The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-03-02
MORE ABOUT CHAIN STORES

According to the Wells County Free Press a
meeting of the subscribers to the new chain-store
scheme, held at the county seat last Friday, was
we'll attended. .
The same Wells County Free Press prints a
resolution, pushed through this meeting by Wells
Brinton, who presided, condemning The Harvey
Journal for denouncing and criticising the store
scheme. A garbled version of the invitation sent
to the editor by Mr. Brinton is printed the
open letter to Mr.. Brinton published in last weeks
Journal is not printed.
The editor is condemned for refusing to at
tend the meeting at Fessenden, and his refusal to
attend it is denounced as an insult to the farmers.
Yet that same store crowd extended an invitation
to Minot editor to attend meeting in Mnot the
day before the Fessenden session-and when the
editor attended he was not allowed to speak.
Mr.. Brinton condemns the editor of The Har-
vey Journal as dishonest and insincere, and says
he is working in the interests of large corporations
who "are alike depressing both the farmer and
the local business man." Yet Mr. Brinton took
pains to advise himself of the present finances Of
The Harvey Journal, and in his invitation wrote:
1--WE will put you in position to get out and boost
for this organization" #
Nobody believes that big Business" has any
strangle hold on The Harvey Journal. The last
three years should have convinced any right
interests Of the community at large. The editor
is open to conviction-but he can't be bought;
he'll get out Of the game first.
AS stated last week. the editor wants to scrap
if any scrapping is to be done-out in the open
not behind closed doors. lot of noise was made
about the Fessenden session being an open meet
ing--but the names of dozens of Fessenden people
can be given who were refused admission.
The editor is open to conviction-but not the
conviction of dollars and cents. Not criticism
against the chain-store proposition has been an
swered in the Towney "kept" press of the state
and that is where they should be answered not in
conferences where the possible rustic of green
backs could not be heard by outsiders.
As in every movement Of this magnitude, there
are, of course, two alignment sin the public press
those for and those against. Those for claim that
they are being fought by the tools Of big Bust
ness" Those against claim that this chain-store
scheme would be the biggest sort of big Bust
ness" ever foisted upon the people. And those for
rest under the awful suspicion of having their fin
gers in that found Of 100000 that is retained for
educational and propaganda work, etc."
The Harvey Journal has not denounced any
Legitimate farmers organization" We have yet
to be shown that this chain-store scheme is a
farmers organization in any sense of the word.
Answer the questions asked by The Journal,
Mr.. Brinton, out in the open. Until you do, 1000
farmers Of Harvey community are likely to fight
shy Of your proposition. Those 1000 farmers are
them-and they are not likely to bite at bait like
yours
Do you know why this scheme is not being
tried in Kansas? "A number of years ago pre-
cisely similar proposition was pulled off on the
Kansas farmers, and several Thousand "subscrib-
err" we're fleeced. They won't bite again, and the
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