The Bismarck tribune., 1919-03-24
WITH THE EDITORS
MIR. TOWNLEY'S COMEBACK


A. C. Townley is all "het up by the barrage
which four Nonpartisan league state officials of
North Dakota are laying down in front of the So
calist bund that forms the inner circle and works
Of the league.
The boss of the league has diverted his atten-
tion from the kept press" and is using his flame
throwers and poison gas projecties against Attor-
ney General LANCER, Auditor Kositzky, Treasurer
Olson and Secretary Hall. Without using names,
he calls them traitors, towards and fools-potters
within the fold, serving an enemy without-and
he serves notice on them that their political days
are numbered.
In this attack upon men whom the NOnpartisan
league voters elevated to high place in official life
in North Dakota, Townley uses precisely the kind
of tactics he has directed against what he calls the
kept press, meaning by that the newspapers
which have questioned the motives Of the Townley-
Mills ls-Lemke-Liggett Sociaistic clique. 1t is the
trick of trying to divert attention from the clique
and to center it in hostile form upon those who
challenge the sincerity of purpose Of the real plot
ters.
1t is hard to believe that the intelligent farmers
of the league will permit the wool thus to be pulled
over their eyes, 1t is unthnkable that they will
purpose to abuse their good faith while accepting
as gospel truth the unsubstantiated bill that Town
ley brings against these four officials and those
who believe, as they do,' that the pilots Of the
league are unsafe pilots, leading the people of the
state into dangerous channels of public policy.
Does it follow that because Lacquer or non
Lacquer challenges the bund that he is traitor to
the league or to the state? Is it automatic that
Townley ct al, are without guile and that those
who oppose any part of their purpose are shot
through and through with guile? What is there
in the Townley record, or in the record of any one
of his inner circle, that would make such distinc.
tion and conclusion inevitable?
Is the league program as formulated and forced
through the legislature too frail to stand the
strong, clear light of publicity and scrutiny? II
so, there is something radically wrong with it at
the roots. Is there anything in the operation OF
the Consumers United Stores company that raises
scruples in honest minds seeking the truth? If so
is the right of the people of North Dakota to know
what is going on in that concern reasonably fore
closed? Is the league leadership interested spe
cially in any other financial enterprise in a way
that breeds misgivings? If so, shall mantle con
tinue to be drawn over the facts?
If the purpose of the bund be in toto the lofty
immaculate thing Mr.. Townley would have thu
world believe, there is no light of truth that car
do it HARM It would stand the test against every
attack. It's assaiants would be confounded. They
cannot be confounded with mere vituperation such
as Townley has launched. Let him and his asso
ciates meet the issue manfully, challenging will
logic and not with epithets. Let them, as goot
Socialists vaunt themselves rs doing, appeal t,
reason" and not to libel. Calling a. man traitor
a coward, q fool or conspirator with wrong doe
not make him so. Where and what is the evi
dence? Who will furnish it, and when? Nortl
Dakotans and sympathizers with the Nonpartisal
league elsewhere have . right to know.-Min
|neapol1 Tribune