The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1917-06-21
TowNLEY AND THE WAR CRISIS.
Editorial in st. Paul Daily News.)

Editorial in st. Paul Daily News) =
The attention Of the people Of the Northwest has been called to a matter
accusation made by Theodore Void, governor and J. H. Rich, chairman, fed
eal reserve bank at Minneapolis against A. c. Townley, president Of the
farmers.
They charge MI. Townley with uterances, which they claim, bopder up
OF treason, and they accuse him and his organization, embracing approx
mately 100000 Northwest farmers, of opposing the Liberty Loan bond cam
paign.
MI. Townley has been making some speeches to members of the organiza-
ton in North Dakota. In all his addresses he has made it clear that he
He has reiterated time and again his belief n the doctrine that the body of
a human being is worth mor than the metal in a dollar, that a mans life
is his capital, that when government conscrpts a man it takes infinitely
more than when it conscrpts merely the income o n his property.
Mr.. Townley further has urged the farmers to bend every energy in the
effort to produce foodstufs for the nation. That the farmers have done
this is evidenced by the latest government crop report. He has suggested
to farmers that they help their country by investing their little surplus
in more and better farm machinery, fertilizers, seed and farm labor; thus
placing them in position to grow bigger crops, letting bankers and other
wealthy mel lend the necessary money to the government.
Mr.. Townley has com out fatfooted for the taking of excess profits to
pay val expenses. "Pay a IS we fight" he asserts is a better method of fnan-
cling the "a than borrowing al we go" and permitting val debts to pile
up for the mel in the trenches to pay after they come back home. To this
end he would have the government take ove mills, mines and factories nee
essary in producing war supplies, operate them a long al the val lasts,
and then turn them back to the owners without profit, just "as it will give
flag and country"
Nothing in Mr. Townleys speeches indicates any dMloyhty to the govern
ment, dsrespect to the flag, O. sympathy for the enemy. He merely pleads
for the rights of those who do the bulk oft the fighting and most of the tax
paying, a. against any who intend to keep o making a profit out of wal.
He says: "Let US make both u dollars and our boys fight for ~ country!"
81 can't urge you farmers to loan your savings to the government" he
said, "knowing that you will have to go to the bank soon and borrow money
at 10 per cent interest and more! I would rather urge these mn who loan
at 10 per cent to put their money in liberty bonds. Your money invested
on the farms will increase the country's food supply Their money in the
vaults does n good"
But there may come a time when I will ask you to give your last dollar
to go without things you and your families need, and gve-not loan-it all
to your government and mine. That time will be when the dollars of the
rich have been drafted; when the Morgans and Schwabs and Armours are
not reaping fat val dividends"
For saying as much Mr. Townley has been accused by Minneapolis bank
where human food is sold and resold all day long, but it sounds like patriot
ism to the rest of u.s..