The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-10-22
THE LEAGUE DISCUSSED
BY AN ABLE WRITER
E. 7. Barber Of American Falls, Peace-Maker
by Nature, Presents Sensible Views on Cur.
rent Questions

or between them? Or does it rest
with someone entirely outside of
Idaho?
Townley, under oath, testified that
he is the league.
| He organized it, and there was no
assemblage Of men to help him.
He Is president, yet nobody elected
him.
He fixed his tenure of office at
twelve years, with the power to per-
| petuate himself in office as long as
| he wishees and no man nor body OF
men-not even the entire member
ship, have power to dispose him.
He receives and disburses all the
funds that come to the league, ap-
points his auditing committee, pub
| fishes what he wants to, and II mem
bers become insitent and demand to
know what he has done with money
collected from the farmers he tells
them to go to hell, that it is none OF
their damned business!
Then who and what is the league?
Was Townley right when he testified
he was?
Colorado People Disappointed
Colorado people think so. The peo-
ple there were promised that as soon
as the organization got under way,
that the direction of the league with
in the state and the money collected
from its members, would be turned
over to an organization to be formed
by the members.
Did TOwnley do this when they
asked him to redeem his promise?
No! He fired the men who asked
him to do SO! Something dreadful,
wasn't it, to ask to handle their own
money and direct their own affairs?
Question TOwnley's Honesty
Townley's loyalty, sincerity and in
tegrity are questioned by a great
many honest and worthy people. How
shall we Judge him? Shall we take
his word for it, or that of one of his
employees? And let it be under
stood that Townley hires and fires
every organizer employee or officer
of the league at will. They must do
his bidding or quit! Is there any
other way to judge man than by
what he says and does If he makes
disloyal talks in one place and at
one time, loyal talks at another place
and another time lis he loyal or not?
II he tells the farmers of North Da-
kota that they ought to have $3.50
for the wheat and then wires the pre-
sident that 1920 is high enough, is
he sincere or not? And when?
Each Must Decide Questions
When he tries to link up the league
with the /. w. w. does he have the
interests of the farmers or the l. W.
w. at heart, or is he simply after the
money of both? Who can. say? What
will the members in this county say
to these questions IL he" has done
these things? How far can they
safely follow the leadership of man
who is charged with being all things
to all men, so long as he gets the
money?
This is something for the local
membership to think about. Nobody
can determine these thing except
each member for himself. Shall the
members rely on the Non-partisan
leader for enlightenment? Tpwnley
personally or thru agents, edits every
one of the Non-partisan state papers,
just as the writer edits the Press. Ig
there is anything wrong with him
would he admit it? Depending on
the Non-partisan leader, state or ma
tional, for information about Town
ey is depending on Towney himself.
The members must use other sources
of information as well as the Non
partisan oragns to get all the truth,
and then they must think for them
selves. All the Press can do to en-
able them to reach correct conclu-
sion is to call their attention to such
thing, supply what information it
can that seems to be dependable, and
let the members weigh every factor,
and record their best judgment at
the polls.
The writer of these lines is and
always has been intereted in the
farmers. Their welfare is his well
fare, their success is his success, their |
adversely is his adversely. Some of |
the farmers of members of the league |
and some are not. But their inter |
ests are all the same, and what's |
good for the members is equally
good for the non-members. The
thing to guard against is getting all |
"het up" during the campaign, and
to keep an open mind for the un-
biased conideraton Of anything that
may be either Favorable to or against |
the league as now organized!
In the succeeding issues the Press
will give it readers such information
as 1t has which 1t believes to be trust
worthy, bearing upon Mr.. Townley
and the directing heads Of the Non