The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-04-05
Recites His Experience to the
Worthington Globe
DEALT WITH SOLICITOR
But He Did Not Come Across
With The Sixteen
Sim0Ie0ns
From Mondays Daily.

From Mondays Daily.
Rushmore, Mimi, March ga.
M. Wells, Editor of Globe, Worthing-
ton, Mimi, Dear Sir: In reply to an
! inquiry as regards my affiliation with
| the Nonpartisan league, l desire.
through your columns to set myself
right before my fiends of Mobiles
county.
| have been a resident of this
county fifteen years and have been
q close observer of matters political
In years past | was affiliated with
the republican party, thinking that
no other party should control our
government. But there are times with
us all when forbearance ceases to be a
virtue and in my case the first cleo
| ticn held after my becoming citizen
| of Minnesota convinced me of the
fallacy of supporting men just be-
cause they belong to a particular
/ party: and as you know, | have
participated in conventions of more
recent date that would seem to some
people to indicate that | was quib-
bier. But / want my farmer friends
to know just where / stand at this
time, and where l have stood for all
the time that has elapsed since the
Civil war. That is that
/ am an American citizen first last
and all the time, and being an Amer
lean citizen, l cannot and will not be
affiliated with the Nonpartisan
league, so called. Why?
In the year 1917 young man
dressed in the serb of a farmer
called on me at my home in Dewald
township. He was accompanied by
one of our Dewald farmers who
introduced the man, whose name [
have forgotten (and am glad have
forgotten). He stated to me that he
was working in the interest of the
Nonpartisan league, asking me if
had read anything in regard to the
organization. | told him of my knowl-
edge Of the workings of the league
in North Dakato, and that it seemed
to have accomplished wonders.
well" says he, "you are the first
farmer I have met who seems to
know much of the workings of our
league. Although you can see by my
list here that many of your farmers
have signed. So Mr.. Renshaw, l want
you to sign my list and you will be
furnished with our periodical giving
you information each month of the
workings of our order"
l signed my name to his, list. After
/ had signed, the man seemed to
hesitate. Then he said:
well, Mr.. Renshaw, there is one
more important matter attached to
this move, and that is the finances.
We are asking each subscriber to give
us a note or a check which will DE
deposited in your bank subject to
our CALI.
WELL" I says to Mr. Solicitor, "my
note or check will be forthcoming
when / am thoroughly satisfied that
membership in the league is a good
thing for the farmer and the welfare
of the public
He went away without my check.
which, by the way, is considered
among deferred class payments.
Later this same party came to me
and wanted me to carry him around
the country soliciting names and
money, for what? For what l con-
slider
One of the most stupendous CRAFTS
(note the ff) that has ever been
wrought upon the farmer or any other
class of people.
| declined to carry him around on
his soliciting tour. What next?
| learned from good AUTHORITY th"+
Mr.. Solicitor picked up a man who
had served time For what? The
records of our couniv WI oyG'r:;
l also learned that this so'icitc~
got as high as thirty names to his
list
For which he received one-half of
the sixteen dollars.
Pretty good wages, Mr.. Farmer,
for a man in overalls; and Mr..
Farmer, you will later on
Receive the empty sack. w. G.
Renshaw, one of she victims.
Miss Xenia Babcock returned this
morning from Fairmont, where she
4 La. n