The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-03-13
JOHNSON, RYDER
FARMER, INSISTS
FARMERS BEING
WORSTED TODAY
Charges Townley With At
tempt to Break Down
Farmer Associations
SEES DANGER TO
THE WHOLE STATE
Calls "Store Scheme" I'm
justified and Menace To
Community Life

From John S. johnson, a farmer
residing near Ryder, there come:
today a communication, originally
published by The Ryder News, thai
sets forth new angle Of the very
complex and rapidly developing
political situation in North Dakota.
Mr.. Johnson, a former member OF
the Nonpartisan league, comes Out
squarely in opposition to what he
terms the ''Townley Socialistic cabi-
net" which he charges with attempt
ing to Smash to smithersens all the
farmers organization for co-opera-
tion that the farmers have been in
dustriousIy working for the past 20
ysars or more to build up"
Mr.. Johnson's letter is in response
to a communication previously pub
lished by Peter Romsaas, evidently
a very loyal member of the Non
partisan league.
Peter (Romsaas) says, John is a
hopeless case If he doesn't believe in
corporation, as that is what the
league is doing operate II you
call Townley and his bunch of dirty
agitators, spreading dissension and
antagonism towards the government,
cooperation, 4 am proud of the
fact that / am hopeless case
THE reason some former league
members are so bitter against the
league today is because they realize
that Townley and his socialtstic
cabinet are trying to smash to
smithereens all the farmers or
CARNATIONS for cooperation that the
farmers have been working indus
triously for the past twenty years
or more to build up. Didn't Town
ley and his bunch try to get control
OF the American Society of Equity
with his dirty tactics2
The farmers Of tha northwest
have made great progress during the
past few years through their differ
ent organizations of cooperation, a
progress that, we can feel proud of,
and we hate to have a smart Aleck
like Townley come along and smash
1T up for us. The kind of co-opera-
tion believe in is organizations like
the Equity Cooperative Exchange,
for Instance There is an organiza-
tion mat has been built up from the
ground b. sound business prin-
ciples, and by men who have made a.
business or It. The Equity has con-
tinued to prosper, and its manage
ment has gained experience, and the
business has now increased to the
extent that it is necessary for them
in order to handle their business to|
increase their capital stock to ST.
O00, 900. And If dirty agitation and
politics can be kept out of it the
Equity Cooperative Exchange will
continue to prosper and will be do
ing business when Townley and his
league are but a mem
In 70 hn
Equity you get a fully paid up stock
and you know that every
dollar OF IL Is going into the bust
ness. You know that not a cent of
your money Ia going to be used to
feather someone's nest or be used
for educational or political work.
dirty agitation. That is the kind of
cooperating that I believe in. And
rs the management OF our farmers
organizations gain experience we are
going to branch out in other lines of
business.
And when we get ready to start
our string of stores we are going II
10 follow the same system as we
did when we made start in the
grain business, We are going to get
The best brains available and build
It up from a solid foundation, on
strictly business principles. We will
sell the farmers shares at par and 4
give the farmer a paid up stock
certificate, and there Is not @ dollar
Df that money to be used for 'edu-
cational or political work. be-
cause politics and dirty agitation
are geing TO be strictly tabooed. |
And by the time that the farmers
ret through with the Townley string
II stores they will have had their
education and no further 'education-
IL work viii be necessary.
"And before we buy any
stook in these stores we are 40
inn 20 pay up our merchants in
full what we owe them. And we
are going 20 do business on a
atrietly competitive basis, as we
are at the present time doing
with most Of our farmers eIsva-
tors. We are going 70 compete
with the homo merehants-and
not come any Of these |. w. w.
methods on them. We are not
a0inu 60 tear down and destroy
the business of the men who
lives III building up their busi-
ness and made the state what Il
ID. We are going 10 be perfect
~ on the square with everybody
so that as sur organization
grows we can feel proud Of our
success. We are not uoinu TO
threaten our home merchants
with dire consequence and tell
them that we are going TO drive
them out Of the state If they are
not good.
1--WE are going TO let them con- i
niue TO do business, bat we are go
ne to compete with them. and under,
hose conditions 1t viii be a matter
Z survival Of the fittest
.lf we are not able 20 COM
nako ON q fair basic with our
msFchaata we have no kick COM
ina. And that 10 the emily condl-
&ion under which any farmers
organization can hope to pros
Eve want competition. whenever
ar farmer organizations should get
monopoly Of the business IL would
al because then there would be
b incentive to keen business ability
nd the result would be iucompet-
nee and graft. That is the kind Of
I believe in. I don't
eIisve in this little pigs co-opera-
.onF of Mr.. Romsaas-nor I'm thel
,ig hogs corporation OF ToWnley,
ither. And in place Of trying 70
reata "a class hatred towards our
ONE business men, as ToWniey is
0ing, NE should be working to-
ards a better understanding.
Ve should remember that there
ave since been a good many years I
tfaae ~.