Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-03-14
RINT0NFAu
TO CONVINCE
DIVIDE FARMERS
Editor Homes Called on by
Farmers to Explain the
Store Scheme.

Crosby, N. D., March IA. w.
B%rinton. manager Of the Consumers
United Stores company, held a meet
ing Of the certificate holders Of the
Crosby store here on March S. Geo.
p. Homnes. editor of the Divide
County Journal, who has taken q
rather prominent part in the fight
against the Townley stores scheme,
the meeting. Mr.. Homnes accepted.
and challenged MIR. Brinton to an
open debate on the store proposition.
This the stores manager point blank
refused to do. but endeavored to an
swer a number of questions prepared
by Mr.. Homnes-not in a direct way,
but by ridicule and vain
Fair minded farmers and business
men who attended the meeting felt
that an open discussion of the Con-
sumers' Stores scheme would do no
harm, and therefore called another
meeting for the following Saturday,
March 8, and invited Geo. p. Homnes
to present his side OF the question.
This meeting was attended by 400
or 500 farmers and business men.
who with close attention listened to
the speaker. Mr.. Homnes showed in
a logical and mastery name how
S"S 6oA6 ""o AICSSAlAS NV
people out of their money. The speak
err took Mr.. Brinton's address as his
theme and showed conclusively that
/ the stores manager is a master in the
art Of misrepresentation.
At the close of the meeting the fol-
lowing resolutions were passed:
Whereas, the spirit of American
institutions requires the public dis
cussion of questions relating to the
| W01fq rn nf tho uhO1o nonr1o. or6
Whereas. there Ire questions now
before the public of this community
of vital importance to the welfare Of
our state; and
Whereas, there are certain leaders
who are seeking the unquestioning
support of certain classes Of the peo-
pie: and
Whereas, certain editors have un-
dertaken, through the columns of
tons and "oint out who and what
those leaders are in order that the
public might decide intelligently and
with full knowledge Of the questions.
and might not follow such leadership
blindly; and
Whereas. those leaders have
shown a disposition hostile to such
fair discussion. and have sought to
distract the attention Of their follow
ers from the real matters at issue,by
personal abuse directed at those edit
ors: and =
Whereas. such leaders have sought
to silence such editors, and by appeal
to class prejudice; and
Whereas, such tactics are foreign
to the spirit Of American institutions
and lend to ubvert free governments:
"Now, therefore. he it hereby re-
solved, by us as free American citi-
zens Of all classes, in one public
meeting assembled. in the City of
Crosby. on this 9th day Of March,
1913:
"Fi~t: That we. the public. are
entitled to a fair and open discussion
of questions Of public Importance;
Second: That the editors who
seek fairly to discuss such questions
are public benefactors. and deserve
commentator rather than condem-
nation. .
Third: That we believe that the
discussions of such questions which
have recently appeared in the col
umns Of the Divide County Journal
have been. dignified and fair. and not
such as to deserve abuse;
Fourth: That leaders whose
schemes will not bear such public
discussion, and who seek to silence 1t
by such tactics hereinbefore set forth.
are unsafe leaders: and such leaders
have no right to ask the unquestion-
ing sunnort of any class of free Amer
lean citizens"