The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1920-04-08

pointments it was worth while to
work along entirely new lines?
The Organizers and Their Enterprises
The originator and principal leader
of the Nonpartisan League is A C..
Townley. He has professed himself
a Socialist, and secured number of
professed Socialists as organizers.
Many men of the highest moral
standard followed them. These
strongly protest that they do not want
to become Socialists, but they look
upon the movement as new political
enterprise worthy of a trial Their
slogan was: eve want reform; hith-
erto the moneyed men have ruled /;
now let the farmers rule the country
the moneyed men have taken too
much of the profit; let US farmers
have at least some of it. For this
reason let US get control of every inn
portant business Farmers stores,
farmers elevators, farmers mills,
farmers packing-houses is what we
want; but not being strong enough
to run them as private enterprises, let
the State run them"
One thing might have made the
people cautious; nearly every one of
the paid organizers came from outside
the State; one from New Zealand, an
other from Oregon, another from
Kansas, etc. They remind one too
much of the carpetbaggers after the
Civil War; Townley himself has been
a financial failure, or rather a very
peculiar genius. In 1917 he and his
brother petitioned for voluntary
bankruptcy, with liabilities of $79,-
10000 and assets less than $500, Ac-
cording to his sworn statement he
had $393.39 in bank, wearing apparel
valued at $4,000, a watch at $1,000
and a gun at $1,000. This was all.
And this man, with his organizers,
succeeded, according to his sworn
statement before United States Off
Gals, in securing between 1915 and
the first half of 1913, total revenue
of $3,515, 100000 from all Nonpart-
isan activities, and besides this
enough to buy two newspapers, the
Nonpartisan LEADER, and the
COURIER NEWS, which, he claims,
are valued at 100000 each.
The total North Dakota receipts
from membership and profits are
$2,195, 900; Minnesota memberships,
$64O,0O0; memberships in other
states, $88O,OOO.
During the hearing before the
United States officials they tried to
find evidence that Mr.. Townley had a
little more than the above mentioned
''less than $500 assets" but they did
not succeed. But it became very
clear that a small number of Non
partisan organizers, Townley at the
hea dof them, manage the money of
the different league enterprises in a
most autocratic way.
Nonpartisan Activities
The first was enrolling men in the
Nonpartisan League, charging each
one of them at the beginning 5000;
then 5000; then $1,000 for member
ship. What return does the member
get? The right to vote as he is told!
That's all!
The second is the Consumers
United Stores Company" Upon my
inquiry as to what rights a member
ship costing 800, gives to the farm
er, received the answer: "About
the same as one gets when he contri-
butes to a church or to the Y. M. C..
A" This answer was sent to me by
one of the organizers. Mr.. Townley
admitted in his evidence before the
referee in bankruptcy, in the early
part of 1913, that there was $960,OO0
subscribed for these stores, and they
have been taking subscriptions ever
since. About a year ago they claimed
to have thirty stores organized. Here
give some facts regarding the Ken
that they have total membership of
800; this means $4,000; that the
stock put into the store did not ex-
coed $4,000; that the farmer gets not
a share of stock for his 500, but
gets membership card; that he has
the right to buy goods in such stores
for the actual cost and ten per cent
commission; that in case of dissolu-
ton he gets his 500 back less $1,000
for each year. Is such an organiza-
ton really seeking the welfare of the
farmer?
The third is the Nonpartisan news
paper organization. Here the farmer
again pays 500, but gets at least an
actual share, not a mere membership
card. Here again provisions have
been made so that the organizers,
Townley's men, can pretty well con-
troll the newspapers.
The fourth is the Nonpartisan