The Hope pioneer., 1918-04-18
MARTIN CLEARED Of
D|sl0YAL1Y CHARGE
Nonpartisan League Organizer is
Acquitted by District Court
Jury On First Ballot.

L. w. Martin, Nonpartisan league
organizer in Goodhue county, was ac-
quilted last Friday of a charge Of
making. disloyal remarks tending to
obstruct the sale Of Liberty bonds by
a jury in the district court. The
jury deliberated less than an hour and
Martin was acquitted on the first bal
lot.
Martins arrest was the result Of
political persecution. He was un-
usually successful in organizing Good
hue county and soon aroused the op-
position Of few professional politi-
clans and bankers who feared the in
fluence of the league. A certain DR..
]. A. Gates, defeated candidate for
lieutenant-governor, was especially
active against Martin and is said
to have boasted that he would drive
him out of the county.
Politician Assaulted Organizer.
DR.. Gates assaulted Martin on one
occasion and several times mob vic.
lence was melted against the plucky
organizer. Hostile newspapers re-
peatedly published false rumors in the
attempt to prejudice the people
against Martin and to hamper his
work. Last November Martin ad-
dressed letter to the governor and
the Public Safety Commission asking
for an investigation of the charges
against him. He said that If he were
guilty he should be in Jail, but that if
he were innocent that he was en-.
titled to protection of the law. The
governor ignored this letter and the
Safety Commission failed either to in.
vestigate or to protect Martin.
Then Martin brought suit against
DR.. Gates for assault. His own arrest
followed. 1t plainly was the result
of political conspiracy. All other
methods had failed. and the gang
fighting Martin evidently intended to
put him behind the bars.
Trial INDICATED Martin.
The trial, conducted before Judge
Albert johnson of the district court,
was complete vindication. for Mar
tin. 1t was shown that instead of
being disloyal, he had advocated sup.
port of President Wilson. 1t was
shown that instead of obstructing the
sale of Liberty bonds, the parts of
Goodhue county where he had
spoken and organized were the Sec
tions where the sale of Liberty bonds
was largest. The prosecution not
only failed to make out case against
Martin, but the evidence showed be-
yond question that he was an indus
trious. hard-working young man of
splendid character who was support
ing his government by deeds as well
as words.
Joseph Gilbert. organization man.
ager of the league, and N. S. Ran.
dali, league lecturer, also. were in.
dicted through the efforts of the anti
farmer gang which had Martin
brought to trial. The cases against
Gilbert and Randall have been post.
poned. The anti-farmer gang thought
they had the strongest case against
Martin and the failure of their plot
has made them less ready to push the
other cases.
The charges Of disloyalty made
against the league in Southern Min
nesota centered around the alleged
remarks of Martin and his triumphant
acquittal by district court jury
punctures the plot directed against the
league. 1t was the first time that
any league organizer was brought be.
fore district court jury on a
charge of disloyalty and the prompt
vindication is body blow to the
opposition.