The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-08-21
THE NONPART|zAN LEAGUE
MANAGEMENT DENOUNCED

"Should Lataf county farmers pay
$16 to join the Nonpartizan League p
This question is being asked by farmers
of this section. One of them came tc
The Star Mirror office to ask informa-
ton on the subject He said: Il am
being urged to join the Nonpartizan
league and have been told that if I
| join it and the farmers organize the
same as the bankers and the merchants
we will get better prices for our wheat.
I want to know the facts about the
league How will I get then?'
That is hard question to answer.
No one seems able to give the exact
facts. A. c. Townley, who organized
and controls the league and gets $500
per month and travelling expenses for
managing it and telling the farmers
about "Big Business" does not seem
able to tell what the league has done
for the benefit of the farmers. Mr.
Townley told what the organizers had
promised the farmers would be done,
but he has not told that this has been
accomplished any place
The following statement has been
ISSUED by prominent members of the
Nonpartizan league and the press has
been asked to give it publicity. The
men issuing the statement are men who
paid SIC for the privilege of voting for
candidates selected by Mr.. Town1ey and
are members of the league The state
ment follows.
Because of our pride in this work
and our realization of the vital neces-
sity in preserving the independence, in
tegrity and singleness of purpose of an
which may be destined to
play tremendously important part in
American history we feel in duty bound
to call to your attention, as president,
certain conditions which we believe must
be corrected if the National Nonparti-
zan league is to long survive. attain its
strength, or to beneficially
affect the mind and coscience of this
,ointry.. Moreover, as co-workers in
his institution, we desire to point out
what in our judgment are the remedies
or the conditions which we think are
INJURIOUS to the leagues present growth
md absolutely fatal to its permanent
uccess" ,. at.ssss- : -trss><
These are the opening sentences Of
protest to, President A.. C.. Town1ey
# the Nonpartizan league, dated June
5, 1917, and signed by the following
members of the national management
# the league: Joseph Gilbert. Arthur !.
Gilbert, w. W. Leggett, N. S. Randall,
Iurray King, ]. E. NJ Jauncey, w. G.
,oylance, George D. Brewer, Carl
seck, Charles R. Barnes, 0. ]. Nelson,
v. s. Shoemaker, w. H.. Quist. Alf
l. J. Duncan, Arthur Viii
ams and O. M. Thomason.
( The protest is alleged to. have been
repaired by Joseph Gilbert the former
of the organization depart
lent of the league, and is reprinted in
ul1, with comment by Rev. S. r. Max
,ell in the Butte Miner, in an article
Copyrighted by the Dispatch Printing
Mr.. Maxwell is Unitarian nipister,
as been a prominent speakerin the
Tonpartizan league. has mad hundreds
f speeches to thousands of farmers in
S behalf. and personally has conducted
number of the leagues conventions.
Re was on the stump throughout the
campaign in Minnesota and
so in North Dakota, where he cam
Aligned with Congressman Baer and
overnor Frazier. Mr. Maxwell says
e quit the league because of what h
lis its un-Kmerican program.
The protest continues
"First of all, we think it sef-evident
at no democratic movement can uti
ately succeed which rests upon an
ltocratic basis. The Nonpartizan
aguc management is autocratic. This
,ndition not only obtains in the admin
trative management, but in its poItsz
/ guidance as we'll It is all very well
tell the people that its candidates are
lected by pure democracy. We know
at they are not Both members snI
orkers are under a despotism that can
7 survive.
We, workers in the National Nom
rti7an league. recognize your ability.
Z admire your qualities OF leadership.
II have performed an inlpe isl1ahle
*, if the movement is guided yrie'lt,