The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-03-11
DAWSON MAN
TELLS STORY
OF SESSION
]. /. Ingle, Genuine 'On-the-Soil
Farmer, Reveals What
"A. c." Thinks of Dupes
NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS
Man Who Has Extracted Millions
From North Dakota Adds
Damn for Food Measure

Damn for Food Measure
At the outset l want to make it
plain that l am not fighting the Non.
partisan league am fighting the
man Townley, and feel justified in
so doing.
What l have to tell am telling in
The Fargo Forum because it IS best
that the people of our state shall
know the whole truth concerning the
man who has put himself at the head
OF our organization.
l became member of the Nonpar.
tisan league back in the late summer
or early fall of 1915. The organizer ap-
preached me while l was working in
the field, and gave him SO.
While didn't give the subject much
thought then, and not for some time
afterwards, did get to thinking about
political affairs quite bit, and fin.
ally decided in my own mind, that the
Nonpartisan league didn't offer any
thing in the way Of politics not already
offered by the old parties. didn't
say much about it, and went along
with the boys on the league PROPOSE.
ton satisfied in my own mind that
things wouldn't be any worse or any
better politically than they had been.
When the store organizer came to
me in October, last year, | gave some
little consideration to the question,
and thought at first that it was a good
thing. l gave to him note for $500,
for which he gave me receipt that is
reproduced with this.
Organizer Used His Influence
To Get Other Farmers Signed Up.
Well, the organizer got me to go
around with him to see the other farm
ers, and while we we're going around,
my suspicious became aroused be-
cause of the different stories that he
would tell to the different men. was
paid IS day for my time by the or
ganizer, and he took me with him to
call on my neighbors because of the
influence he thought 1 might have
with them. | understand that is the
usual plan adopted by the organizers
all 0v re the state who are working
on the store proposition.
The first thing that aroused by sus'
picion was the organizers statement
that the company would turn the mon
ey back to person who CHANGED to
leave the community before the ten
year period was up. That is, if man
paid 500 and stayed in the commun-
ity. only five years, only $50 of his
certificate would be used up, and he
would be entitled to the return of
$50. There is nothing like that in
the contract, and of course the organ
jrer's promise isn't binding on the com
pany.
Got Hundred, Then Demanded
Payment Of Back League Dues.
Another thing that made me
mad was the organizers action in
getting 500 from some farmers,
and then telling them that the
500 wasn't any good unless they
paid their membership dues to
date. That meant that they had to
dig up another SIS.
In my own case | had not paid
the membership dues, and
wasn't asked to do so. That, too,
made me suspicious, and made me
feel that I was simply being used
to further the store proposition.
didn't 60 into the league with the
idea of building up any wildcat prop
ositiOn such as this store scheme is.
couldn't see for the life of me
where the farmers were getting any
benefit out Of this store proposition,
and when saw the organizer trying
to get men into the league by get
ting their, $500, and then demanding
SIG more, was pretty hot under the
collar But didn't say anything.
Took $16,5oo Out Of Farmers
in the Vicinity Of Dawson.
Well, things went along after the
organizer left the Dawson commun-
ity without much stir The farmers
around Dawson put $4,000 into the
store proposition and their note carry
8 per cent interest. The store isn't
scheduled to be opened till October l.,
1918, so that the company would col
lect, in realty, $1OS from each farmer
cbfore the farmer gets even the pjrivi-
lege Of trading at the store for cash.
With 8 per cent added the Dawcon dis.
trict would net $17,S2O to the store
company, Of which 1920 is interest.
When we went up to Bismarck in
the early part Of December to the
Of the Farmers Union, quite
D few Of the boys were talking about
this. store proposition, and we decided
to try to get some more information.
LsSsvsr Pleads Ignorance; {;
Manahan Tells Funny Stories.
We had meeting there with Art
LeSeuer and Jim 'Manahan In the
Grand Pacific hotel.
;LeSeuer told Us TIVE were oil Farm
ers, Union men) that he drew up the
E9re0snentrstlt.-,yVvea d aasigne
les pleaded ignorance Of It, saying he
Id ior goleen what it really did pro-
4 M