Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-05-14

1917, however. the league has been
pleased to claim the grain grading
act.
Refuses to Public Denial.
Mr.. Liggett told how happy Mr..
Opoien was when Deputy State Grain
Inspector McGovern went to. the
Driscoll editor and uttered somet WORD
h"Trotzyskimo," and the elevator man
handed over 3s7, just like that, to Mr..
Opoien. That, said Mr.. Liggett, was
just patch on what every North Da-
kota farmer would get in exchange
for the SIG he paid to Townley, Mills
& CO.
Now.it appears that Mr.. Opoien was
not ct&isuTted sbefore tfis story was
used. He first had his attention called
lished on the front page Of the
Courier-News of Saturday, April 26.
Mr. Opoien was somewhat startled.
-inasmuch as he had not received any
check for $97 and not altogether
pleased. because the elevator referred
to was the Farmers Equity Grain e.
Mercantile Co. in which he and fell
low farmers of the Driscoll territory
were stockholders. Therefore he and
other members of the company pre-
pared >retraction, which they mailed
to the Courier-News under date of
April 80, with a request that it be
published. The Courier-News to date
has declined to make the correction,
and Mr.. Opoien and the elevator
pendent press for protection from the
Townley organ. u5
The Affidavit.
The affidavit, executed April 80,
and which the Courier-News has de-
MED publicity, reads as follows:
1.-The undersigned, Oscar Opoien.
farmer; B. F. Paisley, president of
the Equity Grain & Mercantile Co. Of
Driscoll. N. D.; Glare Cobb, manager
of Equity Grain & Mercantile Co; A.
G. Jordan. Roy Cotton. O. N. Nelson
and George V. Cunningham. directors
of said, Equity Grain & Mercantile
Co., depose and say:
''That they nave heard Of a news
item in the Courier-News of satur-
day, April 26, and of editorial in same
paper based on said news item, under
date of April 81. The said articles
play up the Equity Grain & Mercan-
tile Co. in a very unfavorable and en-
tirely false light After a, thorough
investigation of the charges printed.
we and each of us find that there is
story: that Oscar Opoien is not a
member of the Nonpartisan league;
that he did not authorize or report to
any paper the report credited to him,
nor any other report; that he did not
receive by mail a check for $97 for
fax, or a check for any other amount;
that the attempt to injure the Drisco,l
and practically all members of the
Nonpartisan league, comes as shock
to said farmers; that four of the
above directors are members of the
league and have for years tried to
work for the farmers interests in
every way possible; that we indi-
vidually and collectively demand that
this false report, giving the same as
much publicity as they gave the
former slanderous articles.
Subscribed to before me this 30th
day of April, 1919.
tx. A. Ersland.
=: Notary Public
Manager Writes Newspaper.
Addressing the Courier-News, Glare
Cobb, manager Of the Equity Co.,
said: ,.s, e.
Front page news item under
double column head. under date Of
Saturday, April 26, gave aisensational a
story which. while not giving name
Of our company openly, was So direct
that our farmer customers and all
others in this territory readily under
stood thatsyou had singled us out for
an attack, which to date we are un-
able to- understand. We are enclos-
ing herewith copy Of affidavtt Of the
man who was charged IN your article
with furnishing the story. He says II
Is false. nd the whole thing seems
to be the faving OF some irresponsible
who for some unknown
reason seeins to desire to hit this eie-
vator association under cover OF your
sheet. The enclosed afiidAvit sets
forth the facts in this case and the
demands fof stgners Of the same. II
you are - fair mindedf a. YOU repre-
10 see In tomorrow's issue of the
Courier News retractipn demanded = !
Mr.. Cobb advised the Courier News
that after the lapse Of reasonable
time his correspondence would be
given 20 ssller newspepers.