Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1920-10-13
MIR. PREUS' CURE
IS ONLY A SHAM
Equity State President Raps Co.
operation Pose of Candidate.

J. A. o. Preus, steel trust candidate
for governor, who is stumping the
state urging extensions of the coop
erative movement as a cure of grain
gambling and livestock monopoly by
the packers, suffered setback today
when he received a letter from the
state president of the largest coop
atlVe organization in the United States
accusing Preus of "shamming
"A. q. WEIGH, farmer of Glencoe.
president OF the Minnesota union of
t4e american Society of Equity and
Nonpartlsan league floor leader in the
mousse or representatives, is the author
follows: 1o''01
81 have been reading accounts of
your speeches of late and am some
what surprised that you are talking
OF the beauties of cooperation among
the farmers. We're l convinced that
you were honest id your intentions, I
would be very much pleased to know
that politician who has been known
to have your connections has at last
made a start in the study of the real
problems of the farmer.
Charges Preus Shams.
"But if I am convinced of anything
it is that you are merely talking
sweetly OF the blessings of co-opera-
ton in order to cover up the issues
OF the campaign and because of the
fact that l am state president of the
| strongest cooperative organisation in
| the state at the present time I feel
| entitled to address this letter to you
| in the hope that you will see fit to
answer it both by letter and in your
talks in this county
! "Mr. Preus:
"You say that you favor co-opera
tive marketing. Where were you and
what was your attitude toward CO.
| operation when the Equity Co-opera
| tive exchange was denied the privil
| eye of occupying a seat in the cham
Der of commerce. Is it not fact that
if a strong farmers concern were tC
be allowed the same rights as the
private grain gamblers that the inter
ests of the gamblers in the chamber
| of commerce would suffer?
''Is it not also fact that members
of the chamber of commerce are
among your most enthusiastic sup
porters in this campaign? Your ad
mission that cO-Operatives are needed
is an admission that the interests OF
the grain growers and those of the
grain gamblers are violently opposed
Are you the candidate of the farmers
or of their economic enemy, the cham
Der of commerce?
Preus' Logic Unsound.
Lotus. l worked with that great
friend of the common people ant
revere his memory. Why do you no.
tell all Of the truth about him? Why
do you not inform the people thai
Lotus, on his deathbed sent a mes
sage of congratulation to the farmers
of North Dakota after their first DO
litical victory when the Nonpartisa1
league came into power? You tall
against state-owned terminal elevat
ors. Are you not aware that the MAI
you praise, George LOTUS, Learned
from his experience in attempting t.
make the cooperative movement
success that state-owned terminal ele
vators were necessary? LOTUS wa
in favor of state-owned institutions
Are you, who have always ASSOCIATED
| yOurSelI Win the element winch i've
off the labor of the people for whom
George LOTUS suffered, to pose nov
as a friend of the common people an
by inference try and make them be
lieve that LOTUS had your principles
II have been connected with &C
operative movements among tn
farmers since my boyhood. l know
the trials of the old Farmer Alliance
days. At that time we learned tina
political action was necessary and tn,
the peoples party was the result
That political organization died be
cause it did not keep track of it.
leadership but allowed men of you
type, Mr.. Preus, to steer it into tn,
shoals of destruction.
Ideals Preserved.
''But the ideals of the Farmers a.
lance and of the peoples party di,
not die and so when George Loftu
began his fight against the manipula
tors in the chamber of cammerce, al
of the old fighters we're back in tn,
harness supporting him. Again W,
learned the need of political action
Farmers like myself and Magnu
Johnson have served terms in tn,