The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1917-06-28
LARGE GATHERING
Of FARMERS At
PICNIC TUESDAY
NON PARTISAN PICNIC AT.
TRACTS CROWD OF ABOUT
TWO THOUSAND
governor FRAZIER ABSENT
LEAGUE LEADERS PROCLAIM
ORGANIZATIONS DOCTRINE
IN SEVERAL SPEECHES

Inc NoH-T dfClSan League picnic at
Fairy lake Tuesday afternoon attract
ed crowd estimated all the way from
600 to 1000 people, but a conservative
estimate would be 1000. There was
seating capacity for about 800, and
there were probably 1900 to 1900 more
scattered about the speakers stand
and grounds.
Farmers came from many miles to
attend this outing, bringing their fam
lilies with them. There were also a
goodly number of business and profess
slonal men from Sank Centre and
other towns. Many of those in at
tendance were actual members of the
Non-Partisan League; others were
anxious to learn more about what it
stood for, and still others We're at
tracted by curiosity, no doubt.
A. II. Hendrickson of kandota pre-
sided at the afternoon meeting. Short
talks were made by Hon. F. E. Min
cite of Sank Centre and non-partis-
an organizer, John Moore by name,
from Morrison county. The main
thought of Mr.. Minette's talk was that
the Minnesota railroad and warehouse
commission were absolutely controll-
ed by the big interests. Mr.. Moore
stated in the beginning tina. he was
not a speaker, and no one who heard
him doubted his word.
Gov. Lynn Frazier, the honest-.o--
God-farmer governor" of North Dako-
ia, was widely advertised as one of
the main speakers, but A. E. Bowen,
twice Socialist candidate for governor
of North Dakota, substituted for Mr..
Frazier. The gentleman is pleasing
talker. He stated that the Non-Par-
tisan league had no fight with the
small towns and cities, nor the small
business man. He numerically flay-
ed the big interests and those who
were responsible for the high cost of
living; the history of the Non-Partisan
movement was reviewed.; he told how
it was impossible for the league to
carry out it's legislative program be-
cause of the fact that the opposition
controlled the state senate. He ex-
planned that portion of the senate
were elected every two years. Last
year there were "a of the 40 members
to be eelcted, the league capturing 49,
of them. Mr.. Bowen spoke for fully an
hour and was given close attention.
N. c. Townley, the prime mover of
the Non-Partisan League was next in
troduced. His appearance was await
ed with considerable interest. Judging
from quotations from his recent
speeches in North Dakota and other
points in Minnesota, one of two things
have happened, either Mr.. Townley
has thoroughly revised his speeches,
or else he has been grossly misguided
in the Minneapolis Journal. 1t is
quite generally known that the Herald
has not taken very much stock in the
league movement, but nevertheless we
believe in fairness. He said nothing
to his Fairy lake audience that any
American citizen could take exception
to. Like Mr.. Bowen, he took severe
rap at the Minneapolis chamber Of
Commerce, the beef trust, the steel
trust, the harvester trust, the food
spectators, and all others who were
waxing fat and gathering in abnormal
profits at this time. The Herald can
find no fault with his criticism of
these. He also urged the plan of con-
scripting the abnormal profits and
surplus wealth for war uses in the
same manner as the best blood of
America were conscripted to win the
battle for world wide democracy. No
real American can take serious objec-
ton to this. -
However, the Herald editor failed to
hear how the Non-Partisan league ex--
pected to solve these important ques--
tions, and he listened very closely to.
both addresses. AS stated before the
attention was the best, the applause
frequent but not enthusiastic. The
inference one, must gain from this is
that there were: a considerable number
present who were not yet willing to
accept all Of the doctrine preached by
Messrs Townley and Bowen as the
panecea for all the business and So
cial ills of the farmer and business
man.
From what the writer knows of the
conditions in North Dakota he is
convinced that had he been farmer
of that state, compelled to pay usur-
ious interest from the beginning Of
time in that country, and the contin-
ual prey of sharks of every descrip.
ton, he would undoubtedly have be-
come interested in the non-partisan or
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