Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-07-07
'"s. To keep The .courier-News

going and provide other publicity.
'"Phe charge that Mr.. Kaador and
myself cannot and will not give an
accounting is false. We shall sub
nit a complete report Of all receipts
and disbursements to the next state
convention. Every dollar received is
publicly accounted for in The
Courier-News. We shall be- glad to
welcome an inspection of our books
by a comndttee of Leaguers, when
ever h League wishes.
'"Totten and his friends demand a
new convention, and tell farmers not
to send more money to Mr.. Kaldor,
but to Mr.. Poindexter in Bismarck,
of the original Victory. Fund COM;
mittee. But it was at the request OF:
Mr.. Poindexter-and other. members OF
this committee that twas decided all
funds should come through state
headquarters"
Members Of the committee were
frank in saying that it had taken
more money than they had counted
on to keep The courier-News going.
They are Of the opinion that careful
management would have resulted in,
greatly l%essening this newspaper ex-
penditure.
1.-The committee has discovered, for
instance, that the management of the
paper has apparently been endeavor-
ing to get business men to promise to
advertise in the paper If it is divorced
from the League. Totten has boast
ed to other employees that after July
~ the committee would be forced to
lease the paper to him, and that he
would then run it as he pleased. Ad-
vertising solicitors were actually adj
vised not to solicit contracts until aft
er July -.
ut is understood that more than
II group of former employees of the
league and of The Courier-News
have thus sought to get possession of
the paper. Business men of Fargo
have been approached by at least
thre different groups, and asked to
agree to advertise if the paper were
control. It has been whispered
about that Alex Stern, who is known
to be strongly antagonistic to the
group back Of the Forum, has agreed
to finance anyone who could get pos
session of The Courier-News.
"The Forum in its account of the
attempt of Totten to- use The Cour-
organ yesterday morning says thai
after members of the committee ar
rived employees in the editorial and
news room from that point on took
orders from Liederbach.' Members
. of the committee yesterday expressed
warm appreciation of the attitude OF
the employees almost without excep.
ton. They say nothing could bette,
prove the contempt in which Totem
methods are held by all right-minde6
people than that he was repudiate6
by practically every employe as soor
as they realized what was being at.
tempted. 1t was from employees thai
word came to the committee Of the
plot that had been Matched.
Strong condemnation of the actor
of Totten and his fellows was ex.
pressed o only by members of the
committee, but by Howard Wood
lieutenant governor, Senator B. F
Baker, former Senator Drown ant
many others. An attempt was made
in the Totten article, which was writ.
ten by. c. K. Gummerson, to make
1t appear that Governor Frazier anc
Attorney General Lemke approved O.
the plot. Over the phone both these
league officials strongly condemned
the plot, nj denied that they" hat
any advance knowledge of it whatever
or any sympathy with it.
During the early morning the pc
lice discovered a considerable guam;
tity OF what appears to- be intoxicat,
AAo AA4NoA Ill 4oLSClI a0SOAAAOOl1C, IL
front Of the Courier-News Office. HI
was taken into custody by the police
and then released. Judge C. F. Ami
don, however. later issued a bench
warrant for his arrest on a charge O.
transporting liquor. Totten claim,
that the beverage was nothing but or
angeade, the remains of a family pic
nic.' He was released on bail but tn,
car was attached:
he refused to relinquish con,
troll of the office, it became neces
sary for the committee to ask fol
a temporary injunction from Judg,
Cole in district court, which wa
granted.
THE funds which Totten had de
posted in Alex Stern's bank, to hi
personal credit. were garpisheed b,
the committee and SO will be credit
ed to the recall fund. Totten claim
ed that he had an understanding
with Walter Maddox, director Of
publications, regarding this a]ppropria
ton OF recall funds, but his Is denied
by Mr.. Maddox, who reached Fargo
last night from his home in Plaza.
&C. X. Gummerson has been dis
charged as editor. 'Billican' had al
ready severed his connection with tn,
paper. The committee does not pro
pose to let the paper pass out OF con
troll OF the, league, and expects soo1
to announce the permanent staff
which, 1t is promised, will be com
posed of men who have been tried an,
found true in the service Of tn,
league.
with the arrival OF r. H. wake
today the committee will meet "a
league state headquarters"