Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1919-01-08
LEAGUE ENDORSED
BY FEDERAL COURT
Years Investigation Shows Hon.
est Record of Honest Stew
ardship."
BY E. B. RUSSELL.


A years investigation of the Non
partisan league and the admInistra-
ton Of it's affairs by President A. c..
Townley has been concluded by the
federal district court Federal Judge
Charles F. Amidon reviewing the
case in a 4,500-word decision, sum-
marizes the courts investigation of
the books and records of the League
and its publications in the following
words:
'The record is full and has been
honestly kept, and it shows an hon
est purpose to give an account of an
honest stewardship"
The federal case was Instituted as
the result of the fact that nearly five
years ago, when A. c.. Townley was
flax farmer at Beach, N. D., he was
forced to the wall when grain gam
blers forced the price of flax down
below the 81 mark. Townley had been
engaging for three years in flax cul-
ture on a large scale, adopting the
principles of scientific" farming
guaranteed to bring success to any
farmer He had contracted for land
and had bought tractors on a large
scale and was pointed out as an ex-
ample of what success "better farm
ing could bring, and was known as
the "fax king" When the depressed
price threatened to bring ruin Town
ley pointed out to his creditors
that the price was bound to rise and
pleaded for more time to dispose of
his crop, guaranteeing to pay 100
cents on the dollar. The time was
denied him and he left Beach a ruin
ed man, his entire property in the
hands Of his creditors. Later flax
rose to more than double it's price,
just1fying the claim that Townley, if
not forced to the wall, would have
been able to repay his creditors dol
lar for dollar.
Nothing was heard of the claims
against Townley until the Nonparti-
san League became a success. Then
attempts were made to attach League
property and stories were set in cir
culation that Townley and his wife
had vast sums seQuestered, stolen
from the farmers. Townley deter.
mined to end the persecution Of the
League and to demand a showdown
of the loose stories of sequestered
funds and instituted bankruptcy pro.
ceedings filing a complete schedule
Of his assets.
Francis Murphy of Minot, noted as
| a bitter League enemy, appeared in
the case as attorney for an oil com.
pany which presented a claim for
$500. During the year of litigation
which followed thousands of dollars
were spent, detectives were placed on
the trail of Townley and his wife and
! a complete investigation was made
| of the books and records of the
League, the Non-partisan Publishing
company and other subsidiary or
CARNATIONS in an effort to find what
Judge Amidon terms, this hidden
| treasure"
In his decision Judge Amidon
stated: =
"The search has been pursued not
only with the zeal of creditors intent
on collecting, their debts, but that OF
political adversaries seeking to dis
credit party believed to be: danger
Gus. Detectives were hired to in
gratiate themselves with the wife Of
the bankrupt. =, AS the re-
suit Of months Of following up these
clues by the trustee, the creditors and
their detectives, counsel for the
trustee stated frankly on the argu
ment at q recent, hearing that nc
secret deposit or specific property
held upon trust had been found. The
conclusion is Justified, and the court
so hnds the TACT to be-; that the reason
why this. hidden treasure has not beer
found Is that It does not exist"
Judge Amldon finds that the entire
property of the League and Of the
Nonparttsan Publishing company be
longs to the farmers who constitute
the League and this finding, definitely
ends any attempt on the part Of cred
1tors to obtain any: such property
Speaking; Of, the Investigation OF the
books and records, Of the League the
decision says: ).
THE trustee has been permitted tc
go through the record Of all these
concerns as with a lighted candle. He
has found no trace OF any grant OF
any of the funds or property Of the
Nonpartisan League or It's subordinate
agencies to Mr.. rToWnley, except 8
salary Of $500 per month. d On The
contrary, the record shows clearly and
af1rmatively that the Nonpartfsar
league and its subordinate agencies
have never granted to, Mr.. .Townley
any part Of their funds or property
as his personal estate, that he has
never made any claim to those funds
or properties as belonging to himself
personally and he has never. used
them Tor any purpose except that 81
. ttcai-1eader, sdayot1ng them hon
estly g the achieVment Of the oh
1ects q bic party. So :