The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-06-21
Analysis of Vote Shows
Sentiment in Hun Com
munities For ToWnley
ATTACKS MADE
ON KNUTE NELSON
League Leaders Threw
Support to Convicted
:, Seditionist in Sections

J strength and the weakness OIL n. -
Townley's Nonpartisan league, says
2 Charles B. Cheney in The Minneap-
: oils Journal It's heavy vote was cast
I in central and northwestern Mime
sofa, but even there its showing was
spotted. It's war program" made
fheadway last year in several German
counties and in others with mixed
German and Scandinavian popula-
ton, where pacifst sentiment was
strong. In those counties the heaVi-
est percentage Of Lindbergh vote is
to be found.
Brown and Carver, two Of the
strongest German counties in the
state, gave Lindbergh about a two
to one lead. Sod did Sibley. which is
both German and Swedish In Stearns
county, in spite of the hard fight
made on the league by Bishop j. F.
8 Busch among his people, Lindbergh
ran strong. Scott, another German
county, went for Bumquist, and evil
IDENTIFY is not a fertile field for Boil
shevism. In Mcleod county, a great
battle-ground. the loyalty workers held
the Townleyites pretty even, some
localities going almost solid one way
and others the reverse.
The other counties going strong for
iLindbergh are Douglas. Isanti, Chip
pewa, Clearwater. Kandiyohi, Kilt
son, Pennington, Red Lake and
IRoseau. There was a big Lindbergh
vote in the former populist strong
holds Of Polk and Otter Tail counties,
| but 1t was well set off by the villages
and the more conservative farmers.
| These are counties where the
lTownley propaganda has taken the
1firmest root. Other counties adjoin-
ing or in the same sections have re-
sisted 1t, due to more effective coun-
! ter propaganda, or to a relative abb
tSence of pacifism.
The Minnesota valley marks about
the southern limit Of successful work
by TOwnley organizers. They have
made some showing in Wabasha and
,Waseca counties, but as a rule the
southern counties have thrown off
the Townley blight just as they did
populism % years ago. The German
farmers in most of the southern
countries have resisted the appeal.
Compliment to Editors.
The Minnesota editors were big
factors in bringing about the defeat
of Townleytsm, according to The
Minneapolis Journal, which says:
One great factor in producing
this result was the country press Of
the state. Alive to the seriousness
Of the crisis, the country editors
without regard to craftsmanship, or
personal or business considerations,
threw themselves Fundamentally
into the work of placing before the
people Of their communities the
facts regarding A. C. TownIey, his
league and his candidates. And they
did not wait until the outcome Of
the fight was clear. They commit
ted themselves to the cause Of loyal
government at a time when every
indication was that it was a losing
fight. Probably in every case this
step cost patronage and revenue. 1t
was done without any hope or desire
of reward other than to assist in
keeping Minnesota in the straight
road of loyalty and out of the
morass of pro- German socialism.
The loyal people of Minnesota owe
a debt Of gratitude to their country
editors"
! Senator Knute Nelson was covert
fEy attacked by the Townley men in
a number of sections of the state
fTWhere they dared, they put in a
| word for James A. Peterson. Friends
of the senator said today that they
Ehave evidence of work done in
Douglas, the senator's own county,
Ealso in Kandiyohi, Otter Tail and
other counties, where the word was
/ quietly passed around to league
members to vote for James A. Pet
erson, and that Peterson is "a
martyr to free speech"
| The senior senator refused. to
| dignity his opponent by making any
campaign. His campaign expense
/ statement shows an expenditure of
! only $115, OF which 800 was his
filing fee, SO for postage and S. for
] kilograms.
! The County Option league Of Polk
Il county withdrew it's Endorsement Of
/ two candidates for the legislature in
that county who were on the Town
Hey ticket, after finding that they
would be pledged to vote according
| to dictation Of the Townley caucus,
says Chas. B. Cheney in The Min
Ineapblis Journal. 1t declared that
every candidate for the legislature
| should commit himself on support
of the war, on national and static
prohibition and on the following
point:
"The stand of a senator or repres-
tentative on vital questions must be
ia. matter OF conscience and convic-
ton, honesty and sense Of duty to-
wards his country and American
institutions, not a matter of political
egpsaiency or left to be determined
Sesy party caucuses, or through pledge
Elfade to party arrangements" 4
{ II wasn't country against city af-
ter all in the governorship contest.
che state outside of the big cities
piled up as large a Burnquist ma
Jority as the cities did, Several
southern Minnesota counties gave
the governor larger maJorities than
Ramsey county did. Hennepin,
Ramsey and ST. Louis counties all
together gave Burnquist about 26,-
900 majority. The other SO counties
have given him about $4,000 to the
GOOD on the present figures and
they will not show much reduction,
( ft Is believed
Knute Nelson's own county
Douglas, has been badly ToWnley-
tied and for the first time gave Its
pote against tlls grand old man from
Alexandria. James "a. Peterson, IN
spite OF his conviction for disIoyal
writings, carried the country with
$50 votes to 1,517 for Nelson, while
Hindbergh carried the county more
than two 10 one, getting 2,574 to ~
ag1 Tor 8urnduist.
Brown county is another strong
TCW7Iey territory. but its people
could not quite stand for q convict
ed man for United States senator.
"a spite ot New Ulln'a vote for Pet-
arseal. uaa county as a whole went
LOS TO $50. Li1ldbergh