The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-07-26
A GENTLE PROTEST

In another column is published
series OF flamboyant whereases and
resolutions recently adopted at meet
ing Of Pomona Grange containing re-
Elections upon the press that cannot
be substantiated by the father of the
resolutions, nor the Grange that
hastily adopted them without careful
consideration of their purport. and We
do not feel that the accusations
should pass without protest.
This attack upon the press is Meth
| er justified, nor has it any grounds
upon which TO stand. When Pomona
a large portion of the public press
is only the mouthpiece of the indus
trial lords and special privileges"
| that Grange is talking about some
| thing it knows nothing about, casting
aspersions upon class of men who
have stood loyal to the farmers at
all times and under all circumstances
An intimation that the public press
is venal is cheap insult to a class
that works constantly and consistent
lily for the best interests OF the COM
munities in which the papers are
published without regard to color,
creed or condition, and that without
hope or expectation of federal aid, or
support from any other source only
that obtained from long hours of hard
| work.
Furthermore, when Pomona Grange
states that the press has ever inter
| tered with the rights of the farmers
to organize. speaking on behalf of the
vast majority of the papers OF the
country, We declare the author of that
statement 10 be a stranger TO the
truth. We challenge the mculbers of
Pomona Grange, or rather those re-
sponsible for these resolutions, to pro-
duce evidence to show that the press
OF this state mas ever publihad a iiie
Iderogeratory to that great and useful
farmers organization, he Grange
Oh the contrary. so far as our obser
walton goes, the press, and especially
! the country press, has lent every as
sistance in its power to the promotion
OF the Grange. giving it due cred t
for the excellent work it has accom-
plished among the farmers.
| The only ground that We can dis
| cover for the breaking out OF Pomona
| Grange in this unseemly way is the
stand the State Press Association
! took regarding the Non-P Partisan
I League. Not having been present at
that meeting it is not possible to
judge Of the motives behind the ac-
ton OF the association, but it is a
fair presumption that the resolution
discrediting the Non-Partisan League
was more an expression of rebuka
| against the leaders of that organiza-
| ton than the organization itself. We
| have never heard any one question
| the right Of the farmer, or the butch
er. or the baker, or any one else to
join any organization whatsoever,
especially one at SIG per, although
by doing SO they might contribute to
the support Of a horde Of non-produc-
ing parasites posing as organizers. +"
But in the case Of the Non-P Partisan
League there has arisen a vigorous
protest against the disloyal senti-
ments expressed by the leadership.
Had the league been fostered by men
who stood true to their country, had
the leaders loyalty supported the gov
eminent in carrying on the war, not
] a word of protest would have been
| heard from the public press, except
possibly in some isolated cases. 1t
| was the character and proGerman
tendencies Of the leaders that created
such hue and cry against the league
Is it to be understood that Pomona
| Grange is standing behind the Nom
Partisan League and sanctioning the
sentiments expressed by some of its
most prominent leaders?
We would ask W. T. Beals, P. A.
Larson, Arthur Wells and w. c. Os-
tenberg, whose names are attached. to
the resolutions. il they endorse the
following sentiments uttered by
Townley, head of the Non-Partisan
League, at a meeting held at Devils