Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-12-12
FARMERS | EAGUE
FLAYEO BY CLUM
soclALIsTlc ORGANIZATION SAID
TO BE GAINING FoOTHoLD
IN IOWA
PROPAGANDA SPREAD :,
az DAKOTA ORGANIZATION
Secretary Of Greater Iowa A''oeiatio"
Tells Commercial Club Secretaries
Of New Menaee-says Purposes Of
Society Are Sociaiistie-Professio
Organizers Operating in State.

Fort Dodge, Dec. 12.-WoOdwortli
Clum, secretary of the Greater Iowa
Association, fayed the Non Partisan
League of North Dakota as undemo-
cratic, pro-German and socialistic in
his address before the Iowa CONNER
cial club secretaries in their annual
convention at Fort Dodge.
There is stalking about this coun-
try" said Mr.. Clum, a bit Of German
propaganda camouflaging under tho
name of socialism, I do not contend
that it is within the proiuce Of COM
munity clubs to contest the theories of
political parties. and insofar rs social
ism may be a theory Of government
have nothing to say.
But when socialism. backed with
German money, reaches out to poison
the minds of the farmers OF Iowa
against the business men in the cities
and towns of Iowa; when socialism en-
deavors to fan into flame the dying
embers of that age old prejudice OF
rural against urban peoples, and to
capitalize that prejudice for it's own
selfish purpose then 1t not only Is the
province but the duty of every COM
munitY club to know the story and pre-
vent the legitimate business Of the
commonwealth from becoming the prey
of sinister politicians.
Eighteen months ago a discredited
socialist, who had gone broke on
farm in North Dakota conceived the
idea of organizing a political party
based upon the platform Of Farmers
Against Business He called it "'The
Non-Partisan League
Purposes Of League. Is.
"Thc official literature OF the league
says organized farmers can take con-
we can have state operated banks that
will loan money to farmers. at low in
terest rates and without private pro-
fit: we can have state operated insur-'
ance companies so the farmer can have!
protection without private profits W
can have state operated packing plants
and the farmer can buy meat without
paying private profits into the pockets
OF the rotten rich; We can have&aur
own warehouses and do away with all
middlemen-the stronger we organize,
the more money we farmers can keep
Policy Economically Wrong.
Any man with business experience
knows that such a policy Is economic
ally unsound and impossible. Any }one
who has studied the economic problem
of Iowa knows that our progressl de-
pends upon closer Co operation between
the Urban and rural districts andS hist
any propaganda that tends to Widen
the breach between these two treat
classes Of our citizenship is ruinous
and should be nipped in the bud. a
A'It was bsfore a convention of !. this
Non Partisan league that Senator La
Toilette made his pro German speech
and it was received with applause.
Senator Gronna, whose Americanism Is
as doubtful as LaFollette's, also adj.
dressed that meeting. The weekly
legislation authorizing Liberty bonds.
In many ways the league has en-
deavored to embarrass our govern
ment in the. prosecution Of the war.
League Has Grown.
within these eighteen months, how
ever, the league has>developed mem
bership Of $4,000. with an income of
$2,0OO,000. It has rented offices in Des
Moines and imported score of pro-
fessional organizers who are about to
spread the poison of discomfort
amongst the farmers Of Iowa. Are
the community CLUBS of Iowa going to
sit idly by and permit this pernicious
propaganda to develop? If we recognize
it as our duty to create greater COM
fdence between urban and rural peo-
ples-Surely It is our duty to- oppose
the destruction of that confidence"