The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1920-10-22

wealth, tht met such an untimely
defeat. 1t was the Kaiser of Ger
many, with the greatest organization
of strength in all history, who now is
living in the nightmare of failure.
And A. C. Townley, because of auto
cratic power given him, is fast de-
stroying himself. And here is where
our story begins.
When Townley, the political boss,
saw his perfected organization and
his power, he forgot his desire, if he
ever had any, to assist mankind or
remedy evils of which the farmers
complained. He thought only of more
power, more members, more dues,
more papers and a bigger organiza-
ton to promote industrial organiza-
tions, business enterprises and promo
ton schemes that would bring wealth
and more power.
During 1917 the a and the fight
made upon Townley and his anti-war
associates, had consumed and lowered
the reserve of his political machine.
He must have immediate funds. And
so he dreamed. He dreamed of the
Consumers United Stores company.
And he organized it. With a capital
of 81, ZOO, 900, 1000 held by his personal
attorney, William Lemke (his bank
ruptcy proceedings still prevented
Townley from holding anything in
his own name), he sold in less than
a year over one million dollars of
memberships" at 500 each to
League members. Thus, through his
attorney, he controlled a million dol
lars paid him in money and notes.
He secured these funds through
League organizers who carried Gre
dentials signed by Townley, the pro-
moter, which stated that the company
was being formed under the aus
pices Of the National Nonpartisan
League" This company was organ
nized along the lines of the League
with all the control in Boss Townley's
hands; with an agreement with each
member that a greater portion Of the
membership fee' could be used in
the head offices of the company. And
it was used.
Townley, the promoter, had a
financial secretary" a young man
who later gave the political boss
more trouble than a boy gets into
when he runs amuck in a hornets
nest. This financial secretary" was
one of these young men who would
make Rufus Wallingford turn green
and Ponzi wonder in amazement when
it came to financial transactions.
That's why Townley, the promoter,
choose him. He was, if not clever, am
bilious and daring IN as Townley's
Florida transactions will later show,
This man was made trustee for
Townley as president of his stores
company, while the writer was still,
acting as personal representative OF
the political boss. In a short time
the financial secretary" was, as il
by magic, vice president of a string
of banks and was organizing others
at a rapid rate. 1t developed that
as financial secretary" and president
Of the political boss stores company
' he had control Of the stores company
funds. 1t was but a promotion ster
to take the funds and buy a bank, {
second bank and a third one. The
political boss refused to buy merchan
disc warehouses or employ merchan
disc men. That was unimportant
Only a small stock was purchased TO,
each local store while thousands wer,
used for banks, newspapers and pc
litical campaigns. 1t was then tina
the financial secretary" took charg'
of Townley's sisal plantation.
: Before closing this article and tax
! ing up the sisal plantation enterpris
in the next, let me record here a de
Tense of Townley, the boss politician
This was his greatest mistake, all hi
close associates admit it and Townle
: the political boss, now denies the act
4 of Townley, the promoter. But lie
me say that there was an excuse flo
= the Florida venture. Every mar ha
his weakness, and Townley, the pre-
moter, has his. His activities leadin
up to the formation of the Nonpart
= san League show that he had a weak
ness for big things, for big promo
tions, for big developments, and, q
we related in the preceding article
Townley, the promoter became inter
ested in the Florida sisal enterpris
because of it's wonderful PROMOTE
possibilities.
Binder Irvine is made from sisa
Binder Irvine sold in North Dakota fo
10 cents per pound, when Townle
started the League. When Edwi
Lundin, of Miami, Florida, induce
Townley in the Gardner hotel j
FARGO, North Dakota, to invest none
in Florida, Irvine was selling fc
double the price. It was only a maj