The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1919-05-02
LANCER DEFIES TOWNLEY
TO PROVE CHARGES

III PKUN III liz
Bismarck, N. D., April 30.-Willian
LANCER, attorney general of NORTH
Dakota, who recently defied A. C
Townley's rule in North Dakota leg
islative and official affairs, today laid
down a new def to the boss of the
Nonpartisan league when, in an open
letter to Townley, LANCER declared
himself ready to resign the office of
attorney general any time that Town
ley can prove his charge that he, Lam
ger, is "a crook, a traitor and that
he has betrayed and sold out the far
mers" of North Dakota.
Today's declaration by LANCER is
the first real declaration LANCER has
made since he broke with Townley
six weeks ago. During the interval
Townley, through his newspapers, Ills
organizers and by other means, has
been directing a fierce campaign
against LANCER, charging him with
being a traitor and crook.
"You and your hirelings have lied
to and are deceiving the farmers of
North Dakota" declared William Lam
ger in his letter.
Not Big Enough for Job.
"You, who had the greatest oppor-
tunity ever given to any man in North
Dakota, were not big enough for the
job.
"You hold your personal interest
above the interests of the farmers who
trusted you.
"Greedy for power, hungry for mon
ey, self-indulgent in your whims and
with a mighty hate for all honest men
who dare to counsel moderation, you
betray the farmers of North Dakota.
"You, who hold nothing sacred-if
the independent press dares to tell the
truth, you wreck tiff an honest man
exercises his American privilege for
opposing certain bills, he is a crook,
"You imported into North Dakota
a coward, a dub and a fool.
radicals by the score, who are they
they pay nc taxes in North Dakota.
They have made no sacrifices for
North Dakota. They have no home
steads in North Dakota. They are not
pioneers of North Dakota. They
preach nothing beyond discomfort.
What are their characters?
"These men hat l have mentioned,
have no interests in North Dakota. To
them North Dakota is nothing but an
interesting experiment, the payment
of taxes to them, as it is to you, an
indifference.
Beyond milking them to the ut
most OF your ability you and these
men love not the farmer and are
not the farmers friend.
"You and your hirelings have said
that | am a crook, a traitor, and that
l have sold out and betrayed the far
mers of North Dakota. You prove it.
The Charge.
~ waive a jury trial and ask you
to prove it to the satisfaction of the
man who declared you bankrupt only
a few months ago, the man who freed
Walter Thomas Mills only a few weeks
ago. Prove it to the satisfaction of
United States District Judge Charles
F. Amidon of Fargo.
"Prove it, and l will resign the
office to which I was elected. Prove
it to the satisfaction of this n judge
and | will resign. Prove that l have
done n crooked act as attorney gen
eral of the state. Prove l have given
one ruling that wrongfully favored
big business Prove that l have be-
the farmers of North Dakota,
and the resignation will follow.
"And you, with your horde of de-
tectives, organizers, spies and asso-
can't prove it then stand con-
before the farmers Of the state
of North Dakota, the men who trust
ed you; stand convicted as a self-con-
liar and an assassin of charac-
ter, a man more d~espicable than the
ghoul that sneaks out under the COW
ar of darkness into NO Mans Land
and robs the dead.
civilian LANGER.'
Mr.. Langer's challenge to the league
leaders, is the newest spectacular de-
in the kaleidoscope North
Dakota political drama and it may
nave a material effect upon the propa-
sanda that has for some time been
directed by the league inner circle,