The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-06-18
OF
LEAGUE SHOULD
BE BARRED, SAYS
FARGO WAR BODY
No Place In North Dakota
For Such AS Townley
and Mills, They Say
ASK GOVERNOR -
TO TAKE ACTION
Cite St. Louis Anti-war
Platform and Town ~
ley's Arrest

North Dakota should have no place
for the Socialists now touring the
state. in the opinion of the Fargo
War Organization, the executive
committee Of which today addressed
a communication to Governor Lynn
]. Frazier, setting forth it's viewpoint.
That A. C. Townley. president Of
the National Nonpartisan league,
who is a Socialist and has not pub
licly renounced the ST. Louisa anti
awar- platform. and Walter Thomas
Mills. another Socialist who also has
failed to renounce the anti-war plat
form. should both be barred from the
platform-particular Townley be-
cause he stands accused in another
state of obstructing military and
naval efforts of the United States, is
the position taken by the war organ
ization in the following letter:
Fargo, N. D.. June 10, 1918.
To Governor Lynn ]. Frazier,
Bismarck. N. D.
Sir:-Fargo War Organization reg
listers Its protest against A. C. Town
ley's appearance on the public plat
form in our state.
According to The Leader, official
organ of the Nonpartisan league, Mr..
Townley is scheduled to make a. num-
Der Of public addresses in North Da-
kota.
Our reasons for obiecting to Mr..
Townley's addressing the citizens of
North Dakota" are:
l.. He stands charged by the
courts Of our sister state of Min
nesota with the crime Of obstructing
the military and naval efforts Of the
present war with Germany. Until he
has been tried and acquitted Of that
charge 1t is a plain insult to our
people that he should be permitted
from the public platform to discuss
the vital questions of the hour.
2. On April IL. 1914. Mr.. Townley
signed and swore to the voters reg
istration blank at Beach. NJ D., and
therein stated he belonged to the
Socialist party. That party held it's
last national convention at st. Louis,
Mo-, in April, 1917. and after the
United States had declared war on
by almost unanimous vote, a platform
from which the following extracts are
taken:
1.-THE Socialist party Of the
United States is unalterably OPP
posed to the system Of exploita-'
ton and class rule which is up
held and strengthened by mill
tary power and sham national
patriotism. we. therefore, call
upon the workers of all countries
to refuse support to their gov
ernments in their wars"
The forces Of capitalism which
are even more hideously trans
parent in the war recently pro-
voked by the ruling class Of this
: country" sou.
1--WE brand the declaration Of
war by our government as
crime against the people of the
United States and against the
nations OF the world
I'm all modern history there
has been no war more unjustifl- ,
able than the war in which we
are about to engage
''No greater dishonor has ever
been forced upon the people than
that which the capitalist class is
forcing upon this nation against
it's will" ..,
This Socialist platform made the
following pledges on behalf OF the
party:
Continuous. active and. pub
lie opposition to the war through
demonstrations. mass petitions
and all other means within our
power"
'Unyielding opposition of all
proposed legislation Nfor military
or industrial consumption.
Should such CONSUMPTION be
forced upon the people we,
pledge ourselves to continuous
efforts for the repeal Of such laws
and to the support of all mass
movements in opposition to con-
scription."
John Spargo. Charles Edward Rus
sell and a few other well known
members Of the Socialist party, but
who were patriotic and absolutely
loyal to our government, promptly
and publicly repudiated the platform
thus adopted at st. Louis, and sew
cred their connection with the party.
There is no record that Mr.. ToWnley
has repudiated the st. Louis platform, |
or the war aims Of the Socialist
party as therein set forth, and as
above in part quoted; we submit un-
til he has done so he ought not to be
allowed to make public addresses in
North Dakota.
We also object to Walter Thomas
Mills. the well known Socialist, max |
ms further speeches in our state:
for the reason he being a leader in |
the Socialist party, has not publicly
renounced and repudiated the st.
Louis platform containing the dis
loyal and abhorrent declarations
above seta forth.
Yours respectfully
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE,
Fargo War Organization. |