The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-02-01
THAT CHAIN STORE SCHEME

THAT CHAIN STORE SCHEME
Comrade Towney has made the mistake common
to many gamblers-he has played his bunch to-
I hard.
He found So members comparatively easy pick
ings, and he bosed the ante to So. The nine dolla
men nibbled freely, and Townley raised to $16. A
this figure he coralled, his Nonpartsan Leader
states 10000 members, who turned to Mr.
Townley S., 400 600. For this sum accounting has
ever been asked or given. Comrade Townley, as he
testified at his bankruptcy hearing here this week
regards that fund as one out of which any persona
check he may draw for one automobile or for
dozen, - will be promptly honored.
The membership proposition was good. The Non
partisan Publishing Co., with its two valuable news
papers which have cost their apparent owners anC
one penny-Edwn c. Wood so testified at the
Townley hearing-was also good The Nonpartsa
Leader two years ago was receiving $500 a page
for, it's advertising. 1t must be getting more now
Its 10000 subscribers all paid in advance, with
out one penny expense to the company. 1t need en-
ploy no canvassers nor circulation nor collec
tors. Its $3.50 per annllm from each league member
is pure velvet. Yes, the Nonpartsan Publishing Co.
is mighty good business venture-thcre is nothing
i'll the Northwest to compare as a moncymakcr with
this splendid example of ''kcpt press"
The League Exchange, Incorporated for million
dollars, didn't do quite WELL Townlcy admits
they have collected on farmers notes only $4,000
to date, but they have $780, 900 in notes still to be
realized upon, and they have Jim Manahan's mort
gage and bond company to handle these notes.
Townley doesn't regard the United States Guaranty
Co. much to brag about, but it is doing it's little bit
for the common veal.
Then, on top Of all of these enterprises in every
Of which Towney is president manager or
director. in all of which his interlocking system Of
dircc.Orates has COM lce CONTROL in none of which
the average sixtcen-dollar man has word to say,
Towney comes along with his chain store scheme
and in six brief months extracts 100000 more from
the farmers pocket. .
And now, the farmer, by nature longsuffering
and patient, is slowly waking up. He is beginning
to wonder where the $64O,00O out of his nice little
,lcarmillion pot-the $64O,O00 which the famous
Townley agreement declares is to be expended in
educational and extension works. going and in
what sense it is to benefit him or his neighbor.
The first rumblings Of discomfort were heard in
the state convention of the Farmers union in Bis
marck month or ago, when, in spite Of the ora
tory of Jim Manahan and Arthur LeSueur, the farm
ers who compose this great educational and coopera
tive organization steadfastly declined to endorse
Townley-because Of his chain store scheme
These rum'blings broke out again at the Grand
Pacific hotel this week, when Townley in person
appeared before the executive committee Of the
Farmers union and the State Grange in an effort
to hammer down their Threats his chain store plan
To,nley, for the first time in his metcoric career
found himself plunging against stone wall The
more he raved, the louder he roared the 'steadier
these sensible, slow-gong, thinking farmers sat in
their seats
For Townley that meeting was the beginning of
the end in North Dakota. He has overplayed his
hand. His bluff has been called, and when he is
forced to lay down his bob-aled flush we would not
like to be in Townleys Shoes nor in the brogans of
certain henchnen who have assisted him in putting
over his schemes.
The new league will not be Townley organiza
ton. It will be an amalgamation of real farmers
societies, of the Equity and the Grange and the
Farmers union. It will be the biggest political
power the farmer has ever organized in North d.
kota, and it's first duty will be to clean house and
free the state Of the flotsam and jetsam Of Town
leyism.
IT'S a wise gambler who doesn't play his hu11ch
too hard .a,
But the really wise never gamble