The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-04-20
CONE SLOW" Is
ADMISSION MADE
BY WORKERS FOR
KANSAS LEAGUE
Nonpar6sans win Not
" Take Kansas" As They
Did North Dakota
LOYAL KANsANS
ARE SUSPICIOUS
Membership To Date Is.
Largely In The German
Communities
LOYAL KANSAES
ARE SUSPICIOUS

Abilene. Kas. Apru sa.-The Nan
partisan league win not stRRza Kan
sS as easily as IL captured Nnrfh
4lakotal where it is IN supreme n1vr-
e. Lt win have to Tight foren. foot
hold IN this state.
The organizers who have been
working In this part OF TIE stole
frankly admit that they come slow"
when asked about the membership.
N North Dakota they fairly tram
order.
Legal kaHsans Are Suspieious.
The first obstacle in the wav in
kansas Is the general impression thai
me leaders or the league are disloval
1he Eact that La Toilette was invited
e speak before the national conven-
Non or the order in ST Paul last
1all when he gave utterances 10 his
celebrated defense OF Germany. has
cost the NonpartiSan league thou
sands OF members IN Kansas.
The TACT that Ia Toilette was In
T1ted as a guest OF honor when they
knew he was fighting the govern
ment BY opposing the war was an act
81 disloyalty In itself" a Dickinson
county farmer said 'sThe leaders or
the NonpartiSan league knew what
Ia Toilette was going 70 say because
they knew what he had been SAYING"
The above sentiment has gained a
general circulation In Kansas. and 1t
Eot here ahead Of the Nonpartisan
league organizers.
Membership Is Largely German.
Another big obstacle to the spread
OF the Nonpartisan league in this part
Of the state is the fact that the mem
hership OF the league is made up
largely OF Germans and that III is
strong only In German or prO-German
Communities.
In Mcpherson county, for instance.
SC liz reported that about the only
membership the league has Is among
that faction of the Swedish Eutherans
which has opposed the war.
At Hillsboro. In Marion county. l
there is a very pronounced anti /
American sentiment. IL was in Hills 1
boro that n German paper announced !
with g1ee that some OF the American /
soldiers had reached Berlin before 4
they wanted to" when the news was 1
received OF the first capture OF Amer /
Jean soldiers by Germans at the /
French front.
Hilishors a Pro- German Center.
The Nonpartisan league is strong at I
Hillshoro. one Marion county resi- 4
dent told a correspondent for The
Kansas City Star the other day that Il
only six persons attended q meeting i
of the council Of defense in Hills
laoro. but that the house would not
hold them when a Nonpartisan league
meeting was advertised.
Whatever the truth may be as 70 Il
the actual sentiment OF disloyalty
among members Of the Nonpartisan
league, the organization Is under sus-
niclon. and II viii be a difficult mat
ter for the league 70 clear its skirts
af the suspicion i'm time for n big rush
Of members this summer.
s Another thing that makes 1t DIM
cult for the Nonpartisan league in
Kansas Is the fact that 1t is bitterly
by the Farmers Union, and
the union has strong organization
already perfected In the state.
Why Farmer Union Is Opposed.
The Nonpartisan league grew out
of the Farmers Equity League in
North Dakota 1T was the strong or
ganization among the farmers which
helped the Nonpartisan league when
L went into politics. But the EQUITY
eague is not strong in Kansas. The
Farmers Union holds the big or
among farmers In Kansas.
Members Of the Farmers Union
say they oppose the NOnpartisan
eague for many reasons: One is the
3harEe Of disloyalty against the North
Dakota and Minnesota leaders OF the
rational organization. Another Is
nat the Nonpartisan league is not q
armers' organization at all, but mere
d a political party; that it is not q
cooperative organization, but that it
3 controlled and directed by one man
whose word is supreme. Another
sharge is that the money paid i'm for
membership fee goes TO one or two
nen who are not required 70 give an
OF any kind 70 the MEM ,
,ership.
No Accounting Fer Funds.
#. q. Brown. OF Harrington. is a
armer. He is a member OF the Farm
.rs' Union.
ssyYhen the N0npartisan organizers
anne to me-" Mr.. Brown said. Il ask +
a them il there was any check on
he money which the league leaders
re receiving. The organizers admit
cd 10 me that they make no account
ng 10 anybody and that the state or
.anizer makes no accounting and that ]