The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1918-09-16


there lis no possibility of believing
| that this assertion is true.
| Sentiment Reversed in Two Years.
| Two years ago these same men
| went before the people of this state
| with these same candidates. They
professed to be representing a farm
ers' organization: that the farmers
were in the majority in the state of
North Dakota and consequently had
the right TO control. And the people
took them at their work and elect
ed their candidates to office by the
largest majorities ever given. to the
candidates Of any party in the his
tory of the state. Now this is con-
elusive proof that this prejudice
against their leadership did not ex-
ist two years ago; and If it did not
exist two years ago, then what has
public in regard to these men and
these issues? First, their attempt to
foist upon the people a program of
almost complete statewide Social
ism, without the slightest warning
of their intention; and, secondly. the
attitude Of Mr.. Townley and some
of his close advisers at the time Of
the entrance OF this country into
| the European war.
In Reverse on Loyalty.
"That the great majority Of the
farmers of North Dakota, irrespee-
tive of occupation or nationality, are
loyal to the federal government,
there is not the slightest question.
But they are loyal not because of
Mr.. TownIey but in spite Of him.
when Townley discovered that
the farmers were loyal and would
not follow him in his opposition and
hostility to the federal government,
he pulled the reverse lever on the
loyalty issue.
'T realize fully that no man Is
justified in accusing another of dis
loyalty unless he has good grounds
for the accusation. Not only this,
but | believe he should have know
ledge Of undisputed facts which. In.
the language Of the courts, would
convince him beyond a reasonable
doubt Of the disloyalty Of the person
in question. On the 18th day Of
June, 1917, Mr.. Townley stood upon
the public platform at Wiliiston and
used the following language: we
are told that these boys are being
sent to Europe to fight for democ-
racy, but 7 believe and fear that
they are being sent there to fight for
rich, who make money out of our
food and our products Are these
the words OF a patriot whose heart
is burning with feryor to assist his
country in her struggle against the
theory that government by brute
force is the kind that shall prevail
throughout the world and under
which all men must live? And a few
days later, speaking at Minot,
Governor Frazier used this Ian
guage: I have been criticized for not
urging the farmers to buy Liberty
bonds. I cannot urge them to buy
Liberty bonds because I don't know
whether they have the money to pay.
for them or not And he made the
further statement that a man could
not be hungry and patriotic at the
same time.
"Let us suppose that every COVER
nor Of every state in the union had
followed Frazier's lead and taken
the position that he took on the sale
of Liberty bonds, and his lead had
been left unchaIIenged what do you
suppose would have happened to our
war program2 Or suppose that
TownIey's lead had been followed by
C. s. Barret, president of the Farm
iers' Educational and Cooperative
Union OF America, tHe MaSLSf OF the
National Grange, and Samuel
Gompers, president of the American
Federation Of Labor, not only speak
ing as Townley did but even keeping
on their payroll as organizers and
lecturers, men whose loyalty has been
questioned by thousands of people
and many of whom have been con-
victed for sedition in various forms,
what do you suppose would have
happened to our war program?
Might not the people of a nation
that claimed to be and is the great
est democracy Of all time have fail
ed to help their country when ell
gagged in a war 10 preserve the very
principles Of government under
which they themselves lived and
prospered? If only those who had
idle money had responded to the calls
to buy Liberty Bonds, aid the Red
Cross, Y. NJ. G. A. and other war
activities most of us would have
been ashamed of North DaEtota's
loyalty record today. Most of our
people were and are paying inter
est on heavy membranes"