The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-10-13

~ outside the state told the world in full
- page headlines, scare head type tina: the
Equity Exchange was bankrupt, its officers and
managers swindlers who were engaged IN heec-
ing the farmers Of the northwest.
Just the other week this same Fargo Forum
and the other anti-farmer papers had to tell
their readers the news that" this same Equity
Exchange had been given a loan Of SIS, 100000
by none other than your Uncle Sam.
This Equity Cooperative Exchange that is
now able to borrow $15, 10000 0 from the United
States government was only a few short years
ago hailed into court by the Minneapolis Cham
Der Of charged with being bankrupt
and conducting its business in an unlawful man
ner. The officers, managers and members of the
Exchange were abused and vuitied by the reac-
taonary big business press in the same way that
these same organs are attacking the leaders OF
the Nonpartisan League, the. farmer-labor state
administration in Bismarck and everyone con-
nected with the movement.
History Is only repeating itself; it will con-
tinue to do so. Six, eight or nine years from
now the Fargo Forum and the other reactionary
big business papers will very likely announce
that the Bank of North Dakota has negotiated a
loan from the federal reserve bank OF some
$50 600 900 or 500, 100000 with which to erect
q large fax seed oil plant in Fargo or some
other North Dakota city. At the same time
these reactionary papers will continue their
favorite pastime of ridlculing, abusing and viii
SYlnR any new progressive nOVSmSub Ll6L may
have been started. Undoubtedly they will then
extol the virtues of the Nonpartsan League and
urge their readers to stick to it and not take up
with the new movement. They will stick to
their old policy: what is Is best Don't try
anything new"
That Memorable Equity Fight
The farmers of North Dakota still remember
wildly what the Chamber of Commerce and its
political errand boys did to them in the old
Equity fight; how the Chambers agents used
the police department in fargo to EJECT the
farmers from their hall into the street at the
gram growers convention In the winter OF 1913;
how the Chamber of commerce used Attorney
General Linde Of North dakota and the state
government to bring suit against the Equity
Exchange charging it with beng bankrupt.
The big bankers of the country, being the
iustlgators of the conspiracy, refused to let the
Equity Exchange have any money with which
to carry on its business. Ihe Equity Exchange
was barred from the great terminal markets..
Big pushes tried to make it an outlaw concern.
But the Equity Exchange kept up the hight.
The farmers soon found that ii they were gong
to get nywhere they would have to go into
politlcs. The fact that the Minneapolis Cham
Der of ommerc had been able to use the state
government Of North Dakota for lighting the
Equity Exchange convinced the farmers that
they must get control OF the government before
they could accomplish anything worth while.
The Nonpartisan League resulted from this con-
victlon.
Tell Farmers to Go Home and Slop Hogs
Prior to the birth of the Nonpartlsan League
the farmers of North dakota had started a
movement for state owned and controlled term
iusl elevators. The matter had been presented
to the state legislature several times and the
popular demand tor such elevators had forced
the reluctant legislature to take action. A con-
stitutionai amendment was passed by the legis-
lature and approved by the voters, authorizing
H. .%.%o to oo 1nfo tho rroin h,a1noQS When
this had been accomplished the farmers thought
they had won a great victory and that 1t would
be clear sailing from then on.
But subsequent events proved that they were
badly mistaken. A committee appointed to In
yestlgate the practicability of state owned term
inal elevators reported to Governor Hanna that
such q venture was not feasible; that such ele-
yators would do the farmers no good and the
committee advised against it. The legislature
took the cue and refused to take any further
action. The farmers were told that they were
mistaken; that they did no know what they
wanted and that the best thing for them was to
let the Chamber of Commerce have q monopoly
On the grain business and the right to fleece
them, to its hearts content .
When, at the 1915 legislative session the farm
ers focked to Bismarck to demonstrate with the
administration over this high handed procedure
they were tauntingly told to 60 homie and slop
the hogs. And they did. But the hogs appar-
emily have not been satisfied with the slop pro-
vided them, judging by the awful ssqueal they
have kept up ever since! The grain gambler
hog, the big banker porker and the grufting
political swine must have had mighty dissatisfy-
ing slop in North Dakota the last few years for
their piercing. squeals have penetrated every
corner of the nation since that memorable event
in Bismarck which resulted in the organization Of
the Nonpartisan League by <A.C Townley."~
Wall Street Declares Boycott
But these hogs have not been only squealing.
They have been putting up a stiff and effective
fight. Altho the League farmers and their
worker allies succeeded in. capturing the state
government, control Of the legislature and en-:
aacled- into law an industrial program. that has
been approved and upheld by the voters in sew
eral successive elections, the grain gambler and
big banker plunderbund has been able to. prevent
part Of this program from being put into oper-
alton. ."# Il -
We all know how they have done it. The
League did not get control Of beth houses Of
TIL. Legislature until the session of 1918. Il was
81 that session that the Industrial program was
enacted into law But no sooner had this been
Aeae than the Nv. "A. Politician demanded q
referendum election on these laws. This election
49, IL - u = $3.50 - -