The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-08
Conduct of Prosecution and
Judge so Unfair as to Silence
Farmer Opposition.
METHODS CAUSE BACK FIRE
Evidence of Plotting and Frame-up
Too Obvious to Make Case vaIu-
able to Anti-Farmer interests
League President in No Danger.

ToWnIey, president of the Nom
bert, former organization man.
ager, did not surprise those who
attended the trial or those who
followed accounts of it even in the
hostile papers. The local county
officials, including the judge,
furnished one of the worst perver-
sions of our court machinery the
country has seen up to the pres
emit time.
| A hostile board of county COM
missioners handpicked jury
venire of 144 names so we'll that
there was not a single Nonparti-
san League member on the entire
| list, although the league candi-
date for governor last fall came
within 81 votes of carrying the
county. The judge repeatedly
ruled contrary to the law in be-
half of the prosecution. League
attorneys were prevented from
proving the perjury of certain wit
nesses and from proving the 10y
atty of the league leaders by con-
structive testimony.
Not Federal Case.
The case was brought, not under a
federal law but under state statute
of very doubtful constitutionality, be-
cause sedition and disloyalty are
properly federal matters only The in
dictment alleges merely misdemean.
or for which the sentence to be
passed by the Judge in September
cannot be more than six months. The
case, of course, will be appealed and
the bias and unfair ruling of Judge
Dean will be great advantage in the
appeal, as they are now before the
larger jury of public opinion
There is no possibility that the
farmers leader, who has had the
courage to oppose the profiteers and
demand new day for the farmers and
working people, will spend even a day
in the Jackson county Jail, although
vacation from his strenuous efforts
even in jail would probably be of con-
siderable personal benefit.
Judge Dean refused to permit
another Judge to try the case when
attorneys for the defense filed an aft
davit Of prejudice against him.
although on April %, 1918, he had said
in public interview:
There are no Nonpartisan League
candidates for Office in Martin county.
nor will there be. We are suspicious
of them, and have barred them out. |
Most of the rank and file of the |
leagues membership are doubtless
perfectly honest, but the platform of |
the organization is an appeal to class |
interest and prejudice. and it seems
to me there is something sinister be.
hind the whole thing. True, the lead
ers make great professions of helping
the president win the war, and their
talk is surely sugar-coated and on
the outside looks good
Unfair Rulings.
At the trial he interfered with the
right of the defense to challenge Ger.
tain jurymen, and refused to segre.
gate those chosen. They were left
free to go about town that had been
worked up to strong feeling against
the league and exposed to tampering
by the anti-farmer interests.
The defense was also prevented
from introducing evidence that would
show the indictment to be a part of
a conspiracy against the league bv
special interests in the Twin Cities
and from showing proofs of the loyal
ty OF the league men. At the same
time the prosecution was allowed the
utmost freedom in gathering scraps
Of testimony.
Another instance of gross injustice
was the refusal of the Judge to allow :
Mr.. Townley his constitutional right
20 address the jury in his own behalf.
so lar as known court records cannot
show a similar illustration. Judge =
Dean at first assigned as his reason
hat, since Mr.. Townley was not an
attorney, he could not speak for his
,o-defendant, Gilbert Mr.. Gilbert
hen waived his right to address the 1
ury, thus leaving the league president
~ himself and destroying the objec. =
ion of the Judge. The Judge then .
'luntly refused to give Mr.. Townley =
he opportunity to speak.
Biased Charge to Jury. I
IF Townley is allowed to address
he jury said one of the witnesses
or the prosecution to a group of T
ewspaper men. there will be a dis n
greement and there is likely to be n
n acouittal. If the state is WISE they h
Ton't allow him to speak" fl
ne charge Ito the jury by Judge !.
'ean was in keeping with the one IL
lded presentation of evidence and
1e unanswered TRADE by the prose
lting attorney. The judges entire =
harge carried an fntimation to the =
Try that the defendants were guilty. y
what mean va that va hoot w., - y,