The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-01-18
SPEAKER FOR LEAGUE
CR|LLED THE TRUSTS
II. D. Martin Delivered An
Address to Small Crowd
PURPOSE OF SOCIETY
Referred to "Kept Press" As
Characteristic of Those In
Organization

n. ~. MdTllu, WuO SpOhc III Lie So1io
of Herman hall yesterday afternoon
to a small audience, did not allow a
remark of disloyalty to pass his lips,
and if the speech were truly charac-
teristic of the Non-Partisan league.
which he represented, there would be
little cause for complaint. All through
the speech the speaker adhered close
ly to line marked by the authorities.
and the city officials who had come to
hear him had no cause to criticize
the meeting.
Mr. Martin said that the twin city
papers had advertised there would be
no meeting in Mankato, and he ex-
pected this would be instrumental in
keeping many of the farmers away.
However, he wanted to thank the
Safety commission, and he repeated
this at the close of the meeting, for
the way they had finally consented
ITO allow the meeting.
The thought that was conveyed by
the address was this: "We have
more than one war on our hands; we
are not only fighting the German
kaiser; we are fighting the trusts,
who are as bad as the kaiser"
Mr.. Martin began by telling of the
flight the league has put on in North
/ Dakota, and of how official after Off
cial had been elected there to posi-
tons of trust He told of the laws
which had been passed and particu-
larly of how the trusts, such as Ar
mour, Amalgamated Iron, and others
were now paying taxes in the state
taxes which during the past year had
, amounted to over 100000.
No Need of Coal Famine.
He stated that there was no need
of coal famine in this country; that
the trusts were refusing to mine the
coal as rapidly as possible, for the
simple reason that they wished to
keep up tho price. To fight these
conditions, he said, was the duty OF
every man.
He wanted to make the business
men see that they were making then
living Off the farmer, and frankly
stated that he could not see why
these very men were opposing q
league that was merely seeking to
better the conditions of the oppressed
class-the farmers He told of hoT
in the war OF 1776 the men who
started the revolution were called
traitors, and admitted he was no,
surprised the leaders of this league
were called SO now. He predicted
however, that the farmers would wiz
out.
He told of the conditions by which
wheat had been graded by the mills
in the state of North Dakota as No
8 and 4, and then sold as No. and
giving the millers and the chambers Of
commerce millions of dollars of un-
earned profits. He claimed that the
meat trust would force the market
down one-half to one cent, and cause
the farmers to lose money at almost
any time No wonder, he said, thai
these people were fighting Non-Par
tisan league, and buying up the press
as fast as possible.
Supported Single Tax.
The speaker was strong in his sup
port of the single tax, and urged thai
the farmers be asked to make i'm
provements, and not discouraged as
is now the case with the tax on prop
erty. He stated that two per cen
of the people owned sixty-five pei
cent of all wealth, or two per CEN
owned property they had never
I. created. He thought the single ta1
would to large extent eliminate
, this injustice.
Mr.. Martins plea was to make the
| life of the farmer more certain. Mr.
Vt H., Il g. TO-
twenty five thousand acres of lant
| when a poor crop took all he had
This condition. he claimed, could be
done away with, and every farmer
could be given an equal chance, il
the price were left to the govern,
| ment and not to gamblers ant
spectators who rule the market to-
| day. He thanked God for the MAJ
| at the head of this nation, and fol
the interest he felt for the laborins
man of the country. He thanked
| him for the control he had exercised
over the railroads and coal barons
and hoped he would go even farther
Criticized the Papers.
A good deal of Mr. Martins tall
was given over to the way the league
had been treated by the kept pa
pers" of the country. He mentioned
that he and Townley had been &C.
cused of making a fortune through
the earnings of the league, and stat
ed that he would be willing to sci
out for very small compensation
He admitted he had 800 acres of val
liable land in Montana, but he said
the bank had two-thirds Of it il
mortgage, and the Missouri rive
claimed one large corner of it. HI
told of how he was accused in NORTH
Dakota of stealing 100000, and men.
toned how people were often mad,
to believe it. In this instance tn.