers.
an this time OF world crisis you are
efiminally negligent if you do not keep
IN touch with your representatives ana
make them do YOUR will. This conVen-
ton is called TO support the govern
ment in its programme TO support lhe
will OF the people We invited Hoover
TO attend this meeting, called TO sup
port him. He did not come, nut ne -
to-day attending a meeting IN onIcaso
OF the representatives OF the gram
changes, called TO protest against the
price OF wheat brokerage being re-
duced from two cents 10 one. He has