The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1918-09-27
TOWnley's Talk.
An Appeal to Farmers to Vote as a
Class.

afternoon did not hear any OPEN
" disloyal talk from the big boss
of the non partisan league. The
time is past for that. The La
folletts, and Haywoods and
Debbs, and q goodly number of
their little imitators have been
learning some valuable lessons
for several months past, and the
sedition sewers have not been
talking az loudly as they did last
year. Even Mr.. Townley has
learned some things, and from
denouncing the war as q rich
mans war, and for which we
were called upon to send our
sons across the ocean to be killed
in the interest Of "big business"
he is now very patriotic, and is
willing that the war should 60
on, but is very fearful that we
are going to lose democracy in
this country while fighting for it
in Europe. Mr.. Townley spoke
not q word that could be con-
strued as seditious or disloyal,
but all through his speech, when
he was not telling funny stories,
was the cunning appeal of the
demagogue to class feeling and
class distinction. The appeal
was to the farmer. He was not
getting fair deal. The farmer
was the only one who didn t have
the naming of the price he should
receive for his labor and his pro-
ducts. big business, and lit
tie business for that NATTER
were in a conspiracy to exploit
the farmer. The play to make
the farmer dissatisfied with his
lot was as skillful as it was sub
tie, and Mr.. Townley read over
some statistics to show what the
league had done for North Da-
kota in the way Of improved tax
alton, and even claimed that the
fixing Of the wheat price at 1920
instead Of S1.s0 was an award
from Townleyism, and wound up
his discourse by assuring his
audience that we would have a
democratic form Of government
in this state t Mr.. Bates. who
was On the platform by his side,
should be elected governor, with
''free speech, and free public
assembly, just like they have il
North Dakota, and no yellow
paint would be used. Mr.. Town.
ley appeared to be very sensitive
on this line, but he did not say
anything seditious.
The gentleman attempted to
be particularly caustic when he
held up to the just scorn of an
indignant public the hirelings of
the "kept press, and referred
to "a local paper as one of that
class. Now we want to assure
him with all kindness. that if he
hadn't been better kept with his
sixteen dollar bunco, than the
country press of these north
western states has been, he
wouldn't now be travelling
around the country on his pres
ent enterprise. Mr.. Town.
ley learned in his Minneso-
ia campaign that the country
press, to it's honor be it said,
could neither be bribed nor bull.
dozed into supporting his agita. |
ton, and scarcely q corporal's
guard of the press Of the state
joined him in his campaign.
Mr.. Townley said nothing Sc.
ditious or disloyal in his talk. |
No man will be permitted to dol
that now and escape immediate
There are too many
American boys s'over there"
who are bleeding and dying for |
the truth to permit that. But
nevertheless we believe the talk
Of MIR. Townley unpatriotic be.
cause Of its appeal to class at q
time when the people Of the coun
try should be united with one
great object in view-the win
ming Of the war. The two great
political parties have largely
cast aside politics, and are striv-
ing to see which of them can be
the more patriotic, but this new
political party, which Townley
assures US is going to carry
South Dakota this fall, seeks to
foster the Bolshevike spirit of
class separation and political
rancor. He is setting neigh
bor against neighbor and friend
against friend, the farmer against
the villager and the plowman
against the blacksmith and the
editor. This is the seed that Mr.
- onwinn Tho h0ruock