The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-10-30
NORTH DAKOTA FARMER
SOUNDS TIMELY WARNING

I Joe Hazeltine, farmer living near
4 Viola, wrote to an old friend in North
Dakota, asking about the nonpartizan
league and what it had done for the
1 farmers in that state. He wrote at
\ the request of neighbors who had
been asked to join the league at SIG
each. Mr.. Hazeltine wrote to w. A.
earns, of Manning, North Dakota
who answered as follows:
Manning, N. D., Oct. 23, 1918
Mr.. ]. H. Hazeltine,
| Moscow, Idaho.
Dear Friend Joe and Family: Your
letter of October 10Th reached me to-
day, and we were glad to learn that
everybody was well. We are we'll, but
| the whole country is afflicted with
the Flu, and l hope we will be able
to avoid it.
You ask me my opinion of the Non
Partizan League, and l will gladly
Icomply with your request.
Townley, the president of the
league, used to live less than one
hundred miles from me, and | knew
of him before he started the league,
and | know nothing good about him,
he owes over three hundred thousand
dollars, has refused to pay his debts
and says that "as he started out
without nothing he does not consider
that he owes anything" and he was
known at Beach, N. D., as a plunger,
and that is what he is now, but the
difference now is, he is not plunging
himself into debt, but is doing his
damndest to plunge the whole state
of North Dakota into debt so deep,
that it will take a century to get out,
if he gets his policies through. The
'over four million dollars into this
thing in this state alone, and they
have not gained one cent in any man
ner or form. The men of this state
who have done the most for the farm
ers in the past have been thrown
down, for no other reason than, that
they had a mind of their own and
would not be dictated to by a cheap
bunch of Socialistic Agitators, who
do not own any property in this state
and most of whom do not even live
here. The officers of the league were
not elected by the farmers, not sim
gle one. and are all self appointed.
They handle the money as they see
fit, and have never made any account
ing to Une farmers, showing how they
have used their money. The whole
bunch are Socialists of the worst
character, and Ere endeavoring to
capture the Republican and Demo
cratic parties in the different states
in which they are working, so as to
be able to put through their schemes
to obtain control of the money Of
each state, and if they get control of
the finances of state; | say God
help the state, as we have ample rec
ord evidence of the way Townley han |
died his own affairs.
The present administration has cost |
this state more than 5000, 100000 more |
than 4he last Republican Administra-
ton, and we have nothing to show
for the extra expense. AS an example |
of how they help the farmer, I will |
tell little about the stores which
they rave been organizing in this
state. They sell the farmer a piece
Of paper for $4,000 which gives him |
the privilege of trading at the store
for tan years, and nothing more, IN
other words the farmer furnished the |
money for the privilege of trading at
The store for ten years. Townley and |
nis bunch keeps the money at the end
)f ten years, and uses the money dur /
ng the ten years as they see fit Nice
scheme don't you think, for Townley,
would like to start few stores on
he same plan myself, and guess l
am damned fool, that did not get
nto the band wagon and reap some
If the golden harvest myself. have
,alked with some of the farmers who
lave put their money into the stores,
md they told me they could buy just
is cheap at the other stores, so if
hey tell you you can buy cheaper at
heir stores, take the assertion with
grain of salt.
If they wanted to play square with
he farmers who put their money in
he stores, why don't they give them
! share of stock in the store, and let
hem own it, and elect their own
'fficers, and reap a part of the