Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1918-07-12
FORG EFT TOWNLEY.

or may not be on the square and
who may Or may not be patriotic.
the big fact about the Nonpartizan
League of farmers is that no
amount of abuse or criticism will
put the truth and justice out Of
commission. So far as the demands
of the League are right they will
survive; SO far as they square with
economic jutsice they will stand,
and all the powers of He'll cannot
prevail against them.
You may put MI. Townley in
Jail, but all that is true and right
and equitable in the Nonpartisan
League will survive, and persecution
will only draw men to the League.
and aid, ra Their than hinder its
growth.
In the past few weeks, during
the Red Cross and other drives. the
NoHpartisan League organizers were
not permitted to take part in the
drives in Latah and other counties,
solely because the men were men,
bers Of the Nonpartisan League.
AS we'll might the democrats Of
Clearwater county be branded as
disloyal, because Edward Hofstede,
who ran for county attorney on the
democratic county ticket, was dis
loyal and tire asonable. For in this
county. (Clear water). we know per-
sonally Nonpartisan League mem
bers who are republicans, and know
why they joined the League. The
writer recently asked one of our
farmers why he joined and he said
he believed the League offered the
farmer some real relief from the
gouging middle men, the warehouse
trust and profiteers. The purposes
of the organizers of the League may
be entirely selfish; they may be af-
ter the farmers $16, and they may
be disloyal, but so far as the de-
mands of the League are just they
will survive regardless Of who or
ganized the League, or who Town
ley is. For Townley is a mere in
cident. Economic justice Is not. 1t
is vital, and the war, with the ex-
posture of the proiteer, and the gov
eminent regulation of business evils
in the interest of the people, has
set people to thinking, and has
changed the whole industrial struc-
ture of the nation, and the world.
Men like Schwab understand this,
and are preparing for the better
days to come. when the masses of
the people will have more to say
in government than they ever be
fore dreamed of, After the wal
we are not going back to old pre-
war conditions. The sugar trust,
the Standard Oil, the Armours. the
banking interests, the proiteers, the
greedy middle men, are no longer
to have uncurbed sway, TO the det-
riment of producer and consumer,
The Nonpartisan League is pri-
marily seeking to bring the produc-
er and the G pnsumer together, with
the state and national governments
acting as middleman. And so lone
as there is injustice, so long as the
middleman stands between producer
and consumer, levying tribute foi
a service the state and nation cal
render better, SO long will the pro.
Queer, once aroused. rush to the
Nonpartisan League or some othel
organization that offer hope of re
lief.
Long before the writer evel
heard OF Townley or the League !
was our Arm conviction that thu
big problem of the producer. alst
of the consumer, was not how u
raise more, but how to better pu
into the hands Of the ultimate con
sumer the things the producer ha
that the con sumner needs. Six year
ago at Idaho Falls we saw cherrie
retailing at 20 cents q pound. A
the same time a Amer. larger cherr'
was begging for buyers and con
sumers at OroHno for less than nv
cents the pound. We have been In
formed that cherries that year i
oronno brought the grower undo
three cents per pound. Is there
J sane. sound reason why the con
: sumers at Idaho Falls. where the
grow NO cherries, should not. thr
state agency, without additions
machinery, (say. thru the stat
department Of Farm Markets.. Q
= placed In to- UGH with the Clearwate
: county producer?
' Is there any good reason VIII
! the producer must be at the nero
Of pronteermg middlemen who's
business is to buy as cheaply 9
: possible and sell as dearly as poss
BILE?
t We do not care who proposes r,