davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun., 1919-10-12

and disappointment manifested by the
real American elements of the league.
But Townley and the league had es-
tablished control so strongly that it
might have been a hard job to break
their grip had not this bank failure
come along to prove in the dollars
and cents way that farmers are
impressed by the foolishness of the
whole Socialistic programme that had
been grated upon the State Govern
ment.
Townley elected the Governor, Lynn
j. Frazier. Townley controlled the
Legislature. Townley bought up nu-
merous country newspapers with much
local influence by ladling out the
funds so easily obtained from the
trusting farmers. His power reached
into every department Of the State
Government. Until very recently
men did not dare oppose him openly.
To do so meant the prospect of ruin.
The power this man could command
at need was enormous. BY the time
the Scandinavian-Am Bank
broke down under the load of waste
paper piled upon 1t by the Townley
enterprises the Non-Partisan League
was holding tosethE as much from
The sun., 1919-10-12

sonal assets as $50 worth of wearing
apparel, a watch valued at $20 gun
held at $40 and cash in bank al
s393.50, a newspaper of North Dakota
which had not been gobbled up by the
league, printed this diverting COM
ment:
Had Townley made good in his flax
adventure he would have become a
wealthy scion OF his much hated Big
Biz. He probably would not have
joined the Socialist party (the editor
, was misinformed here, for Townley
had registered Socialist three years
previously, and it is certain he would
| rot have undertaken the organization
of the Nom Partisan League. Hughes
| would have carried North Dakota in
| the last election. The State would
have elected a Republican Governor.
Baer would not have gone to Congress.
| There would have been no producers
and consumers convention in st. Paul
and perhaps La Toilette would not
have been brought on the carpet on
the disoyalty charge. And who can
say but that it would all have been for
the better"
Enough surely has been written
herein about this energetic, enterpris-
ing Mr.. Townley TO give the reader
fairly good conception of his methods
OF approaching prosperity Through
out the story is the effort to get rich
| by short cut; to beat the game"
the old game of approved practices
| hard and fast rules of business.
easy Enough to Value Him.
One would have supposed that the
people of North Dakota themselves
would have secured correct estimate
of Townley by that time, an estimate
which, to take nothing else into con-
| sideration, might have informed them
that here was an adventurer a little
| too brilliant for practical use. One
might have thought that the record of
| Townley's financial crashes, failure
| after failure, the long list Of judg-
| ments, the instances of ineptitude,
would have warned them against put
! ting so much of their financial and
political strength into Townley's
hands. 1t did not
Nothing is more amazing than the
story of how Townley. fresh from his
most colossal failure, waved his wand
and reduced the people of State to
hypnotic belief in his genius, in his
promises to make everybody rich and
happy who handed over their money
to the National Non-Partisan League
This is exactly what occurred. 1t Is
difficult to explain Townley's rise on
any known and reasonable hypothesis
when one remembers that he made
such a personal failure Just before the
people of North Dakota laid their State
Ii his lap.
There We're, however, certain con-
siderations which help to explain the
ease with which he persuaded the
farmers Of North Dakota that he was
the advance agent OF the millennium.
In the fall OF 1915 and more strongly
in the spring of 1916 the wheat growers
OF State which alone produces
SO,0O0,OOO bushels were in a state OF
mind which blinded them to almost
everything except their determination
tn get square deal from the elevator,
-four mill and comrn!-s!o- rac-cc...:.....:.. in
The sun., 1919-10-12

approved way, the rows being six
inches apart.
When the wheat began to grow so
did the weeds, and the weeds had so
much room in Townley's twelve inch
rows that they choked the wheat to
death all over the twelve sections, and
the crop was not worth harvesting.
On the one section that had been
seeded in the approved manner the
hackers of the project harvested
twelve bushels to the acre, yield suf-
flcient to have assured a fine profit
upon the entire acreage if Townley
hadn't tried to beat the game. The
hackers are said to have dropped
$4,000 in this venture.
His next big dream came to public
attention when he tried to become the
flax king of America. He started TO
grow flax near Beach, y. d., on
scale almost as pretentious as he had
tried 10 grow wheat at Cheyenne
Wells. The result in a very short
time was that he accumulated list
of mortgages and judgments repre-
sentinP a loss of more than 100000
| $4O6, O9354 as set forth by the Grand
When the dreamer went into bank
ruptcy at Bismarck, n. D., in October,
1916, he confessed that his assets and
those Of his brother totalled $431 so,
with liabilities of $4,000 approx
mately.
1t was charged at the time that
Townley had gained the confidence Of
many business men, NRd involved
them in eXtravagant enterpriSsE which
failed to produce the profits so glow
ingly predicted and had then stepped
from under. leaving his friends to
shoulder great losses. In this very
bankruptcy hearing Townley's attor-
neys William LemlSe. who is one Of
the heads Of the Non Partisan League,
and former Congressman James Mana
han OF Minnesota, made such strenu-
GUS objections to efforts TO open up
the books of the Nom Partisan League
(by then thriving concern) and to
reveal where the leagues money came
from and Row 1t was spent that the
attorney for the Townley creditors
cried out in court, II expected you
to cry politics whenever l touched
upon "a vital point"
On this occasion Townley declined
to give the name of the bank or banks
where the league moneys We're depos.
tied. Following this bankruptcy hear.
ing, which was only two yesrs ag,
and In which Townley listed his per.
The sun., 1919-10-12

