Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-08-05

nomic theories originated and! pros
pounded by the Nonpartisan league
has been scopducted in+the northwest
during the Inst four years, and that
A. G. Townley, president Of the league
through the organs owned or con-
trolled by the leAgue-'and primarily
controlled by the said A. G. Townley..
public ownership ~
operation Of elevators flour mhls:
It is also alleged that that the
league newspapers, by = concerted
plan Of action, have branded all news
papers, including the Normanden, dis-
agreeing with the program OF. tne
league. as enemies Of democracy ana
popular government and have charg-
ed, alleged, and insinuated that such
newspapers and individuals were COM,
pletely controlled, influenced M
dominated by big business interests:
Minneapolis. the milling interests OF
the Twin Cities, and other large bus-
ness concerns throughout the oun
try"
As;to Kept Press"
n Newspapers opposed to the program
Of A. c. Townley and the league. are
said in the complaint to have been're,
peatedly referred to as kept press
meaning, it is alleged, that n
press and the Normanden opposed 70
the program Of the league and to the
domination thereof by A. c.. Townley.
was kept. and maintained by big g
ness and were the tools Of big business
opposed to the farmers program"
3 Such a term, the. complaint aver
twas intended to convey the impreo.
sion,that such press was corrupt and
its policies dictated and Determined
by considerations other than public
welfare, and was so understood ano
accepted by a large portion OF the
reading public"
Specifically it is alleged that T. T.,
~Fuglestad., the defendant IN one
Of the three separate suits. is a men,.
Der Of the Nonpartfsan league, an4
that IN July "a. 1919, an article writ
ten by him appeared in n WISER
gutten," Canton, S. D.. containing the.
following paragraph:
1.-THE business men In the cities,
with very few exceptions. WORKED
tooth and nail against. the farmers
program and-just imagine-minis-
tiers Of the gospel spoke and wrote
against it. The bought press, LED oy
the Normanden, was spread broadcast
over the state, and was filled with un.
tenable and misleading assertions ana
arguments. League members were
said to be socialists, Bolshevists, pro-
IGermans, and SO on. With the intro
duction Of the industrial program.
christianity had to be thrown over
board, the farms to be taken away
from us. wife and children would also
be taken away from us and given to
the state-together with all. other
scarecrows. This helped a great deal.
Thousands of farmers let themselves
be Influenced by this and voted against
the program, but in spite Of every
thing some Of the disputed bills OBJ
tanned a majority of $4,000.
Paper Reeents Charge.
Normanden in its complaint resents
the charge that its attitude to the
league program was %"corruptly ,dictat-
by financial considerations. and by big
business It sets forth that the neal
ing of the alleged false and malicious
charge ia that the concerns referred to
as big business had paid the Nor
manden a monetary or material cons
sideration for its policy.
The alleged libelous article was
sEprinteds in4sthe ''visergutten" and re-
printed .int the Reform" Of Eau
Claire wis, for which reason these
two publications are made defendants
in the two other suits.
4. T. Fugelstad. according to the
complaint, Is treasurer of the North
dakota Total Abstinence association,
4 by virtue of which Office "any article
or letter written by him carries
strong conviction to the readers and
the public and is much more impress.
sive and damaging when false. than ar
article, or communication by a person
without influence or standing"
H. BY reason of the conduct of the de
PENDANT in each action. the Norman
den claims that it has been, greatl.
injured and damaged in its business
land reputation.
The Wisconsin case Is EXPECTED t
Der, while the North Dakota an.
South Dakota actions may be tried ii
November of this year.