The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-06-27
ToWNLEY SHOULD NOT BE PER-
MiTTED TO SPEAK.

The Non Partisan league Of Idaho
Is planning to hold convention at
Boise on July and L. Two sessions
will be held daily and 1t Is proposed
at this time to endorse candidates for
congressional and state offices. The
league claims a membership In Idaho
of about $4,000 and 1t Is the boast OF
the leaders that the organization is In
position to elect those candidates who
are favored with it's support In 9TH
err words, the Nom Partisan league
claims to have accomplished the pur-
pose for which it invaded Idaho and
that the result of the election will
show that 1t controls the legislature
and majority of the state offices.
The organization has been charged
with disloyalty wherever it has made
It's appearance. but this charge has
been based upon the attitude of its
leaders toward the war rather than a
reflection upon the character of its
membership. Membership of the
league is made up of farmers excu-
sively, and while the claim of the
leaders as to the number of members
In Idaho may be exaggerated and
probably is, there is no doubt that 1t
has a large membership in the state,
In some counties, according to relia-
BILE information, practically all farm
ers are enrolled That the league has
plenty of money Is indicated by the
fact that every farmer pays an ini-
tlal assessment of SIG when he joins.
The large fund thus accumulated will
be drawn upon to pay all expenses of
members who desire to attend the big
meeting at Boise on July and A.
which includes railroad fare and hotel
accommodations for two days.
The propriety of building up pow
erful political organization for the
purpose of furtherng the interest of
a particular class of citizens may well
be questioned, for it is opposed to the
theory of our government which
knows no class, creed or color in the
enactment and administration of the
law. But so far as the general mem
bership OF the Non Partisan league in
Idaho is concerned 1t Is absurd to
charge 1t with disloyalty, for it is
largely made up Of farmers whose
lives. past and present refute the
charge But 1t Is different with the
leaders, and particularly with A. c.
Townley. His public utterance both
before and since the declaration of
war against Germany have been Sc
ditious and even reasonable, and he
is now under indictment in the state
of Minnesota charged with obstruct-
ing the government in the enforce
ment of the draft law, 1t is proposed
to have Mr.. Townley speak in Boise
on the occasion of the Nom Partisan
celebration on July and 4. and to
this many loyal citizens of the capital
and other parts of the state have
made a vigorous protest. The state
council of defense has taken the mat
ter up and appointed committee to
investigate Mr. Townleys record, and
upon the report of the committee will
depend the action of the council.
As usual with most of the councils
of defense, the Idaho body is too easy,
too fearful of hurting some ones feel
ings. The fact that Mr.. Townley is
Under indictment on charges of dis
loyalty Is enough to bar him from the
right of public speech in Idaho or any
other state. We are at war and 1t is
not the time for one resting under
such charges and awaiting trial to be
given an opportunity to harangue the
people in the form Of defense. There
are many people who are easily i'm
pressed by q fluent and plausible
speaker, such as Mr.. Townley is said
to be, and he should not be permitted
to make his appeal to these while his
trial is pending He will have his
hearing dn the court, just the same as
any other citizen charged with a
crime Until that time he should not
be permitted to speak in public.
tlc< 10 al ,1oy