radical Socialist of the most pro-
nounced type.
Men out in North Dakota who know
him we'll told me that he is a dreamer,
a visionary, one burning with ambi-
ton to do things on a huge scale; Of
the type not satisfied to finish the
thing he sets out to DO, but that is all
ways casting about for some other
mammoth project to accomplish be-
fore the first purpose is achieved.
There is something about the per-
sonality of the man, about the eXpan-
siveness of his schemes that remind
one of the biography of John Law,
who drew all France in his golden
train before his bubble burst. Both
builded grandly upon foundations Of
shifting sand. Both sought to discard
| the immutable law that the day of
reckoning always arrives. Both were
| able to exercise a species of hypnotism
upon the hopeful especially upon such
as had been poorly treated by fortune
and dreamed Of arriving at prosperity
by a cut across lots.
This chaos of Townley, the yearn-
{ lHE u uIlNt Oll IL uOLtH
horses at once, was conceivably re-
! sponsible for failures he achieved in
his early manhood and before he
bought his first Ford car to advertise
his dream of the Non Partisan League.
At Cheyenne Wells, Col, in 1911 he
came a beautiful cropper in gigantic
farming enterprise which had every
sensible reason to expect success and
which went to smash through eXtraor-
binary in<ptitude. He interested men
of means in Minneapolis, St. Paul ana
Duluth In a project to break and plant
thirteen sections of virgin land neal
Cheyenne Wells, The capitalists fur
nished all the cash, machinery, seed
and equipment of every sort that the
big job called for, and Townley re.
ceived full authority to carry out the
project according to his own ideas.
With every facility at his command
for winning a fortune by employing
the known and proved methods OF
wheat growing, he evolved a scheme
to beat the experience of every farmer
in the Northwest. In planting the
seed he closed every other hole In the
drills and planted the grain in rows
twelve inches apart instead of in tn,
usual manner of rows six inches apart
He put this scheme into effect upo-
twelve sections OF the land. Upon Tho
thirteenth section he planted in tn,
The sun., 1919-10-12
ZWzWWWW=W7ZMW1WzMWzXM XMzMMZMzMWWNZM2ZMNSa
77''a11 '0@7" DAKOTA FLAX F'710 e14H5S
ID4aI

out of pocket they will scarcely be so
likely to see Townley as the Messiah
of their dreams. The bank failure of
Fargo may yet prove to be one of the
finest things that ever happened for
the true interests of the people of the
Northwest.
Signs of Grip Slipping.
Long before this bank went into
ruins there were signs that Townley
and the Non-Partisan League were
losing their grip slowly. The farmers,
the backbone of the league, were not
realizing upon the rosy promises that
Townley and his clique of Socialists
had distributed so lavishly. They had
paid into the treasury of the league
more than $2,600,O00 solely for the
right to call themselves members
When they asked, as sometimes they
did. for information as to where this
cash was going they were told to mind
their own business, and strangely
enough they seemed to be content for
years with this monarchical rebuff
When they wanted to know just how
they were benefiting from the big
chain Of stores established by Townley
all over the State. to the establishment
OF which every member paid 800 and
which took in" at least 100000 in
cash, they were soothed by more
promises, more hopes.
But this was getting a bit thread
bare and all over the State demands
were arising for a better accounting.
Then when this country went into the
war and Mr.. Townley began to make
such speeches as this about Liberty
loans:
This is wrong, all wrong. I say to
you, that measure is anything but pa
triotic. because 1t takes the heart out
Of those boys going across the water
to fight battles, knowing that when
they get back they must pay for it,
When they get back! Some cost for
the boys that go across to fightl" the
truly patriotic farmers of North Da-
koa felt a chill Of apprehension.
And when the Partisan League
began to decker frankly with the lead
err OF the I. w. w. thsrs was disgust
The sun., 1919-10-12
ORTIZ DAKOTA FLAX FIELD

