The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-08-24
A TRIFLE LATE.

trfe late, but very vehemently, Townley's
kept daily organ at Fargo protests that when a
convention dominated entirely by ToWnley's
henchmen in the Adams Hetinger legislative con-
vention pledged it's district delegate to the state
convention of the Noparty league to work for a
plank which would take over the farmers land
and his horses and COWS and his reapers and bind
ers and traction engines and other property lat
the price prevailing for three years prior to the
war; and distribute this wealth pro-rata among
all the wobblies and weary willies whom Townley
might induce to locate in North Dakota and be-
come league voters here, that league convention
did not do just what the home newspaper in Mott
stated in black and white was DONE
The Mott Pioneer-Press story was published
more than month ago. It went the rounds of the
press, and it was copied and approved by some
Townley organs, among others. The Mott paper
published the resolution in full, told just who in
PRODUCED it, and how many voted for it.. It didn't
SAVIOR of fish story, and nobody thought of deny
ing it until few days ago when The Courier News
came out with double column, page-length edi-
torial declaring the whole thing a fake, foisted
upon Townley's followers by Townley's enemies.
Well, the pubic long since has learned to regard
with skepticism the Courier-News' denials. The
Tribune doesn't know where the Townley editor
got his authority for this latest attempt to extr-
cate Towney from hole which he had dug for
himself The vehemency of the denial would in
dictate that somebody is very much scared. The
dear people, apparently, aren't reacting to the
Townley- Bowen-LeSueur socialist tonic as the
quacks at St. Paul hoped they would So the treat
ment is to be changed. Another cure-all will be
substituted, and theprocess will be repeated
Down at the bottom, Townley is finding the
North Dakota farmer an ordinary, average man,
endowed with normal amount of gray matter,
which he uses occasionally to his own advantage.
The joker in the league resolution that went
down in the 49th legislative district was too ap-
parent. AT the prices prevailing for three years
prior to the war;" Most anyone with half an eye
can see far enough ahead to know that after the
war land will be in great demand The probable
tiles are that America will see a back-to-the-land
movement among it's returned soldiers which will
far eclipse anything in previous history. Land
values will go sky high, Mr.. Townley is shrewd
enough to forsee this condition. He undoubtedly
would have liked an option on North Dakota's some
fifty million fertile acres, at prices based on an
average value existing from 1911 to 1914. It would
have been very good stroke of business:
The Tribune is more inclined than ever to bet
on the sanity and sound judgment of the North
Dakota farmer This fever will pass as other
have, and the charitable will forget and perhaps
even forgive. All Of these periods of social rev.
olution carry their lesson, and perhaps there is
grain of good to be derived from this present cpl
dennis. We hope so, and in the meantime we're
going to keep our shirt on. We don't believe the
farmer is going to give Mr.. Townley or MIR. Le-
Sueur or Mr.. Bowen blanket mortgage on his
farm. Towney's nose has been bruised consid-
eraby lately. He has run into one blank wall
after another and tbs rather enjoyoble to see him
revolving in circles and swapping at his own TAIL
Apologies and explanations always accompany
defeat "Alibi Art Is oii the tob6gssn, unless all
signs read awry.