Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-05-22
ANOTHER FALLING OUT

ANOTHER FALLING OUT
Troubles seemingly do not come sngly in the higher
ranks Of the Nonpartisan league. 1t is only a few weeks
since several state officials heretofore ardent supporters
of the league and enjoying the favor of Mr.. Townley bade
that gentleman defiance and were in consequence sub
jected to a whitening fire of abuse because they did not
longer yield allegiance to him. Now comes Grant S. > You
mans, of whom much has been heard in the past because
Of his adventures in banking. and declares himself free
from the Townley shackles, and is in turn held up by Mr..
Townley as an migrate. a liar. and a horrible example of
what people ought not to be. S.
The version Of the controversy from the Townley
standpoint is set forth in the Fargo Courier News and re-
produced from the columns of that paper in The Herald.
The Herald does not vouch for any Of it. 1t knows moth
ing and cares nothing as to the past or present relations
between Mr.. Townley and Mr.. Youmans. 1t places the
version of the affair before its readers as presumably CIV
ing the best view of an unpleasant mess.
Mr.. Youmans was engaged in banking in Minot for
a number OF years. While Hon. L. B. Hanna was COVER
nor of North Dakota he and the bank examiners appoint
ed by him brought to a close some of Mr.. Youmans' fl
nancial operations and checked, his career in banking on
the ground that his methods were unsound and that his
assets were not sufficient to render his continuance in
that business safe to the general public. Mr.. Youmans
objected vigorously, took the matter into the courts, and
in successive trials and rehearings was unsuccessful. Dur
ing this period Mr.. Youmans entered into close and friend
~ eldIlOu Will MI. 1OWHley duQ n league ANA
ment in general. His legal interests were cared for by
men conspicuous for their connection with the Nonpartl-
san league. AT various times and in sundry cases he was
represented by Messrs. lie Sueur, Lemke and Manahan,
all of them prominent Nonparisan league advisers and
attorneys. In very large measure Mr.. Youmans' case was
made the case of the Nonpartisan league. He was declar-
ell by league leaders and in league newspapers to be little
short Of a prosecuted saint. The action taken against
him by the state banking department was declared to be
political persecution, and it was said that Mr. Youmans
was being annoyed and harrassed, and driven out of bus
mess because he had dared to show his sympathy with the
league movement, and a friendship for the beloved COM
mon people. the members of the league.
MIR. Townley now declares that he never considered
Youmans a safe banker. He declares that many months
ago Youmans attempted to blackmail him, yet with the
knowledge of the unsafety of the Youmans style of bank
ing, and with the knowledge which he claims to have
possessed that Youmans was a blackmailer, there has
been no word from Mr.. Townley in the nature of ex-
posure of this dangerous character, no evidence visible to
the public that the relations between the two were not
the most cordial and friendly, no intimations that You
mans was not the spotless innocent, the prosecuted mar
tyr, the description of whose injuries have so often wrung
tears from Mr.. Towney's loyal followers.
AS in a great number of other cases the public is at
liberty to pay it's money and take its choice. A consider
able portion of ihe public pays its money anyway. Either
Mr.. YoumanSis a sscopndrel, or MI. Townley is a liar. If
Youmans is a scoundrel. Townley has been aware of the
fact right along, and by the nature of the article in his
own paper he stands convicted of having maintained
friendly relations, personal and political, with a man whom,
at TIE time he knew to be a crook. The public is at lib
crty TO place on the article whatever Interpretation it
thinks proper.
While col. sidering the matter people nav somewha,
naturally be led to wonder now many m ore crooks the1 I.
may be among Mr.. Townleys close associates, men who
m hejnp nveSonted to h puh1; L, it,, -.. =. L.-
or and rectitude. There may be some desire expressed
that in order to simplify matters Mr.. Townley apply the
fine tooth comb to his following, and rake out all the
crooks at one operation, as these exposures following
each other in rapid succession are apt to become a little
monotonous.