Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-07-11
THE BR1NroN B

The announcement that a Jury in the district court at
Bismarck found j. W. Brtnton not guilty Of perjury Sat
urday will occasion no surprise in any quarters. The YER
dict was a foreeone conclusion, in view Of the tact that
the prosecution, that is, the state administration, failed
to support its claim that the defendant had lied when he
told certain damaging things relating to the management
of the Ncnpartisan League and the enterprises that had
become closely affiliated with it. notably the Bank Of
North Dakota and the Observation-Disclosures Bank at
Fargo.
It will be recalled that the state was in no hurry to
proceed with the case and that it was postponed from time
to time. 1t will also be recalled that the principal wit
nesses for the prosecution, especially A c. Townley, HIM
self, did not at any time appear at the tr1al-on the e-
ceedtngly flinnsy pretense that he was busy elsewhere.
Therefore it Is easy to draw the fair conclusion that
the state administration was not acting In good faith
when it staged the trial. One who feels that he has been
wronged usually leaves no stone unturned to show that
it is so; he even makes haste to present hts facts ana, at
all events, he takes great care to produce In court those
who are in position to bear him out The state admins
'ratton did not show any anxiety to bring Brinton to
trial and to test his statements made last winter before
the investigating committee at Bismarck. It did not show
the least anxiety in producing it's biggest testimony. /. e.
that which could rightly have been expected frona Mr..
Townley.
The question arises: Has the whole thing been a
clumsy naanoerver staged and at last carried out just for
the mere political capita. the League might make out Of
it for use in the recall election campaign? There is am
pie reason to believe that this Is the case. .
How the League will explain away all the damaging
facts that were not only brought out. but confirmed by
the very records of the League institutions themselves
remains to be seen. Undoubtedly the attempt will be made
with all the ninbleness of the typical .dennagogic stamp
speaker. but it is as easy to foretell the result as it was
to predict the Brinton verdict: The farmers Of North Da-
akota will not believe that Townleyism means salvation.
They have seen too much OF it. They have, indeed, had
too much Of it. From day to day revelations have taken
place that must have aroused even the most ~skeptical of
citizens, and the administration has completely failed in It's
attempt to bluff the voters of North Dakota.
A sequel to the Brinton case seemed a possibility at
early stages in the proceedings, and this may explain why
Townley did not appear. He may have had very weighty
reasons for not presenting himself at a time when his
entire career was being analysed in Ill it's details, fear
ing that his, presence might lead to a reopening OF the
bankruptcy case against him. As a matter of fact, appli-
cation for a reopening OF that case Is announced as 4 re-
suit Of. the Brinton case-so if Townley hoped by his
absence to prevent such a step he has once more made
himself guilty Of one Of those frequent niecalculations
that have featured his ACTIVITY in North Dakota.
The people Of this state will have every opportunity
to take a good look at him. even though he considered it
prudent to remain away from the halls Of Justice when
the very institutions he had built up were at stake.