The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1918-03-14
bURNQU|ST REFUSES
N0NPART|SAN
INVITATION
Minnesota Governor Makes Reply to
Arthur LeSueur, Executive Secre-
tary of National League-Fight
Becomes Bitter.

tary of National League-Fight
Becomes Bitter.
Governor Burnquist refused to ad-
dress Nonpartisan league campaign
rally in Minneapolis. The political
fight appears to have become rather
interesting among our neighbors over
in Minnesota as may be seen by Pc
rusal of the governors reply to Ar
thur LeSueur, former mayor of Minot,
and present executive league secre-
tary, which follows:
"Dear Sir-Your invitation to ad-
dress the Nonpartisan campaign rally
is declined by me for the following
reasons:
"The name of your league implies
that it is nonpartisan, but in fact
there is no organization more parti-
san. At this time, when other politi-
cal parties are trying to put aside, for
the good of the country, any factional
spirit that might exist, your organiza-
tion is doing everything within its
power to increase it.
cat the time of our entrance into
the European conflict your organizers
condemned our government for enter
ing the war. When it became appar-
ent that this course would result in
disaster for their organization, they
changed their course and made an
18th hour claim to pure loyalty, but,
notwithstanding this claim, the Nat
ional Nonpartisan league is party
of discomfort. 1t has drawn to it the
pro- German element Of our state. Its
leaders have been closely connected
with the lawless l. w. w. and with the
red socialists. Pacifists and peace ad-
vocates whose doctrines are Of bene-
fit to Germany are among their num-
ber.
''Those in charge Of the league have
catered to that faction of labor which
has violated the law and been oppos-
ed to compliance with just orders Of
duly constituted authority. The lead
ing agitators in your party have
through their speeches and the circu-
laticn of contemplate falsehoods en-
.couraged disrespect for honest and
patriotic men in public positions.
These self-appointed leaders, with
whom you are associated, have been
and now are endeavoring to get farm
ers to oppose businessmen and en-
ployees to oppose employers. They
state, in your party principles, that
"the great thing the farmers need to-
day to win is to stick by your organ
ization to cooperate with wage work
ers' organizations in the cities and to-
gether win control of the powers of
| the state government and then the ma
, tional government.
"You, who sign yourself as the ex-
ecutive secretary of the league, were
connected with the Peoples Peace
council, which, through my proclama-
tion of Aug. %, 1917, was barred from
holding meetings in this state and
thereafter in Wisconsin and Illinois,
but which was invited to North Dako-
ia by its governor, who was elected
through the efforts of your league.
The cheering and the applauding Of
the unpatriotic utterances of Senator
LaFollette at your last convention put
stamp of disloyalty on it that can
never be erased. Your present pub
licity agent lost the position he held
at that time because he supported La
Follette's unpatriotic ideas and, after
his discharge by his employer, he was
employed by your Nonpartisan league.
! Another of your leaders, Joseph Gill
bert, called a director and manager, l
! believe, has been convicted by jury
because of his disloyal utterances. He,
together with Mr.. Manahan, attorney
| for your organization, patrlotlcally
used strike situation here to advance
the political interests of the league,
"These two men have mallclously
slandered public spirited members OF
the Public Safety commission in an
effort to bring together the farmers
and wage-earners for the political
purposes of your political party's self
constituted leaders, who are neither
real farmers nor real laborers, but
selfseeking demagogues whom the ac-
tual farmers and the actual laboring
men of our state will sooner Of later
find are nothing but pretended rfiends
wolves parading in sleeps clothing.
"You, who appear to be the execu-
| tive secretary of this organization,
were the attorney who defended the
murderers in the l. w. w. trouble on
| the range two years ago and who as
sisted the I. w. w. organization which
has publicly announced that it is it's
intention ultimately to take the farms
from the farmers, whose headquarters
since the commencement Of the war
have been raided by the federal gov
ernment and whose members are now
taking refuge in such organizations as
the National Nonpartisan league.
"How, under such circumstances,
the farmers of Min,ieso who have
been threatened with the loss of their
farms, who have time and again been
compelled to appeal to peace officers
for protection against members Of this
lawless, anarchistic organization, can
now join league with promoters
whose sympathies have been with this
'lawbreaking bolshev.6 element in our
society, is we'll nigh incomprehensi-
BILE. The only explanation that can
be given is the fact that some of the
leaders and organizers Of the Nonpar.
tisan league are evidently not yet
known as we'll to the farmers and 10