The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1918-04-11
REACTI0NARIES
OPPOSE BAER
Measure to Provide Seed for North
western Farmers Bitterly Opposed
BY Standpat Republicans of the
"Hampy" Moore-Joe Cannon Type.
THE EAST AGAINST THE WEST.
The Opposition Recognized in the Nom
partisan League the Duly Accred-
tied Representative of the Cause Of
the Farmer.

the Farmer.
Washington, D. c., April 10.-When
future historians endeavor to get light
on the bitterness of the fight against
the Nonpartisan league at the begin
ming Of its career, they will be able
to find every attack against the or
ganization faithfully recorded in the
Congressional Record.
Congressman Moore Of Pennsylvan-
ia, who led the fight against the Baer
bill for the loaning Of money to farm
ers to finance the purchase of seed
wheat, caused to be printed in the
Congressional Record most Of the
campaign material that is being used
against the Nonpartisan league in
Minnesota and North Dakota.
Taking advantage Of the fact that
Congressman Baer represents the
Nonpartisan league in congress, Con-
gressman Moore caused to be intro
duced, and obtained leave to print,
most of the personal attacks that
have been made on A. c. Townley by
the minions Of Big Business in the
Northwest He included the letter
of Gov. Burnquist of Minnesota, at
tacking the league, and the records Of
the bankruptcy case against Mr..
Townley, which is not yet completed,
and which is filled with questions de-
signed to mislead a reader who does
not get the complete record.
Congressman Baer in his reply put
into the record the Minnesota plat
form of the Nonpartisan League,
with the editorial from the New York
American in which the indictment OF
Mr.. Townley was denounced as a be-
trayal of civil liberty.
Reactionaries Fought Bill.
All of the forces of reaction were
found fighting the Baer bill which in
it's amended form passed the house by
a vote of $50 to 81. The bill is now
before the senate committee with a
good prospect for it's passage, but it
cannot become law in time to do all
that was intended for it by it's pro-
moter. BY the time the bill comes
from the President, the seeding will
be well under way in most of the
spring wheat states. But there is one
provision Of the bill that will work
benefit all through the farming sea-
son. That provision calls for an ap-
preparation of $2,500,0OO to be used
by the Secretary Of Agriculture in
paying railway fares for farm labor,
where necessary, in order to expediate
the movement of seasonal workers to
the jobs.
The main section of the bill, as fl
nally passed by the house, provides
that $7,500,00O shall be appropriated
by Congress, to be expended under the
direction of the Department of Agri-
culture in sums not. exceeding $3.50
for any farmer, as loans with which
farmers may buy seed for planting
this spring of wheat, oats, corn, bar
ley and rye. The President must is
sue a proclamation declaring that
these loans are a war necessity, be-
fore the money is expended.
The Department is to report to
Congress on it's disbursements Of this
fund, at the beginning Of the next
session of congress.
AS the debate progressed it be-
came evident more and more that the
Nonpartisan league was being recog-
nized as the accredited representative
of the cause of the farmer. Most Of
the arguments in opposition were di-
rected against the league rather than
against the bill. A listener might have
almost imagined that he was in Grand
Forks when he heard the old reaction
aries express fear less the farmer
should get no return for his SIG.
All of the changes with which the
Northwest is familiar were rung on
the "disloyalty" charges, and alto
gether it was an asupicious and char
acteristic introduction of the Nonpar-
tisan league into national affairs.
Old Joe Cannon, who regularly op-
poses every constructive measure for
the benefit of the common people, ridi-
culed this one, after Representative
Norton Of North Dakota had asked
that Cannon be given ten minutes
time in which to discuss it, although
Norton favored the bill.
''I1l tell you about this it. you want
to know" said Cannon. 'This is
competition among some Of our peo-
pie in two or three states who are
scared to death over this new organi-
zation that believes the farmers new
or cnf ANYTHING Thew have c0f cr00f