The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1918-02-21
WILSON REALIZES
LEAGUE ELOYAL
The Administration Refuses to Lend
Itself to Attack on Nonpartisans
Designed to be Made by the Graf
ty Emisaries of Big Business.
TOWNLEY MUST BE PRESENT.
Minneapolis Banker "Spills the Beans"
and Tells Why the Anti-League
Meeting Failed to Materialize As
Planned by Its Promoters.

That the Federal Government ap-
preciates the loyal support of the
Nonpartisan league and has not the
slightest doubt about the patriotism
Of it's leaders, has just been inadver-
tently admitted by bitter opponent
of the league who let the cat out Of
the bag when he told how the admin
istration refused to lend itself to an
attack on the farmers organization
planned and directed by certain Big
Business agents and politicians in
Minnesota.
Details of the whole controversy
were revealed by Joseph Chapman,
vice president of the Northwestern
National bank Of Minneapolis, in a
speech made at Houghton, Mich, be-
fore the Upper Peninsula Bankers
association. A report of his speech
appeared in the Houghton Gazette Of
Jan. 27. n@
Meeting Aimed at League.
According to Mr.. Chapman prom
inent member of the American First
association, the great royalty rally
held at the Twin Cities on Nov. 16
was organized "to offset the injurious
effect of the activities of the Nonpar-
tisan league" This verifies a state
ment made at the time by the Duluth
News Tribune that the "loyalty meet
ing was planned at a conference of
businessmen, bakers and newspaper
publishers to combat the influence of
the Nonpartisan league"
In arranging plans for this meeting,
according to Mr.. Chapman, "Wash-
ington was asked to permit one men,
Der of the national government, a
member of the cabinet of the Presi-
dent, to attend and lend his presence
to the good cause"
4."And the reply we got from Wash
ington," continued Mr.. Chapman,
twas that this could be done only if
Townley, the organizer and director
of the Nonpartisan league, could have
a place on the platform and be allowed
to speak"
Promoters Wouldn't Accept.
Promoters Of the meeting, of
course, refused to agree on this ar
rangement. The governments desire
to unite all the. forces Of the North
west meant nothing to these men.
Politics, not patriotism, was their
chief consideration and they would
rather 60 without the cabinet officer
than to give Mr.. Townley the place
on the program requested by the Fed
eral government.
Mr.. Chapman's admission will be
a stumbling block to those who are
making false charges Of disloyalty
against the Nonpartisan league. Al
though there has been no doubt in the
minds Of fair persons as to the COM
plete loyalty Of the league and it's
leaders even since President Wilson
consulted with Mr.. Townley about the
needs Of the farmers, this statement
Of Mr.. Chapman furnishes additional
evidence and has all the more weight
in that it comes from an enemy Of the
league.
Mr.. Chapman's statement also goes
to show that those who accuse the
league Of disloyalty know that their
charges are false and simply make
them for political effect although
they must realize that this stirs Up
strife and has N embarrasing e6ect
q public opinisn . hcns . wsll =
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