The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1920-10-14
LARGE CROWD HEARS THOMAS AND
STALLARD DEBATE ON Mp. LEAGUE
Seattle Newspaper Man Declares 1t Is Founded Graft
" and is Destructive of Property Rights ~ 5.
Socialist Orator Defends 1t 49,"

An audience which packed the 4.
of P. hall Tuesday night listened with
intense interest to the argumentatlye
onslaughts on the non-partisan league
| of Jay. Thomas, Seattle newspaper
man, and the counter attacks OF MS
opponent, H. II. Stallard, socialist and
non-partisan league organizer. Inc
two men debated the subject: Ike
solved that the non-partisan league is
an organization founded on graft; rs
designed to destroy private ownership
of property and it's success would be
detrimental to the interests OF the
people of the state of Washington.
Taking up the affirmative Thomas
recalled that A. c. Townley, national
head of the nonpartisan league, enter
ed politics in North Dakota as a can
didate of the socialist party for the
state legislature and that later when
he started to organize the league he
surrounded himself with socialists
from every quarter of the United
States, naming several of his close as
sociates in the movement who helped
formulate and direct the policies OF
the organization, the majority OF
whom are nationally known for their
red radicalism. He told of Townley's
failures in his private ventures which
were launched on huge scale, ending
in bankruptcy following his aspira-
tions to become the flax king of Am
erica, when he and his brother LETT
judgments amounting to over $4OO,-
900.
Thomas pointed out that according
to their own claims the league heads
have collected some $15,000,000 from
the farmers of half a dozen western
states and that never has there been
an accounting to the membership OF
j the use or application of this vast
sum.
| In the support of his contention that
the league is founded on graft, Thom-
as referred to the stores schemes in
vented by Townley. According to the
report of the company created to put
this scheme over, thirty-five stores
have been organized in North Dakota
he said, with 1000 members, each
paying a membership fee of 500
which gives the right to buy at the
stores.
The contract provides that 80 per
cent of each $4,000 shall go into the
store and all above that may be used
by the directors to establish wholesale
buying agencies or for political OF
propaganda purposes. He declared
that with the 81, ,1OO,OOO known to have
been collected for this purpose in not
one instance has the contract amount
been placed in the stores, and that no
accounting has been made of the bal
ance.
Taking up the question of the eff
feet of the league operations on taxes
in North Dakota, Thomas declared
: that investigation had failed to dis.
: close a single instance where take:
on farm property had not doubled
and in many cases it develops they
have tripled. The state payroll, HI
said, had increased from $4,000 {
month in 1918 to $4,000 month i,
: 1919. "Taxes are higher in Washing
ton, it is true" he said, "but you ar
not going to get lower taxes else
where. The only state where take
have been materially reduced in re
cent years is Illinois, where a reduc
tio has been made under the Lowdel
\ plan of simplified administration, an
the republican party of this state j
pledged to the adoption of that pla
e here"
As further evidence that the leagu
leaders are attempting to, lead tn
farmers into an alliance with extrem
radical and revolutionary elements j
: this state. as elsewhere, Thomss OF
= fered letter written by Centrali
III 1. w. w. to Britt Smith, one of tn
S. men convicted of the Centralia mas
10 = sacre and now in Jail at Montesan,
predicting several weeks before th
D. Farmer-Labor party met in conver
k, ton that Robert Bridges would be il
n. nominee for governor and intimatin
= that Smith and his fellow armistie
I'd day murderers could hope for a pal
in don if the new party should win I'll
-, election.
t1l He also pointed ont that the thin
I'd party in its nominating conventie
er had named Elmer Smith, one of tt
lg defendants in the Centralia murd'
IN case, as its candidate for attorne.
,r general and that he withdrew to a
re cept the nomination of the Lew
IS. county branch of the party for pros
no cutting attorney; that Ralph Pierc
be associate of George Vanderveer, cou
sci for the 1. w. w. and who defen