The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-10-15
ROOSEVELT RAPS
THE \. ?. LEAGUE
At BILLINGS
Denounces Leaders as "Anti-
American and Bolshevistic"'
Before Large Crowd.
Declares There Is Not a Pro-
German in the Nation That
Does Not Wish Success for
the Townley Movement.

: ernoon, Col. Theodore Roosevelt, after
DEFINING Amenicanism and it's duties
denounced the leadership of the Non
partisan league as anti-American and
, Bolshevistic and menace to the
Democratic institutions of the United
States. He drew attention to the
crimes for which the l. w. w. leaders
were recently convicted and then read
from letter of the secretary of the
Non-partisan league to William D.
Haywood, in which the phrase ''this
damned war" was used and fight on
CONSUMPTION and anti-spy bills was ad-
vocated. The colOnel's words were
unanimously applauded time after
time.
| After speaking about the farmers
Just complaints and declaring that they
must be remedied by either state or
federal action, the Colonel declared
that ito introduce state socialism az
relief for these conditions would re.
suit In nothings but widespread dam
age" He continued: "a
He Was Deceived. E
Il have so keen a feeling about the
Injustice to which the farmers were ex-
posed here in the northwest that when
the Non-partisan league first appeared
was inclined to welcome it and to
believe in 1t and l wished to cooper
ate with it. 1t was with real reluct-
ance that l was obliged to believe that
the leadership that controlled it was
Of such character as to threaten this
country with evils analogous to those
which came from Bolshevikism abroad
and from l. w. W.-ism at home.
1.-THE I. w. w. leaders have
been convicted of disloyalty to
America by Chicago jury. They
have preached and practiced sedi-
tipn. A federal grand jury in
Kansas has just indicted the Or
ganization itself FOR plot to
overthrow the United States gov
eminent, establish reign of ter
n ror and seize all, property. Here
I In Montana it has become men,
4 ace to the mining, lumber and
! farming interests, using lawless
violence and mob conspiracy as it's
\ weapons and the federal authOri-
ties have been grayely remiss in
failing to handle the situation
fearlessly and vigorously; yet it
q was to the leader of this Organiza-
ton, w. D. Haywood, that the
secretary and one Of the moving
spirits of the Non partisan league,
wrote on April s, 1917, just as we
were going to war, and in his let
ter, copy Of which hold In my
hand, he spoke of this damned
war business and that q think the
fight should now be centered
against spy bills and conscrip-
tion.' In other words, these two
responsible officials of the !. w.
, w. and NOn-partisan league were
proposing to fight measures to deal
with traitors and make our par
ticipation in the war effective.
Pro-Germans For Them.
mo patriotic American can afford
10 support either organization and
any politician who is Joined up with
either is discredited. There is not a
German abroad or pro-German at
rome, who does not wish success to
he Nom partisan league as at present
controlled, and to the !. w. Wand
hey wish them success because they
'ecognize them as anti-American and
Is containing within them the threat
# reducing this country to somewhat
he same condition to which the Boil
hevikism has reduced Russia. If
hese men had had their way year
go or If they had their way now, they
would make our beloved country an
bject or scorn to all free nations and
byword by derision for the foreign
for these men, whether
ctuated merely by an evil fanaticism
r by more sordid motives are, natural
Y and Inevitably the enemies Of
Imerica, just as Lenine and Trotzky
,ere Of Russia Whether consciously
r unconsciously, they play the game
f the autocratic governments that are
ostile to the United States and they
hould be repudiated by every far-see-
lg and patriotic American.
To Those MisIed.
II know well that there are null II
titudes of honest and upright men
among the rank and file of the
NOn-partisan league, just as there
are thousands of good but mis-
Informed men in the ranks of the
/. w. w. Insofar as these men
have, and l believe they have,
just grievances of which they COM
plain, it Is our business actively
and affirmatively to strive for the
remedy of these grievances, and
when / say strive, I mean not
merely hot air. but action. . It is
our business to act affirmatively
SO as to redress every just griev-
ance of the farmer and to show
that we recognize that he is lit
orally the bedrock foundation of
our whole American social system,
to remedy these things that are
wrong in the labor world which
force, here and there, bodies of
workmen into the l. w. W., be-
cause they don't know where else
to go; but the leadership of both
the Non-partisan league and the
I. w. w. represent Bolsheyikism