Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-09-30
|. ". ". MEMBER
SAYS LEAGUE
HCREAT help
League Doctrines Same as I.
w. w. But Not Far
Enough, Says Radical.
Many Leaders Of League
Pronounced Radicals of
Worst Type.
fRy Staff CORRESPONDENT. J

New Rockford, NJ, D., Sept. 3d.
we are not helping the Nonpartt-
san League, but the sNonpartisaI
League is helping us"
= So said John Smith," I. w. W. or
ganizer, one OF the 200 or more
convention being held here under the
aegis. and protection of the Nonpar-
tisan League state administration.
John Smith was not his real name.
He admitted that frankly, and also
admitted that he had excellent rea-
sons for not using the name by which
he was baptised. He was plainly an
with a slight foreign accent, German.
or Russian, it was impossible to say
which.
His remark about the Nonpartisan
League was called forth by ques-
tion from the correspondent. We had
met casually at the Great Northern
railway lunch counter, and food had
loosened his tongue to some extent.
'sHow do you figure that the
Nanpartisan League is helping
You? asked.
isSimply enough" no answered.
& 'The doctrine that the leaders of
the league are preaching Is cs-
aentinlly the same as that OF the
I.W. W. We carry 1t a step fur
tlltr to Its logical conclusion.
Z that's the only difference.
''The leaders of the Nonpartisan
League are telling the farmers and
working people that they are being
robbed by the business men. We tell
the working people the same thing
hut 80 step further and show them.
they are being robbed by the farm
ers as well as by the businessmen.
when q man has once been thor
oughly innoculated with the Townley
propaganda he is generally about
ready.to take the next step, and ac-
cept our theories too.
''But surely that doesn't apply to
the farmers 1 said.
Don't Expect 1t To 'sTake.'
+. a"of course not to most Of Them
smith replied, I'VE don't expect it
men who make failures of farming.
and thus are brought to realize the
iniqu3ties Of the whole capitalistic
syst$Ma, and 1t dor reach the
farm laborers and otherHworkers i'm:
nsdteteiy sst9 ;tss s
vh.ssr M 4 !. ~ Nonpsrtisa aae1a ossens Iaaeas
or the more radical trade unions
teaches the lesson of oppression BY
!! the upper clAsses. Once get. a man tc
believing that he Ifs Oppressed, and
then he is ripe to join us. so every
convert that the Nonpartisan League
makes is a potential convert for us.
'"Mind you we have no use for the
. farmers. We maintain. that every
farmer who farms more land than he
can actually till, and take care of by
himself is just as much robber al
John d. Rockefeller himself. But
Just the game these farmers help to
~ - -
so make converts for us.
.'Then you approve of the
Non-partisan League doctrine as
far as it goes?" @
t'Certainly.' he responded.
.'it Is q great help to, us, as i
have pointed out. Besides that
many of the league leaders, are
more radical than the rank and
/; file. of the organization. Their
you can see for yourself they give
us as much support as they
can without getting in bad with
\ the farmers on whose support
). they must depend.
.'At present the Nonpartisan
League is forming alliances with
the radical clements of organized
labor. We approve that plan
thoroughly.
when the labor element has be
come fully converted to the Nonpar
tisan League idea. it will inevitabl
realize that the farmers are exploit
ing the wage earners in the same wa
the businessmen are and that the
w. w. principles are the logical con
4 clusion of Townley's promises. and a
a. result the labor element nov
aligned with the Nonpartisan Leagu
will inevitably swing into the rank
4 Hf he
''And then what?'' Ig asked.
Cites Italian Strike.
and then" said John Smith
pausing foroA moment thoughtful,
''Well, you noticed what happened i
Italy a few days ago, the worker
took by force, control Of the factorie
and other means Of production-w
will do the same thing here. .S
Where, do your agricultural labor
6 ers come in there?" asked.
IT said the workers would sieze tn
means Of production" repeate'
"John Smiths significantly. that in
cludes the agricultural workers
we'll as others."
"You mean they will take the Ian
from the. present owner ?" T. ques
toned.
"Of course, why not Z" he respond
ed, the present owners obtained
BY robbery. and are keeping it b
robhery." s, i.s.t,se y
"Xnd do yoI think that prograr
will ever be carried out ~" aske
curiously.
'John Smith took deep breath
II do, thanks to the SNonpartis
League he said.
Joins Brethren IN anthem"
And turning he vent up the stair
to the hall In which the T.. W. "
were in session, from the windows 9
which a chorus sung by hundred o
more mems voices could be heari
These were the words they sang:
..Ail hail to the bold Bolsneviki.
We will fisht for our class and b
free: 4.
"A kaiser, king or czar. no matter VIII
you are, & 24sjs i, sS
Il You're nothing Of interest to me.
II you don't like tho Red Flag "a
II you don't like the spirit 10 tru.
Then be like the cur In the story
And lick the hand that's robbin
you. !" 81 sss
:,