Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1920-01-29
.Langer Tells Of
Fargo Bank Deals
A Big Crowd Monday Hear
Two Hour Address Made
of Attorney General

4uc fl6lG W AduRUUu vi MOIluay
Of this week of Attorney General
LANCER to address the people gather
ed here on matters of state interests
and especially in so far as it affected
the entente cordi ale of the leaders of
the present state administration,
was attended by a crowd that filled
and overfowed the seating capacity
of the court room at the court house.
1t was a mixed crowd of believers
and unbelievers and that the address
convinced some whose views opposed
those of LANCER is conceded by ALL
The speaker was introduced by States
Attorney Crimson, the crowd having
gathered Immediately after the ar.
frival of the belated passenger from
the south at about FIVE o'clock.
In an address which occupied full
ly two and half hours, delivered in
the court house last Monday after
noon to an audience Of farmers and
townspeople that packed all available
space in the room, Attorney General
William LANCER told the story of the
Valley City and Scandinavian Amsri-
can bank deals. gave the history of
his break with Townley. recited the
story of the injustices done to Miss
Minnie ]. Mellon, and struck a blow
at extreme socialism in state politics
in a manner which set Cavalier
county people to thinking.
AS the train on which Mr.. LANCER
arrived in Langdon was several hours
late those who had come to town
early had to await his arrival, and
as the Auditorium had already been
engaged by the Caledonian society
for the Burns celebration in the eve
ming, Mr.. LANCER was escorted to the
y, \, ,court house. where he began to talk
Fat five o'clock in the evening. The
address lasted through the supper
hour, closing at z go, but not a man
left the hall and attention was close.
Mr.. LANCER devoted the major por-
tion of his address to a recital of the
Valley City and Scandinavian-Ameri.
can Bank deals, showing the course
pursued by Bank Examiner Lofthus
throughout the latter, and proving
through the medium Of photographed
letters the connection between the
state department and the Fargo bank
Mr.. LANCER paid his compliments to
Mr.. Lofthus and to j. R. Waters in
no uncertain language, ridiculing the
selection of the latter for the posi-
tiOns which he has held under the
Townley administration and limiting
that the promotion from a livery
barn devotee, to money loaner, and
thence to the position of state bank
examiner was ~too rapid for the
health of the department. Mr.
Waters. lack of banking experience
was emphasized in convincing man.
ner. Mr.. LANCER announced his al
legiance to the original industrial
program of the Non-partisan League,
but he denounced in emphatic langu'
age the efforts of Townley and his
henchmen to inject socialism into the
schools of North Dakota and into the
whole body polite of the state Of
North Dakota Miss Nelson was com
plimented on her plucky fight for ne,
rights, and the cowardly scheming
manner in which her powers were
taken from here was sounuly con-
demned. "lf my hands had not been
tied in the prosecution of the Scan
dinavian Bank deal," said Mr.. Lam
ger in substance, 'many of those
high up in state affairs in North Da.
kota would soon have been looking
through prison bars.