The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-02-15

! GftysgitDeUfHttDJ ~ tD'1S~ 'IostSS1
ous sDejaI GOeiriprs.o
40 you kpDw exactly what these
doctrines that you eajj dangerous
4 are4' he reporter aski4d.
"Ob. / baye . general impression,
repIlnd Mr. Taft II know Jon pro
,nsn Ia lend he credit 81 the state
In certain ppbIir utiIjtjet> ] an ;irt
c1nynrsani with the details,
" Iayn no sympathy witt, Mr.,
iTownlcy's attitude On the wz,. Ae
added diynrgiDg rather suddenly from
his former subject
"What was Mr. TDwDlcy's attitude"
asHed the reporter.
"Why. be was djsIOsaI." answered
Mr.. Tan. looking rather wiGs-sysd
win, wonder that anyone should ask
such questions,
"Whaf makes you think he was dis
loyal" asked the reporter,
"Why. / have seen quotations. ftoGn
his snaeches." replied Mr. Taft. They
were very disloyal
| "DM IL eyer Dcc1Ir to yOu that Mr..
tTownley would be behind The bars Of
federal jail IL these quotations were
norrnct!' asked the reporter. Didn't
!
/, was more likely the quotations were
| incorrect"
"JIc is under Indictment now. Isn't
her replied Mr. Taft. 4
"NOt TO my knowledge" returned the
rcpOrtcr. "IIc WAS indicted under
ia rclal circumstances, but the supreme
court of Minnesota dismissed the in
dictmcnt and said the pamphlet III
question was patriotic.
| II did not know that said Mr..
Taft.
PARDON ME
.If Won will pardon me for saying
So" said the reporter. there are
good many things about the Nonparti-
san league which you do not seem 70
know and on which your misinforma
| ton seems 10 have been obtained from
sources that TO say the leas: are
biased"
Mr.. Taft accepted this statement
with perfect amability.
"Wcll, do know one thing, young
man." he .rcjoined, "and that is the
Nonpartisan league is class move
ment and therefore un-American-dis-
timely 5un- american. We must be
| y
| members Of any particular organiza-
tiOn.'
''Do you conclude the Nonparti-
| san league is a class movement
because the people Of state
where so per cent Of the voters
are farmers prefer to be represent
| ed in the legislature by fellow
farmers instead Of lawyers:' was
the next question fired at Mr..
Taft.
"Certainly, a lawyer can be just
as good an American and repre-
sent the state just as we'll as a
farmer" returned Mr.. Taft. We
should not attempt to create class
distinctions in this country. 1t is
j ymn-dcmOcratic and un-American
Furthermore it is dangerous
Assuming that all you say about
class government is true, Mr.. Taft
the reporter went on, land in view
Of the fact you deprecated North
Dakota legislature cOmpOsedI of so per
cent Of farmers, how would you de-
scribe the government of Minnesota.
where the $4,000 farmers constitute
about As per cent of the voters Of the
% per centsOf the &legisl&ture: Could
that by any chance be called class
governments" IS ..- .
e~.'They have free gelectionsiin Mime
1 sofa, haven't they?' retorted. Mr.. Taft,
showing little heat for the4tirst time.
'''They most certainly did not have
free elections ast5November," returned
the reporter. 'War hysteria was de-
liberately famed into flame and mob
violence was deliberately fomented by
the governor Of the state while pub
lie money appropriated for war pur-
poses was spent to carry on n private
political campaign"
Il know nothing about the conditions
OF which you speak," said Mr.. Taft.
The train was pulling into Mandan.
Well said the reporter. II merely
was sent here to ascertain whether
You made the statements attributed to
you and to get your point of view.
Now l will trespass upon your time
no further"
AGE WILL @HELP .. ..
| i am very glad to Sgivcsmy op;n-
IONS" returned Mr.. Taftt Al always
say what honestly feel and I don't
care whether it is popular or NOT. You
are at perfect liberty to make public
what | have told you. l am only
warning the people for their own good
1t makes no difference whether thew
Delieve me now. Some day they will
Know j was right"
You still persist that the movement
IS analogous to the /. w. W." the
reporter asked as he prepared to do
part. The train was grinding to q
stop at Mandan.)
well, / might disclaim tho 7
W. w." said Mr.. Taft, 'perhans
that was little strong. They
are more like the populists. Prob
ably | said they were like the T
w. W., but I really think / had
the populists in mind"
Good bye, good bye" doomed tho
genial ex-president as he prepared to
get to the rear platform. "Ym will
nnd that am right when Won cot =
little older" :"
Phone Is, City Fuel Co.
~