The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-06-14
Committee From Wichita,
Kan, Makes Its Report
STUDIED UP SITUATION
Leaders of Nonparty Have All
Been Pronounced Socialists;
Their Affiliations


that later renounced their member
ship, declaring that they did not UNI
derstand the character of the league
or they would not have joined. There
are others who will do likewise as
soon as they enhghten themselves
on the proposition. The following is
a synopsis of report on the league
made by committee appointed by
the Rotary club of Wichita, Kan,
which committee was appointed by
the club to make a thorough inves-
tigation of the league. This report,
which is signed by w. H. Purdy,
Fred C.. Young, and G. V. Smith, is
in part as follows:
"Your committee finds that the
Nonpartisan league purports to be a
farmers organization and that it
gained control of North Dakota in
the last election on the issue of a
state owned terminal elevator which
was authorized by two consecutive
referendum votes of the people; that
after the league obtained control a
bill complying in every respect with
the demand as expressed by the peo-
pie was bitterly opposed by Presi-
dent A. c. Townley of the league and
vetoed by Governor Frazier. In short,
the league leaders defeated the ex-
press will and paramount issue of
the farmers, the issue upon which
the league itself was founded.
I'VE believe that the league mem
bers are not knowingly disloyal or
culpable, but that the leadership Is
dangerous in this respect, and mas
much as the leaders, through pc
culiar system of government, are in
absolute control of the league, the
movement should be opposed on pa
triotic grounds.
"a. C. Townley, president, went
bankrupt in IA large scale farming
operation, was employed as social
list agitator, and has questionable
career. He opposed the first Liberty
loan and has a long record as a
stimulator of class hatred and EXETER
of industrial disturbance.
"a E. Bowen, who collaborated
with Townley in organizing the
league, was candidate for governor
of North Dakota on the socialist
ticket, and is also an agitator of the
soap box variety.
arthur LeSueur, executive secre-
tary of the>feague, is an attorney for
the l. w. w. He was one of the
organizers of the peoples council
and had the oversight of legislation
enacted by the league members. He
is socialist of the rabid type, and
protected the interest of the |. w. w.
I'D. c.. Coates, who until recently
was the organizing and planning
brains of the league, is an exper-
fenced socialist politician. He was
once lieutenant governor of Colorado
and later was elected commissioner OF
Spokane as socialist. He was close
ly associated with William Haywood,
head of the l. w. w.
60 M. Thompson ran for congress
on the socialist ticket in 1914 and
was editor of the Iconoclast, a rabid
socialist paper. He is one of the
chief organizers.
"None of the above men are farm
ers. Townley once engaged in two
large scale tractor farming expert
ments, both of which ANONYMOUSLY
tailed All are of dangerous type.
1--WE have documentary proof that
an agreement was entered into by
the Nonpartisan league and the /. w.
w. and that LeSueur was instrument
tai in negotiating this agreement,
which he said would put North
Dakota into the hands of the Non
partisan league and 1. w. w.
"When the pro- German peoples
council was driven from several
states Governor Frazier of North
Dakota invited the organization to
hold its meeting in his state.
Senator LaFollette made the
speech for which he is being investi-
gated at great meeting of the Non
partisan league at st. Paul and ne
was loudly applauded when he uttered
his seditious statements. This meet
ing was hailed by wholly friendly
socialist papers as the forerunner of
a great revolution said it faithfully
reflected LaFollette's views and
spoke of the Nonpartisan league as a
great menace from the northwest.
s'Kate Richard O'Hara, who said
that the mothers who sent their boys
to Europe to fight were no better
than brood lsows' and who has recent
ly been convicted for seditous ac-
tivity, was shielded and sponsored by
Nonpartisan league leaders. Gov.
Frazier and Attorney General LANCER
of North Dakota endeavored to have
her prosecution stopped.
Sex organizers of the league have
made affidavit that all organizers for
the league must be socialists and
that many of them are I. w. WIS.
'It is a well known fact that farm !.
ers who are pro German in their
leanings, whether consciously or un-
consciously, are among who are most
susceptible to the arguments of the
organizers, and a decidedly large, ele-
ment of the organization is openly
and emphatically pro German.
"The league has no constitution or
bylaws and the men who handle
the funds, which run up into the
millions, were not put under bonds
in being put in control. The president
by a peculiar arrangement. seems to
+. be in office for life as there is no
method for electing successor il
such should be desired.
President Townley of the league
has linked with his propaganda a
chain store scheme which would take