The sun., 1919-10-12

could be quoted. Townley was pretty
free in his insinuations, but once In
while he made the mistake of slurring
the wrong man. He tried his insinua-
tons on Herbert Hoover at the time
of the notorious st. Paul La Toilette
meeting, when heScharged that Hoover
was in Chicago listening to the pleas
of grain gamblers instead of accepting
an invitation to appear before the
grain growers. Hoover wasn't in Chi
cago, and called on Townley for re-
traction. He got 1t too.
Roosevelt Saw the Danger.
1t was about this time that Theo-
dore Roosevelt, with that wonderful
intuition for the truth that ruled him.
expressed his opinion of the National
Non Partisan League under Townley
domination.
Il wish to state the real grief it was
to me-" said Mr.. Roosevelt. ito be
forced to realize most reluctantly the
kind of doctrine for which that So
called Nom Partisan League was will
ing to stand. / had at the time of
the inception of the league felt a great
sympathy for most of its purposes and
some of its methods. There were some
of its methods which l could not ap-
prove of because 1 felt it was building
up boss system-a machine as bad
as the worst of those of the old parties
where they had been worst and as bad
as the Socialist party machine in its
ordinary developments, and that's
pretty bad
Eventually, as will be recalled,
fH.tx tAI too
convicted on the charge that, with Jo-
seph Gilbert. one Of his former organi-
cation managers, he had conspired to
teach disloyalty. He appealed. of
course, and has never spent a day in
Jail. Like many other such proceed
ings, the case of Townley appears to
have been forgotten.
When the Military Affairs Committee
of the United States Senate hailed
Townley before1t in September, 1918,
Senator Weeks (Mass.) developed the
fact from Townley that the annual
dues of the National Non-Partisan
League amounted to 100000 a year,
and this of course was aside from the
immense sums gathered from the
farmers to support the Consumers
United Stores Company and other en-
terprises or that nature.
How much Of this did you invest
in the first Liberty Loan?" asked Sen
ator Weeks.
None" responded Townley.
How much in the second?" Senator
Weeks pursued.
None" came the answer.
I'm the third?"
Five thousand dollars" said Town.
ley.
! IF were the director OF a corpora
ton of that capital I should be
ashamed to face the public with that
statement" said the Senator from
Massachusetts,.
Farmers Baked at i. w. w.ism.
The friendliness Of the Townley Or
ganization to various seditious So
cieties has been demonstrated en-
phatically. One of Townley's principal
lleutenants has been Arthur lie Seuer
a radical Socialist. This man was a
prime mover in an agreement entered
into by the National Nom Partisan
| League chiefs and the ]. w. w. heads
in regard to harvest labor in North
Dakota in 1917. LIE Seuer went before
a council OF the 1. w. w. and made
this statement
THE farmers OF North Dakota
would be willing to pay a wage of Sc
for ten hour day. Also that If we
can come to some understanding with
the Non-Partisan League of North
Dakota it will mean that the balance
of power will be shifted from the State
government to the Industrial Workers
of the World and the Nom Partisan
League"
An agreement was made. 1t was
too bitter a dose to ram down the
threats OF the hitherto complainant
leaguers. The farmers turned the
proposition down with a promptitude
that shocked Townley. They were not
ready to turn their State over to
Bolshevism, and ever since that in
vitation to the 1. w. w. their minds
have been opening to the sinister pur-
poses OF the organization built upon
their trust and their money.
They rebelled again when Townley's
friend Gov. Frazier, invited the rag
tag and bobtail aggregation calling It,
self the Peoples Council of America
TO meet in their State. This was the
convention that Gov. Burnquist OF
Minnesota, one Of the most courage
Gus opponents Of the Non-Partisan
League propaganda to be found any
where in the Northwest, declined tc
countenance at Minneapolis; the same
convention that was barred from Hud-
son. Wis. But Frazier of North Da-
kota offered hospitality to the Boil
shevists from New York and would
have welcomed them had not the
people of Fargo let II be known that
they had laid in a large supply OF
tar and feathers.
This article has sought within brief
space to acquaint readers unfamiliar
with the workings OF the National
Non-Partisan League with its prac-