The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1917-06-21
A DISGRACE.

Under the above caption the Normanden of Grand Forks has the follow
ing to say regarding the violence against President Townley, a suggested
by the Fargo Forum and the Grand Forks Herald:
"Whie Normanden is still of the opinion that the Nonpartisan League
must become more democratic and undergo certain reforms before it
a become a true farmer league, this publication ca only take abso-
lutte exception to the frenzy, bordering o insanity, that seems to ami
mate a portion Of the stalwart press in its agitation against the league.
"Normanden confesses to considerable bitterness in it's first attacks,
but it was but natural that the first "ofensive" should be pushed with
all vgor In return this publication has given the league leaders and
its members the freedom of its columns for reply. After a thorough
elaboration we IRE Oft the same mind today as we were on March 3, 1916.
"The only thing that Normanden deplores in this fight is the support
it has received from certain colleagues, whose political principles have
nothing in commonw with ours. And when it comes to the point where
newspapers like the Grand Forks Herald and, more recently, the Fargo
Forum boldly advocate brutal manhandling of the league leaders when
speaking from a public platform, it is a serious question if the editors
of these publications are not laying themselves open to prosecution.
eff the opponents of the league are o completely devoid of logical
arguments and faith in their cause they had better abandon the fight
at once. Brute force belongs to the iron age and not in the twentieth
century. 1t is the fanatical, exciting and revolutionary about the X
IRENE league agitation that has met with protest from the liberal as
well as the conservative voter. How a sympathy from the masses be
awakened by a direct advocacy of lynch law?
"The Fargo Forum in a recent editorial, which was reproduced in
black type on the front page of the Grand Forks Herald, contained the
following:
"The Forum hopes that when Mr.. Townley comes to Fargo, the
members of the Home Defense league, 100 o. $50 strong, will
march into the hall, stand at attention during his address and give
him a chance to repeat those remarks (Townleys speech at league
meetings last week. o r make others in the same vein. If there
isn't a public official in the state with backbone enough to put the
speaker behind the bars, there is enough spirit in the Home Defense
league to prevent him from repeating the ofense"
"Let US now see what the result would be from such an il-advised
suggestion. That the league under all conditions will fill the Fargo
auditorium, as it filled the Grand Forks auditorium, is self evident. The
threats of violence would hardly deter a man like Townley, but it is
to be expected that a agitation of this sort would result in bringing
thousands upon thousands of people, both league members and others,
who would not otherwise attend. The result would be a crowd that
would pack the auditorium.
"Presuming that Townley repeats his former speech, which he no
doubt will, and presuming further that the Forums brave Home De-
tense league carries out the wishes Of that paper, what would be the
result after the first blow is struck in a gathering of this kind already
inAamed by these threats? How many people would be tramped to
death in the riot, and how long would it take to wipe out the hatred
engendered by such procedure?
us the Forum editor prepared to assume the responsibility?
us the Grand Forks Herald willing to take the Consequences"
1t is hardly probable that anyone who attended the Nonpartisan picnic a
Minot last week will still believe that the league is dying out-Kenmar