cut to wealth and happiness for in
divtdual or for state. It is in ruins
because there has never been dis
covered a method by which a bank
can keep paying out real money while
taking in nothing but promises.
Economic laws are like the laws of
health You can beat and trick them
Tor little while, but presently-the
breakdown with all of its consequent
sorrow and shame and humiliation.
Basic Schemes Foolish.
The financial cornerstone of the
National Non-Partisan Leagues bank
-Townley's bank, in the sense that
thls clever, ambitious and visionary
nan who has made such a stir in the
Northwest in the last few years abso-
Iutely controlled the league and con-
sequently the leagues bank-collapsed
and is in the dust because of the in
herent impracticability and foolish
ness OF the Townley schemes.
Every Townley dream drew sight
gratis on the scandinavian American
Bank Of Fargo. Every Townley
Dreamer who needed ready cash
seemed to have the right to take what
ne needed and leave behind merely a
Personal promise to pay some time in
the future. II Townley's chain of
farmers stores needed quick cash
somebody went to the bank and
Has obliged. II Townley's propa-
eanda organizations wanted more
money with which to flood the
northwest with Socialistic doctrine
somebody drew a check on the Scan
olnaVian-American. II Townley's
s-si2H OF country newspapers got hard
up somebody was at the Fargo bank
py the time the cashier had the safe
open When the roof assembled to the
Due sky Of North Dakota on the sec
ohd day Of October the amazed bank
Examiners of the State discovered that
me liabilities amounted TO $1,606,-
s4743.
one wonders why the examiners
we're amazed, for the end Of the road
mat The Non-Partisan League and its
organizer and prophet had been tray
''iihs for three years was plainly in
The sun., 1919-10-12

the fear of what might happen If the
Townley domination were suddenly
cast off as from any hope of a happy
future. Members who had closed their
ears to revelations concerning Town
ley and his chief aids were beginning
to seek information, and there was a
good deal for them to acquire in the
way of biography, the biography of
ineptitude.
The League and the Man.
The National on-Partisan League
Is so much Arthur Clarence Townley
and Townley is so much the league
that any discussion Of the latter
should be built upon a story OF the
former. Who is this man who seized
control of a whole State. partial con-
troll of several other States and who
planned to fasten his programme Of
Socialism upon the nation? He says
he is SS years of age. Five years ago
when registered as a Socialist voter
in the town of Beach, In Golden VAL
ley, North Dakota, he gave his age as
33. There is no doubt about his being
a Socialist Of very radical tendencies
the kind willing to go the whole road
The sun., 1919-10-12

a winner except the public. Nobody
could lose anything except the public.
This particular banks depositors are
guaranteed against loss by State law
which binds the people of North Da-
kota to make good any such deficiency.
The depositors break even, but the
people will pay a little more in taxa
ton and up will go the States debt
another notch, familiar experience
under Non-Partisan League political
control.
But the real reason that a wave of
hope for the future is rolling across
the prairies lies in the Significance of
the crash. 1t means, in all probable
ity, that the Socialistic scheme evolved
| by Townley and used by him to get a
| grip upon about everything worth
reaching for is done for; killed by it's
own excuses, It's own incapacity, its
| own inability to comprehend or to obey
economic laws that cannot be disre-
garded. 1t signifies the eventual down.
fall of the most pretentious Socialist
programme that ever afflicted a whole
section of the United States, for Min
nesota, Montana, Nebraska, Idaho
and one or two other States have been
impregnated with the sleeping sickness
of Townleylsm.
North Dakota was its head and CEN
tire, but the Non-Partisan League was
scarcely less powerful in Minnesota
and commanded immense influence In
neighboring States. 1t promises the
emancipation of the great wheat
States of the Union from a political
domination which. founded on Ameri-
can passion for democracy and fair
dealing. came to be the most auto
cratic mastery of a section of the peo-
pie that this country has ever known.
The shock OF the explosion OF Town
ley's main bank is apt to awaken
North Dakota and her sister States
The hard headed farmers are likely to
be impressed now by the advice and
warnings which their real friends have
been giving them for several years
It's the same old story OF experience
and nothing but experience being ef-
fective in shattering decisions. Now
that the farmers OF North Dakota are
The sun., 1919-10-12

