The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1920-09-02
T0WNLEY UPHELD IN
U. S. CIRCUIT court

showed the cloven hoof and forked
tail. However, it was all to no avail.
Like Aaron Burr their treason has
brought them nothing but the pity of
men and women who have willingly
sunk their own personalities in the
League movement-sacrifced their
personal ambitions and pet schemes
that the common struggle against Big
Business shall be given all possible
momentum.
Both Brinton and Waters are polit-
ically disgraced and discredited in
North Dakota, their vindictive charges
of "criminal mismanagement and
graft" within the Nonpartisan League
having been dissipated like blown,
empty bubble by decision just hand
ed down by the United States Circuit
Court of Appeals at st. Louis. This
judicial body made public it's verdict,
unanimously sustaining the decision
of Judge Charles F. Amidon of the
United States District Court of North
Dakota, who held that A. c. Townley,
president of the Nonpartisan League,
had not defrauded any of his creditors
and was not concealing any of his
property from them.
Plaintiffs Pay Costs
The plaintiffs in this case, accord
ing to the decision Of the United
States Circuit Court, must pay all the
costs. The prosecution was backed
by the l. V. A., the proceedings insti-
tuted against Mr.. Townley having
been started for the purpose of dis
crediting the farmers movement.
History of the Case
Judge Amidon's historic decision
was given in Fargo in January, 1919,
after hearings that continued for
more than year. Mr.. Townley1 en-
gagged in farming on a large scale in
western North Dakota several years
ago, but was unable to meet his
debts and went into bankruptcy. It
was about this time that he organized
the Nonpartisan League and enemies
of the farmers Immediately pounced
upon him like a pack Of vindictive
jackals. Among the charges prefer
red against him was that he had
amassed q fortune out Of the League
movement and hidden it with view
of battling his creditors.
Arraigns Plaintiffs
When he handed down his decision
favoring Mr.. Townley, Judge Amidon
gave the plaintiffs a severe scorching,
laying bare the sinister, screened and
ulterior motives behind their effort to
discredit the farmers movement.
"The search" says Judge Amidon
in his decision, "has been pursued
not only with the zeal of creditors in
tent upon collecting their debts, but
that of political adversaries seeking
to discredit party believed to be
dangerous. Detectives were hired to
ingratiate themselves with the wife
of the bankrupt *As the re-
suit of months of following up these
clues by the trustee, the creditors and
their detectives, counsel for the trus-
tee state frankly in the argument at
the recent hearing that no secret de-
posit or specific property held upon
trust had been found. The conclusion
is justified, and the court so finds the
fact to be, that the reason why this
hidden treasure has not been found is
that it does not exist"
In concluding his decision, Judge
Amidon said, referring to the League
and the League publications:
~The trustee has been permitted to
go through the record Of all these
concerns as with a lighted candle.
He has found no trace Of any grant
Of any of the funds or property Of
the Nonpartisan League or its sub
] ordinate agencies to Mr.. Townley ex-
cept a salary of three hundred dol
lars ($3OO.O0) per month. He has
found no trace of any claim by Mr..
Townley to any part of such funds
or such properties except his salary.
He has found no trace Of the use of
any part Of the funds or properties
by Mr.. Townley for personal purpo-
ses or for any purposes except the
accomplishment of the objects Of the
political party Of which he has been
leader.
Holds Townley Never Used League
Funds
4 .On the contrary, the record shows
clearly and affirmatively that the
Nonpartisan League and its subordi-
nate agencies have never granted to
Mr.. Townley any part Of their funds
or property as his personal estate,
that he has never made any claim to
those funds or properties as belong
ing to himself personally, and he has
never used them for any purpose ex-
cept that Of political leader devot-
ing them honestly to the achievement
Of the objects Of his party.
1.-THE record is full, and has been
honestly kept and II shows an honest
purpose TO give an account Of On
honest stewardship !"
Comes Oppoftunely
The decision Of the united State
Circuit Court upholding Judge Ami
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