The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-09-26
TRIED TO CURB TALK
President of Nonpartisan League
Alleges He Endeavored to
Make La Toilette Stop
MEMBERSHIP LOSS OF so
PER CENT IN NORTH DAKOTA
Ieader Admits Organization Now
Has but 10000 in This State
Want Solon 0usted

st. Paul Dispatch and the Pioneer
Press were served with q notice.
today that A. c. rownisy, prssI-
dent Of the National Nonpartisan :.
league, demanded retraction o. :.
statements made In editorials. The
Dispatch, on it, front page, today :
declared Il would not rstract. The
articles reflected on the ioyalty Of i
Mt. To~nley, following his partlci-
patton in the recent producsrs'
and consumers meeting held here
under the auspices OF the league. 4,
st. Paul, Minn., Sept. 26.-Alarmed
by the wave of public Indignation
which the ro.German conference In
the guise of a consumers and pro.
ducers' convention has created; con.
vinced, at last, that red. ranting 80.
cialism and anarchy have been car.
ried to too great limits, q very sub
dued Townley appeared yesterday, be.
fore the Minnesota safety commission
to disclaim responsibility for the meet.
ing of which he was sole engineer and
whose speakers he select.
ed, and whose subjects he is pre-.
sumed to have approved of. 4
League Slipping Fast. {, j.
Important phases Of T0wnley'a OK.
plantations and apology to the Mime
sofa public safety commission are bin
that: .is I a9is
When a rumor was heard thSt
LaFoiistts would change hls sub
jeet and talk on war, q dSlsestlen
{ was sent to wait on him md No.
told this committee hs would talk :
q o. tho topic assignee ~ Ahlssssshnyss y
-t That Townlsy onos Intsrfvptsds
LaFoilstts In the course OF hlS
mad TRADE TO remind him OF his
pledge to refrain from talking
about war, "but to no avail"
That the league membership In
North Dakota 10 now but 20.0o0-.
one year ago the league claimed
10000 members.
First News Of Il. ~;
In none of the reports of the La,
Toilette speech was there any intima.
ton that Townley or any of his CO.
horts had attempted to interrupt the
Bagder pro-German. In fact, TOwnley
and his clique hissed down efforts Of
loyal Americans in the audience to
prevent LaFollette from continuing bis
seditious remarks, 1t was reported. =: Z
Would Expel laFollstte. #
Expulsion of Senator Robert M. LII
Toilette of Wisconsin from the United
States senate is demanded in q peti.
ton addressed to that body late Tues.
lay by the Minnesota public safety
Senator LaFollette In &C.
,used in the commission resolution of
making an address of disl0yal and 80
liti0us nature at public meeting be-
lore large audience at the Nonparti.
,an league convention last Thursday
night in this city. .''-s
The commission also referred to the
United States district attorney the
matter of the conduct of Senator La.
Toilette and others at the same meet.
ng with request that the parties. II
,ound to have violated any federal
statutes, be vigorously prosecuted.
The action of the commission came
It the close of an executive session OF
,ix hours duration, given almost ex.
,lusively to consideration of the La.
Toilette speech and q searching ex.
animation of A. C. Townley, president
II the National Nonpartisan; league.
rhe latter expressed his disapp0int.
nent at the statements In which the
senator indulged and disclaimed re-
for permitting the utter.
Inces. a'
No State Law Violated.
Governor Burnquist said later that
he attorneys having advised that
here was no infraction Of state laws,
he commission was compelled to be
:ontent with referring the matter to
ederal authorities for action.
president Townley and others con.
lected with the meeting had given re-
.cated assurances that the meeting
would be confined to discussions OF
economic questions and the war issues
would be left untouched" said the
GOVERNOR. ,.,
To~nIey Had Promised.
Another officer OF the commission
epeated that only after positive %.
CONTINUED on rage s,A.D