sight One speculates as to why the
examiners hadn't taken the trouble
before to poke about in the books and
security boxes of the Scandinavian
American, for the looseness and insta-
bility Of the Whole Non-Partisan
League business organization has
been perceptible for many months to
many persons in North Dakota who
had never been hypnotized by the
agile Mr.. Townley. And now that the
crash has come there is less wailing
and crashing Of teeth than might be
looked for when a bank goes to smash.
Actual Relief Mt the Crash.
Usually there is woe and want and
panic when a bank supposed to be the
business mainstay of a whole COM
munity falls by the wayside. But In
this case there Is actual relief, even
jubilation. Whoever heard of the
solid people of a whole State giving
three cheers and throwing up their
hats over bank failure? Well, that's
what lot Of folk out in North Dakota
are doing, even II they know that they
will have to chip in a considerable
chunk Of cash to make up that ST.
100000 and odd shortage.
Why?
There are two reasons. Nobody
will lose by the blowing up Of the
northumberland except the
public. This has been true of all Of
Townleys schemes. Everybody was
The sun., 1919-10-12
Collapse of Non Partisan
League in North Dakota
Striking Example of
State Socialism
BY EDWIN c. HILL.

A WAY out in North Dakota a
+ II bank blew up the other day.
4 1t blew up because it was full
Of hot air instead Of hard cash. There
Is nothing unusual about the direct
cause of the failure of this particular
institution. The expansive qualities of
superheated atmosphere has Uttered
many a community with worthless
paper, as many men can testify who
worked up to automobiles and ended
by pushing wheelbarrows.
There is great deal that is re-
markable about the indirect causes.
Ordinarily banks bust when crooks
strip the tills, when certain individuals
steal so much that bank examiners
can no longer be deceived. In the case
OF the Scandinavian American Bank
Of Fargo N. D., the clearing house for
Arthur Clarence Townley's National
Nom Partisan League, 1t does not yet
appear that any person or set of per-
sons set out deliberately to loot the
cash box. 1t seems rather that the
bank went broke because of a rush of
socialism to the safe.
1t is busted because dreams carno.
be run on business principles. Visions
do not draw interest in this world. A
receiver is checking over it's assets and
piling up its liabilities simply because
there is no sure, safe or honest short
Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-10-22
Cony and Hallowell
to Meet Today on
Reuel Williams Field

Followers OF the pigSktn will be
glad TO know that Cony High will
play Hallowell this Afternoon At
three o'clock on the Reuel Williams
gridiron. This will be the first game
in which these two teams have faced
each other for three years. aud it 10
expected there will DO considerable
action. although football dope shows
that Cony should win without much
trouble after defeating such a strong
team as Rockland last SATURDAY.
Coach Thompson makes the state
ment that the team came through
Saturdays game without Q scratch
and will be in fine shape for today.
He hopes that . big attendance win
be at the field As Cony Is under a
large expense this year in regards to
new equipment, etc.
The probable lineup for Cony win
be harrington. re: Buckley, IT: Ar.
mold, rg: Brennan. c: HunneweIi. IL:
Wyman or Beale, II: Beckett, IL:
Dunnack, OBJ: Downing. lib; Plum.
mer. RIB; Newman, 10.
Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-10-22
JUDGE H. w. TRUE
Memorial and Resolutions Presented

~ 'NOfHdV - odSSStS
The memorial and the resolutions
for Judge Hilton woodman True
were presented by Norman L. Bas-
sett, who spoke as follows:
Hilton Woodman True, OF Augusta.
a member Of this Bar. died on Thurs
day. February twentieth, 1919 at the
ripe aGe Of 81. He was born in
Litchfield. Maine. May second. 1894.
the second son of Aaron and Mary
Sargent tMerriID True. He attend
ed the common schools of his native
town and graduated from Litchfield
Academy. where he and Sarah ].
Moore. to whom he was married July
seventh. 1857. were students togeth-
er. He came to Augusta to study
law in the Office of Samuel Titcomb
and was admitted to the Bar March
twenty seventh 1857.
He practiced for two years in
Gardiner and then opened an Office
In Augusta In 1853 he formed a
partnership. which continued until
1869, with the late Joseph H. Man
ley. under the arm name Of True
NAA >sA0hANy. AL 46Oc ne was aO~
pointed Judge Of the Augusta NUM-
cipal Court. succeeding Hon. Sam
uel Titcomb. He served for six.
teen years until March 1882. Judse
True during the clerkship Of the
late W. 6. Choate served from time
to time Al Deputy Clerk OF Courts
and also at various times under our
present clerk. Charles w. Jones.
For the last twenty years he de-
voted himself to farming, living
during the summer on his farm in
Manchester and in the winter in
his home in the city. He retained
until the end an unusual vigor, the
result Of good health during his
life. On Saturday before his death
he was in this Court House attend
ing to Q business matter, went to
church on Sunday and the following
day was on our streets about his
business.
Judge Truce life was one of SIM
plicity but of real worth. Modesty
was one Of his pleasing traits and
Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-10-22
DECEASED MEMBERS OF
KENNEBEC BAR H0N0RED IN
MEMORIAL RESOLUTIONS
Fitting Exercises in Honor of Judge Henry
S. Webster, Judge Greenlief T. Stevens,
Judge Hilton w. True and Elk Gov. William
T. Haines- Eloquent Tributes Accorded to
DISTINGUISHED Jurists

