The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-10-18
ROOSEVELT RAPS
THE \. P. LEAGUE
At BILLINGS
Denounces Leaders as "Anti-
American and Bolshevistic"
Before Large Crowd.
Declares There Is Not a Pro-
German in the Nation That
Does Not Wish Success for
the TOwnley Movement.

Billings, Mont, Oct 5.-Speaking be-
core an audience of 10000 people in
the huge Billings auditorium this aft
ernoon, Col. Theodore Roosevelt, after
defining Amencanism and it's duties,
denounced the leadership Of the Nom
partisan league as anti-American and
Bosheyistic and menace to the
Democratic institutions of the United
States. He drew attention to the
crimes for which the l. w. W. leaders
were recently convicted and then read
from letter of the secretary of the
Non-partfsan league to William d.
Haywood, In which the phrase this
damned war" was used and fight on
CONSUMPTION and anti-spy bills was ad-
vocated. The colonels words were
unanimously applauded time after
time.
After speaking about the farmers
/ just complaints and declaring that they
must be remedied by either state or
federal action, the Colonel declared
that "to introduce state socialism as
relief for these conditions would re-
suit In nothing but widespread dam
age" He continued:
He Was Deceived.
* have 50 keen a feeling about the
injustice to which the farmers were ex-
posed here in the northwest that when
the Non-partisan league first appeared
| was inclined to welcome 1t and to
believe in it and l wished to cooper
ate with 1t. 1t was with real reluct-
ance that l was obliged to believe that
the leadership that controlled it was
of such character as to threaten this
country with evils analogous to those
which came from Bolshevikism abroad
and from l. w. W.-ism at home.
1.-THE. I. w. w. leaders have
been convicted of disloyalty to
America by Chicago jury. They
have preached and practiced sedi-
ton. A federal grand jury in
Kansas has just indicted the or
ganization itself for plot to
overthrow the United States gov
eminent, establish Il reign of ter
ror and seize all property Here
in Montana it has become men
ace to the mining, lumber and
farming interests. using lawless
violence and mob conspiracy as its
weapons and the federal authori-
ties have been gravely remiss in
failing TO handle the situation
,, fearlessly and vigorously; yet it
was to the leader of this organiza-
ton, w. D. Haywood, that the
, secretary and ono of the moving
spirits of the Non-partisan league,
wrote on April 5, 1917, Just as we
were going to war, and in his let
ter, a copy of which ! hold in my
hand he spoke of this damned
war business and that Il think the
fight should now be centered
against spy bills and conscrip-
tion.' In other words. these two
responsible officials of the Z. w.
w. and Non-partisan league were
proposing to fight measures to deal
with traitors and make our par
= ticipation in the war effective.
Pro-Germans For Them.
mo patriotic American can afford
to support either organization and
any politician who is joined up with
either is dscredited. There is not a
German abroad or 4 pro-German at
home, who does not wish success to
the Non-partsan league as at present
controlled, and to the |. w. Wand
they wish them success because they
recognize them as ant-American and
as containing within them the threat
of reducing this country to somewhat
the same condition to which the Boil
shevikism has reduced Russia. II
these men had had their way year
ago or II they had their way now, they
would make our beloved country an
OBJECT or scorn to all free nations and
byword by derision for the foreign
despotisms. for these men, whether
actuated merely by an evil fanatlcism
\ or by more sordid motives are. natural
ly and inevitably, the enemies of
, America. just as Lenine and Trotzky
were of Russia. Whether consciously
] OF unconsciously, they play the game
of the autocratic governments that are
! hostile 10 the United States and they
! should be repudiated by every far-see-
! ing and patriotic American.