Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-10-21
WITH
BOSS" SOUGHT
BY UNION, men
Members of Unions in Minot
Want Facts Instead of
Abuse.

Minot. N d., Oct. 21.-For some
time. an effort has been made to Sc
cure a debate between A.. G. Townley,
president of the Nonpartisan League
and VIM. LANCER or j. F. T. O'Connor,
but to date all efforts have failed.
Either LANCER or O'Connor are ready
at n time to meet tho League boss
on a platform. Townley 20 far has
proved an adept at lining up certain
Notwithstanding that the interests of
the laboring men are Numerically
opposed to those Of a very large ma
1ority OF the members of the league.
How Townley- could house the fellow
who holds up the farmer for a dollar
an hour. for an eight hour day, and
the owner Of the farm under the same
political roof. has been the mystery
OF the ages, but from the following
communication, written voluntarily
by members of Minot unions, it would
appear that in the future the League
boss will hav to employ brand new
tactics or lose a great deal of his
union support. It's q one to ten bet
that he will not accept the invitation
OF the Minot union men. altho the de-
bate would be one we'll worth hearings:
Minot. N. D., October Is, 1920.
Mr.. A. c. Townley,
st. Paul, Mimi,
Dear Sir:
Notice thru the columns Of the Nom
partisan papers, and also by the adj
dresses of the Socialist speakers rep
%resenting the League, that you arc
making an urgent appeal to organized
b throughout this and other states
to join hands with the farmers at the
November election and assist in put
ting across another victory for the
Nonpartisan League.
We, the undersigned members Of
organized labor in Minot. all holding
union cards. do not believe hat such
action on the part Of organized labor
would be for the best interests Of
labor in general, a the interests of
the farmer and laboring man are so
identical, inasmuch as it has always
been the aim of the farmer to keep
the cost of labor down to a minimum
with long hours, while on the other
hand abord demands reasonable hours
with a wage that will enable him to
lay by a little above the actual cost of
existence.
Furthermore, we believe your pro-
gram to be s~ocialistic in every way.
the few good laws thai have been pas
Bed by the Nonpartisan League being
merely bait offered to the public
which good many of the farmers and
labOrtng men have swallowed, hook
and all. You had to do some good
In order to get a following at all. but
mere promises at this critical period
in the history Of our country and
state are insufficient.
Neither do we believe in the class
hatred you are trying to engender De-
tween the farmer and laboring man
on the n side and the business man
and employers on the other, as capital
needs labor, and labor needs capital,
and, nothing but the friendliest feeling
should exist between the two.
If you can show us where the in
terests Of h laboring man and the
farmer are identical, as you say. and
where your program is not socialistic
and is for the best interests of the
for you and your so-called industrial
program.
However. W are tired of your mud
singing tactics and the abuse you
hand to all who fail to see things as
you do, having vel to hear Of one
good sound argument you have been
able to deliver in the interests Of your
cause. Calling you political enemies
liars. thieves, ETC., and bowling big
business to the top Of your voice
from a-public platform may appeal to
a certain class, but what we would
k to have are the FACTS.
Therefore. we will make you this
offer. and If you are sincere, If your
cause is just, II you are right in your
beliefs, we feel hat you should no,
hesitate in accepting our proposition
as an honest debate of the issues thai
confront us today could not help bu1
90 much good to the party in the
right.