Municipalities and all illuminated by
personal "reminiscences and SCUM
philosophy, making the response a
fitting climax to all that had BEEN
said in the several resolutions.
The four members Of the bar in
whose honor the exercises were hell
were Of such standing in their pro-
LESSONS and had attained such posi-
tons thai their characters would os
an inspiration for fitting and elo-
quent euIogies. The Kennebec Bar
rose 10 the level Of the opportunity
and 1t was the general comment that
exercises Of this kind Of higher or
der and deeper interest and effect hal
not been presented by tie Bar. The
Bar ig To be congratulated that its
name for an ability OF thought AM
expression maintained during so
many years OF the past by names
well known in the State, is still main
tanned by the members of today The
remarks of the speakers made a deep
impression.
The memorials and resolutions
were presented by the following
members Of the Kennebec Bar: Lee
roy T. Carleton Of Winthrop: presi-
dent Of the Kennebec Bar; Charles
A knight of Gardiner. Will c. Atkins
Of Gardiner. Norman L. Bassett Of
Augusta, Stephen S. Lancaster Of AL
gusta, Judge Harold E. Cook Of Gar
diner. George ". Field of Oakland,
E. 81. Thompson Of Augusta, Harvey
D. Eaton OF Waterville, Benedict r
Mater Of Augusta.
The exercises of the afternoon were
opened by President Carleton of the
kennebec Bar who called upon
Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-10-22
JUDGE G.. T. STEVENS
Presented BY Harold e

The resolutions presented by Judge
Harold E Cook were as follows:
Whereas. In the death CT the Hon.
Creenlsef T. Stevens Of Augusta. Maine.
4 distinguished member Of the Grand
Army Of the Republic. for four yearz
sheriff Of this county. and for IS years
its Judge Of probate. this community
has lost the associations and services
Of q gallant soldier. eincsent executive
and a wise Judge, and
Whereas. this bar by reason OF the
Judge Stevens feels this loss more hear.
IL in the threefoid sense Of fellow.
citizen. brother attorney and respected
Judge.
Therefore, Be is resolved: That in
these times Of social unrest and poIid.
cal confusion We turn to his memory
and 10 the sterling qualltie. Of his rug
ged manhood for an example and gui6e
for our conduct amid the d!sauietins
conditions by which we are now sur
rounded.
Be it further resolved: That the mem.
bers of the Kennebec Bar Association
assembled in open court, deeply DE-.
pIo-e the passing of Judge Stevens and
that We take this method Of paying
public tribute and testimony OF our re.
spect to him In his varied capacities o!
public service and 70 his memory.
Be il further resolved: That a cop
Of these resolutions be placed in the
files Of the court, and that the clerk be
Instructed to forward = copy to Judg.
stevens son.
In speaking Of the NE and characte:
OF Judge Stevens, Judge Cook spoke in
part as follows:
Humanity now as never 20. mn year.
is casting about for something that 1.
lasting and wifi endure. Was not Judss
Stevens a representative Of the type Il
which we must eventually turn for lead
ershiD back into the paths Of our faith
ers! As mariner tossed by wave and
tempest. lost in darkness Of the nigh.
turns and gazes until his straining eye
catches the gieam Of the harbor lish.
steady and clear, and lays his course 70,
safety and for home. 50 may we no. fr
times OF peril shape our course by char.
acters such as his. with energy like his
with wisdom like his and unfaltered
determination like his. press forward
to the heritage we know should be ours
Remarks In seconding the motion 70,
the adoption Of the resolution ver.
made by George ". Field OF Oakland
and E NJ Thompson OF Augusta.