Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1920-07-14
SAME TICKET AGAIN
EFARMER DECISION
Great ma.smeeting in Minneapo-
lis Auditorium Decide. on
Financing Plan
(9y Fred A, Hardinu>

10y Fred A. Hardina)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINI. - Over a
thousand representative Nonpartisan
league farmers and members of the
Working Peoples Nonpartisan Polft-
ical league in Minnesota, meeting in
Minneapolis July 7, voted Unanimous
ly to make a campaign on the farmer
labor ticket this fall for Shipstead
and the other League candidates in
dOrsed for the primary campaign, pro-
viding an adequate campaign fund is
raised to Offset the slush fund of the
steel trust, the milling trust and 9th.
err big business combines opposed to
the League.
Leaders among the farmers at the
massmeeting agreed to contribute
500 to the Campaign fund and solicit
their neighbors who can accord it to do
the same.
scheduled for the assembly room of
the Daily Star building in Minneapo-
lis: This hall was found inadequate
before the crowd had fully assembled
ana the meeting was adjourned to the
richmond Halls, the two biggest Ia
Dor halls in the city, The afternoon
session had to be held in the munich
pal auditorium in order to accommo-
date the audience.
A. G. Townley, president of the Ma
tlonal Nonpartisan league, Thomas
Van Lear. former labor mayor of Min
neapolis; Thomas V. Sullivan. candi-
date for attorney general, who was
counted out by the steel trust. and
Rev. 0. J. Kvale, who defeated Con-
~,
primary, were the principal speakers
out the meeting.
"We'I Stick, The Cry
The meeting was called by George
Grl1hth, state manager of the Non
partisan league, to decide what steps
would be taken toward putting on a
campaign for the general election,
When President Townley had shown
the futility of putting on a campaign
unless properly financed and asked if
the farmers and labor were ready to
lay down, pandemonium broke loose
We'll STICK" they yelled.
IF could make you realize what
this tight means to your enemies and
10 you, there'd be no doubt as to the
result of the next election" Mr.. Town
ley said. You are doing the most diff
hcult and most important work that
man ever tried to do. You are fight
ing to free yourselves and your chill
dren from the clutches of these men
and groups of men and concentrated
wealth that hold the people on the
farms and in the cities within their
control. This is not new battle. 1t
is the Struggle of those who toll against
those who do not toll. History is
full of this battle.
THE big-business-owned press says
we lost in the primary compaign. Two
years ago we carried 80 counties. This
year we carried 81 Politically, we
haven't anything to lose, but there is
good chance for our enemies to lose.
They've got to lose before we do. They
will lose if you men and women here
will make this campaign a business
proposition.
"You are going into the hardest
political battle in the history of Am
erica. There is nothing your enemies
won't do to defeat you, if they dare.
They would use guns if they dared.
They will start the revolution if one
is started. We don't have to use
guns. We have the ballots"
Eager to Aid Financially
When Mr.. Townley asked members
of the audience to express themselves
on financing the campaign, scores OF
farmers leaped to their feet. The
situation was dramatic.
T. L. Thompson of Black Duck.
Beltrami county, a negro, who has
settled in the cutover barrens of nor.
them Minnesota, sounded the feelings
of all when he said:
"This here League means every
thing to me. I really CANT afford to
give a nickel. I've found it hard
scratching to make a living. But be-
fob God, gentlemen, eaint afford not
to give $100 to this campaign if it
| takes the last wheel off the old Ford
car"
J. w. Burke of Minneapolis, a union
printer, also spoke and volunteered
| 500 for the campaign.
Another farmer, choked with emo
ton, said:
"God knows what we are doing here.
With Gods help I'll put up 500 and
go home and sell cow to do it,
Campaign contributions we're set at
$100 or more by Mr.. Townley, in order
| that members of the Nonpartisan
| league who are best able to afford it
might bear the burden of the cam
paign.
The big business interests are pre-
pared to spend over a million dollars
to defeat the League in Minnesota.
The so-called Sound Government as
sociation alone has collected a slush
fund of 81 900 900