Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-04-07
j. 3. Bacon Speaks

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Mr.. Bacon, in, his initial. speech.
against the league. He told how The
Herald, after the primary Of 1916,
had supported and helped elect Lynn
J. Frazier and how, at a banquet in
st. Pau. in December 1915, he told
Frazier that he, Bacon, would sup
port him in N measure that was for
the betterment Of the state or the
farmers. He then told Of Townley's
plans to pass Q Bill - two years
bill was introduced, "the fight was
on" I,
He spoke Of his fight for the term
Ifnalg elevator bill, and told how Fraz--
Ter had vetoed the $500, 900 ~appropria-
ton for an elevator two years ago.
This year they want ass 200. 900 ele-I
vator and mill, he said: >,
Mr.. Bacon. read q letter that he
wrote to F. L. McVey, former presi-
dent Of the North Dakota university,
and Thomas Allen Box Of the Valley
City bank deal fame in which he de-
clared that he, Bacon, always stood
for the best interests Of the farmers
and the state, and how he always
would be found fighting for the farm
ers. *~t
Not Against Farmers
He declared again that his fight
was not against the league and the
farmres, but against Townley and the
imported socialist leaders. He urged
the farmers to take control of the
league, organize 1t on a sound basis
and fight their own fights. He would
go. farther, bare-footed in snow up
to his knees to help the farmers OF
the state than Townley would &c in an
enclosed carriage with a footpad
warmer" he declared. 2
MI. Bacon. quoted from various
speeches Townley had given just after
Americas entry into the war. He
spoke Of the fact that Townley did not
get a Liberty Bond until the third is
sue, when the office force purchased
one for. him. He quoted from Town
ley's Buffalo Lake speech, in which
the league president said that Amert-
ca had been dragged into the war by
American %autocrats and that the North
Dakota boys were going to. France to
autocrats OF big business"
Shows Townley's I. W. w. Connection
He spoke Of Townley's attempts ia
ers of tho state, and of LeSuer's &C
Invites with Bill Haywood in behalf
of the i. W. W. I'VE don't need that
class of men to lead the farmers of
North Dakota" he said. r
t. He also quoted from Speeches and
records to show that Townley was a
socialist and that he had attached such
socialists as Walter Thomas Mills to
his support.
'Townley hides" behind, the farm
ers," he said. when we attack him,
he says. we are attacking you. I say
now, just as I have said many times
that we have no fight against the
farmer, no grievance against him. Our
fight is against Townley and his CO.
horts."
In closing Mr.. Bacon said: IF the
things I have told you do not seem
true to you, consult the statements of
men whom o elected-and see if
they are not true. Townley calls
them fools and traitors now, because
they have turned against this one-man
domination. But they haYe the facts
and the figures and they are giving
them to you. You do not need to take
my word"
Liggett Speaks Two Hours
Liggett's speech lasted two hours
two hours of ,vi~tuperation and Wilt
f1cation. At the outset he admitted
! that Mr.: Bacon was a friend Of the
farmer because" he said, /" for thirty
years the gang he represents has beer
riding on the backs of the farmers
He said that Mr.. Bacon's mind was
closed; that he was not open to rea-
son, and that he was not a caln1 or an
unprejudiced observer. In answer to
Mr.. Bacon's charges against the secret
! caucus. he said that the Independent
voters association had held a secret
meeting in Bismarck, at which they
planned to overthrow the league pro-
gram. Iigeet defended Town1av To.
! Suer and Bowen as socialists and he
gave a very glowing defense of Wal
ter Thomas Mills, whose shoe laces.
he declared, Mr.. Bacon was not fit
to tie.
In refuting the charge Of Bolshev-
ism made against the league leaders,
he declared that before the league