Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1920-05-12
SWENSON Is OUT FIGHTING
THE NONPARTISAN LEAGUE
Has Assistance of Man From N.
Dakota and Willmar
Politicians

John Swenson, candidate, for repre-
sentative, has been making a speak
ing campaign in the county during the
past week, in company with George
Murray, the Ward County, N. D., an
tagonist to the Nonpartisan League,
Rev. F. H. Oehler, Russell Spicer, G.
w: Odell, c. r. C. Baker and others.
The Republican Gazette of this city
printed John swenson's maiden
speech" and the W1llmar Tribune
takes pleasure in reproducing 1t for
the benefit of those who may not have
opportunity to hear it delivered.
mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gentle
men. This is an unusual thing Tor me
size 1t is entirely out OF my line OF
business and Mr.. Murray told YOU that
I had long speech to deliver. NOW
on that point He didn't know me as
we'll as he does know the League prob
lens of North Dakota and he judged
me by his own ability but I shall try
25th district why I filed for the Legis-
lature Now few of my friends were
at me for quite a while and requested
that file. That is a common n,,I plea ne OF
will see that as we are three candidates
now and I think when we express our
selves in the paper, they will al say
their friends urged them to file and |
guess it will be true in the case of all
Of us but there is always reason why
they request these things.
Now for the last two years nave
watched the League organization pretty
closely 1 have known some of the or
ganizers personally and heard some OF
their statements: There was a man
down at spicer, Minnesota: you az re-
Randall. if I have the name correctly.
He was very forceful speaker and he
didn't care much what he said nor
very much opposed to the draft propo-
sition and he made it plain down there:
Now that, in the first place, L didn't
think was just the proper time and
we were sending our boys over across
to fight the strongest enemy In the
world and before he got thru there, he
made quite number of people quite
a little bit sore but they acted gentle
Want to tell you right now was heart
lily ashamed and l wish l hadn't oeen
there when some of. those remarks were
made and I told myself wonder how
much longer he could continue to make
those remarks and not be arrested. and
it wasn't very long after that until we
read in this very same bp PAPER eHat ne
I didn't think so when I read 1T. He
got what was coming to him and he got
where he belonged.
THAT was one of the first things that
caused me to begin to waver and look
into things more closely. I still thot
that we as farmers ought to have an
organization to look after our interests.
That was the way it was preached to
first place. They never told Us there
was anything more in it than a farm
ers' organization. in tact they took TOOK
nobody but farmer could belong. That
was the program of it right thru and
in way it appealed to me. l thought
plainly how they stood on these things
and they spent 100000 of the money
that we contributed toward this, to
what we got for our money. Then they
came out and demanded more money to
keep themselves out of jail with.
Now then if we want absolute proof
what they represented to u.s. Now Mr..
Townley we have abundant proof of
that. was socialist before he organ
ized the Farmers Monpartisan League:
are men in our county that know him
and know he was radical and social
ist there at Towner. There is Mills
h92a fhe the and
and 1 believe Mr.. Townley made the
statement that he paid $1,000 for organ
ling 1N than ,o+ +oo,, n,oo 4,,~+
recently at this convention they adver-
tised down in the cities for the Oath
and 25th of March? In the February
number of the Leader, Townley an
held of the Nonpartisan farmers in one
hall and then another convention held
in another hall by the Labor Nonparti-
these men, if they had a common cause
have met in the same hall to discuss
these things together and agree on a
ticket? There must have been some
Nonpartisan Labor league-Thos. Van
Lear. Now, that name I think is
name mighty familiar to every person
in this audience. I am sure there isn't
that Thos. Van Lear was elected Mayor
of Minneapolis on the Socialist ticket.
Now, then, who is the head of the State
Farmers Nonpartisan League. What
Socialists. Everyone of them and if
there is anything I have always been
oppGssd to it is sofialistic route Of
tSu my o%n eerts doa to want set
link up with everybody else. OF course
this possibly is the extreme part of it.,
but it is their policy for those who
have nothing, to divide that little with
everybody else and I believe it takes
away all incentive for any progress in
this world and that is really what we
are drifting to at the present time.
Now what did the farmers gain,
when we get back to these two conven-
tons? Take and analyze this Victory
Ticket that is set before US and we are
asked to vote on. Here is the Nonpar-
| tisan Farmer League. They were I'm
one convention and the Labor Nonpar-
! tisan League in the other. There was
a committee going between the two
conventions and this convention was
| told so and So and the other convention
was pledged to endorse that very pro-
| gram, and what did they get for Gov
ernor? Did they get a Farmer? No
they did not. Did they get but one far
| mer on that whole ticket? That is all
would like to see where the farmer
the bills. The $1,000 we have donated
in years past was the means of conduc-
! ting the business. We paid the bill and
got nothing for it. Now, then, would
like to know how much longer we
should stand for anything of this kind
the bills and get nothing, you may dc
SO put l. for one. would not do it and
| that is my stand. 1t may not be popu.
lar with everybody but that is the only
stand l can take in the matter and
wish l had the ability which our friend
things to you. Mr.. Murray has explain.
ed to you very thoroly a few things il
the little time that he had and that viii
| ne my stand from now on that we dc
! not want to get in by the socialistit
route. 1 thank you.
Rev. F. H. Oehler is the secretary
and county organizer Of the Sound
Government Association" Meetings
have been held in St. Johns, Arctand
er, Svea and Kandiyohi.