Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1920-04-30
DANGERS OF SOCIALISM
SHOWN In PICTURES
Mr.. Kopplin From Sound Govern
ment Association Addresses
Crowded House at Strand

Branding the leadership of the
Nonpartisan League as the worst type
of political machines, F. H. KOpplin,
four minute speaker for the Mime
sofa Sound Government Association,
brought home to a large audience
at the Strand Theatre Sunday night
the dangers of encroaching Social
ism in Minnesota.
Mr. Kopplin gave the first of a
series of talks to be given at intervals
of FIVE days at the Strand Theatre. A
one reel motion picture depicting
some phase of the League program
in North Dakota will be shown fol-
lowing each talk. Sunday night the
picture, King Arthur's Court or the
Search of the Holy Kale" featuring
NJ Figman as A. G. Townley, was
shown. 1t dealt with the origin and
purpose of the Nonpartisan League
leader and clearly showed that
Townley was actuated by mercenary
motives in banding the farmers of
North Dakota together.
In delying into the history of
Townley and his associates, the
speaker made the startling disclosure
that in this whole farmer movement,
only one of the officials of the league
is a genuine bona fide farmer, but
even he is Socialist. That man is
F. B. Wood, of Deering, North Da-
kota, vice president of Townley's first
ORGANIZATIONS opposed to him, the
leaders whom TOWnley has gathered
about him are professional, political
job-hunters, everyone of them being
radical socialists. There is A.E. Bow
en-, candidate for National Congress
from Minnesota on the Nonpartisan
League ticket, who was the socialist
candidate for Governor of North Da
kota some years ago. Arthur LeSeuer,
the I.W.W. Attorney who has been
chief legal advisor to Townley in the
past, Henry Teigen, private secretary
and confidential advisor to TOwnley
in Minneapolis headquarters, was
former editor of the Socialist Icon
clast Joseph Gilbert, is in charge
of the organization work at the head
quarters, was an active socialist in
the east before coming here. William
Lemke, Fargo attorney, is a member
of TownIey's executive committee and
a man of radical ideas. J. G. Dun
can, former socialistic mayor of
Butte, Montana, is in charge of the
organization work in South Da-
kota. There are hosts of others.
Townley himself, the leader of the
entire National NOnpartisan League,
is a self-avOwed Socialist, as evidenc-
ed by a fac simile of his registration
in North Dakota, which was shown
in the motion picture. His chief aid
is Walter Thomas Mills, one of the
most noted Socialist writer's and
lecturers in the United States.
Socialism, the ultimate aim Of the
Nonpartisan League Leaders in the
state ownership and control of all
machinery of production, distribu-
tion and exchange. Under the state
ownership program of the Nonpart-
isan League, controlled by Townley,
an active socialist, it would mean the
conffscation of farms either directly
or by taxation, it would mean the
cOnfscation of all the mining, mill
ing, lumber and manufacturing in
dustries of the state. It would mean
the control of all means of trans
portation and distribution. It would
mean the cOnfiscatiOn of the farmers
private property, and the confiscation
of the business mans property. 1t
would mean the absolute control of
every individual of the state and
would even mean the invasion of the
sanctity of the home and the abolish
ing of all religious faith. There
would be no half way business about
it. North Dakota has reached that
stage and no one can deny that it
is the ultimate aim of the league
leaders to make North Dakota a pure
1y socialistic state.
"Townley has allied himself with
the radical, the I.W w. and the
Red. He has handed down to the
people of North Dakota the teach
ings of Lenine and. Trotsky in Soviet
Russia. He has the control of the
public shcools and colleges in the
hands of his Socialist teachers, that
the deadly seed may be spread" said
the speaker.
"And here in Minnesota, through
lies and false promises, he has, with
the millions of dollars at his dis
posal, banded together some $4,000
of you farmers. Through you, Mr..
Farmer, he hopes to get control Of
of this state, of your farms and your
schools and industries. He seeks to
destroy that sacred right of freedom
and libetry that has made this state
and this country the greatest on
earth.
And as surely as you fail to fulfill
your duty at the June election, just as
surely will Minnesota totter on its
foundation and be plunged into bank
ruptcy, even as North Dakota will be
If Townleyism is not destroyed in