Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1920-02-26
TWO NONPARTTAN
LEGISLATORS THRU
WITH T0WNLEYlSM
Repudiate Record Of League
Leaders at Public Meeting
and Pledge Selves to Help
Rid the. State Of Socialism.

Reeder, N. D., Feb. 20.-Two
Nonpartisan League legislators yes
terday repudiated the league lead
ers, and declared that in the future
they would give their time and de-
vote their energy to the righting Of
wrongs that had been attempted un-
der the direction Of the league So
cialist leaders.
Bert Arnold, who made a public
! statement in a William LANCER meet
ing at Scranton, and H. O. Braats-
burg, who publicly pledged last
| night in Reeder following LANCER
meeting that he intended, in the fu-
ture, to go square with the people
of his district. admitting that the
leaders of the league had dealt
crooked politically, and that he
would do what he could to right the
wrongs, are the leaguers who have
repudiated socialism.
The Arnold confession occurred In
the afternoon in the midst of big
LANCER meeting, and created tre-
mendous sensation. Word. of the
Arnold reputation travelled rapidly
thruout this region, and the big
crowd that gathered in Reeder last
night to hear. LANCER, was expectant
and excited.
Mr.. LANCER talked for three hours,
| hearing the record of the socialist
leaders of the Nonpartisan League.
After his talk. the crowd remained
in the hall, and, 81. o. Braatsburg, a
league member of the legislature,
who was in the audience, became the
center of interesss., He undertook, at
first, to defend his record.
As point after point was made,
Braatsburg made a public declara-
tion repudiating the socialist lead
ers of the league, and that he would
devote his attention to squaring the
wrongs that had been done.
Tho little town, filled with farm
ers who had come from a wide radi-
US to attend the meeting, celebrated
the victory thruout most of the
night, and the attorney general was
the center of the gathering that
cheered itself hoarse at the develop
ments Of the day.
Story of Arnold Statement.
Scranton, N. D., Feb. 20.-One of
the most dramatic episodes in the
ever spectacular North Dakota polit-
ical situation was enacted in Scran-
ton yesterday afternoon, when Bert
Arnold; Nonpartisan League member
of the state legislature, mounted the
platform from which Attorney Cen
eral William LANCER was speaking,
and publicly confessed that when he
voted in the recent special session
for q resolution demanding the res
ignation of Mr.. LANCER, that he, had
done a grave injustice to the attor-
ney general, which he felt that he
could never right.
Mr.. Langer had been speaking for
a half hour when Mr.. Arnold re-
quested an opportunity to speak
from the platform; Mr.. LANCER
granted the request and Mr.. Arnold
came forward.
Can Never Repair Damage.
''If Mr.. Langer's statements are
true, and I believe they are, and
while speech of mine will never re-
paid the wrong I have done, I am
glad to take this opportunity to pub
licly confess that I was wrong, and
all 1 can say is that if live 25
years more, I can never repair the
damages" said Mr.. Arnold.
'I have had considerable dealings
with Mr.. LANCER, and I have always
found him honest and square, and !
believe that he today is real friend
Of the farmers, square with the peo-
ple of the state, and absolutely hon
est in his present desire to rid the
farmers movement of its rotten
ness. !"
One Of the Most Faithful Leaguers.
Mr.. Arnold has been a league
member. Of the state legislature dur
ing the past two sessions. He has
been one Of the most enthusiastic
supporters of the program put over
in the legislature by the league lead.
ers, and he is the man whose name
/ was put at the head Of the roll call
In the house as q means Of indicat.
/ ing to other league members hos
j they should vote, the man whose
name. BY alphabetical order. should
be 1T the top: being 2 novice at vot'
ing and sometimes leading the lea
/ que LEGISLATORS .astray BY votint
wrong.