The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1918-10-17
SECOND. FELLOW
WORKER" note
is MADE PUBLIC.
| N NINHESO Ia.

Minneapolis, Oct. 17.-That Arthur
LeSueur, secretary OF the National
NonpartiSan league, in a letter writ
ten to William D. Haywood Of the I.
W. w. more than two months after
the United States entered the war.
spoke OF the draft as an Invasion sf
the personal liberty Of citizens and
predicted trouble on the Minnesota
iron ranges should the government
try to round up the draft slackers
in the district, was revealed today
when the Minnesota Public Safety.
commission made public the second
instalment OF the correspondence be-.
tween LeSueur and Haywood which
the commission now holds. LeSueur
is still secretary Of the Nonpartisan
league.
The first instalment, made public
several. weeks ago, included a let
ter from LIE Sueur to Haywood which
spoke of this damned war business"
and urged opposition to Spy bills
and conscription. The Nonpartisan
leagues subsequent explanation was
that the letter was written before
declaration Of a state Of war. The
commission conceded this, but show
ed that the actual date was only one
day before the war declaration.
The letter made public today, how
ever, was dated June 20, 1917, more
than two months after the war dec
laration and 18 days after the first
draft registration. In the communi-
cation Haywood was addressed as
Dear Fellow Worker. Haywood is
now in Fort Leavenworth peniteni-
tary, serving a 20year sentence for,
violating the espionage act. This,
latest LeSueur letter, which was
identified by Haywood at his trial
in Chicago last summer was written
III reply to a request from Haywood
that LeSneur act as counsel for
some of the 13S men arrested at
ockford, ILL.,, in June, 1917, for re-
fusing to register for the draft. The
Haywood letter was also made pub
lie by the commission today.
Regrets Absence From Cases
In his reply LeSueur expressed re-
gret that ne could not comply and
said he sure would have enjoyed
taking a stick in those cases"
Haywood's letter to LeSueur fol-
lows:
Arthur Lesueur.
Peoples College,
Fort Scott, Kan,
Dear LeSueur: On June 5th
between 40 and so members OF
the I. w. w, with Socialists,
numbering in all 1856, refused to
register at Rockford, Ill.
These men marched in a body
to the Jail and gave themselves
up to the sheriff, saying they
declined to register and had come
to go to jail for the offense.
They were locked UP. Later
understand a number were
badly beaten by deputy sheriffs
and Jail guards.
II learned this morning from
a Scandinavian Socialist here In
Chicago that the cases are COM
ing up on June 18th. The So
cialists have asked us to Coop
crate with them giving the men
a defense, to- which OF course
they are fully entitled to.
THE man who telephoned me
mentioned Stodman of Chicago an
possible lowyer. I told him that
If we were going in on the case.
much preferred you to repre-
sent the interest Z our boys. and
I would write you to see il you
would handle the case.
@'eWiIl it be possible for you to
look after the interest OF these
members. and what would be
your fee?
AS the case now stands, it is.
I believe, merely misdemeanor,
though they have one man,
George Gully, under arrest charg-
ed with conspiracy, and of
course. there lis no telling how
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