The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-05-09
|T0WNLEY RAPS
SEN. FRAZIER
ON NEWS SALE
Tells Senator That Paper Was
Kept Going Long Enough
To Elect Him
H.A D TO BE SOL ID
Tells Senator He Has Not
| Charged Him With Bad
Faith For Past Mistakes

Il A. c. Townley, IN letter written
h in Minneapolis, today makes a hot
/ reply to Senator Lynn J. FraZiers
. criticism of the sale of the Fargo
!, Courier News, league organ.
|, Townley declares Senator Frazier
/ ought not to charge bad faith even if
|, the sale were a mistake, and asks:
Have | charged you with bad faith
in the past when you made mistakes?
HIVE | publicly proclaimed the mis-
takes and the charges Of bad faith -
|: Townley wakes sarcastic toward
| Senator Frazier, telling him that he
/ Townley), dug up the money to keep
I the paper going until Frazier was
elected. The Townley letter begins:
Hon. Lynn j. Frazier.
Hoople, North Dakota.
Ny dear Senator:
Permit me to direct your attention
to the wide publicity given your I'M
fortunate letter to Mr.. Peter Coli
ton of Wiliston, North Dakota. You
say:
"Thc paper has been sold without
warning to anyone in charge after
Il promise had been made by Mr..
Townley to Mr.. Bloom, the manager,
and to Mr.. Lemkc that the paper
would not be sold as long as it could
be Financed by the manager. So far
as am able to learn there were no
pressing obligations of the paper and
all demands upon it had been met
] am very deeply disappointed.
cannot believe that you have been
honestly and intelligcntly Informed
cencernng the condition of the Cour
ier> News and the circumstances that
compelled the sale. If I had known
that you were SO actively interested,
that you were soliciting subscrip-
tons, / should certainly have cOun-
selled with you before advising the
sale.
Lists Liabilities.
Nh. Townlcy then lists liabilities
'of $50, 1926 against the paper, which
have been printed before. He calls
attention to the statement that on
1.-THE day of the sale the payroll was
fnot met, there was an overdraft at
sthe bank and many bills were unpaid,
land in addition the Farmers State
';bank of Coleharbor and the Publish
Ders' National Service Bureau were
!suing for money due.
4 Nj. Townley continues:
Y In your letter, which you must
L, Io
Npublic, you say:
Y $50 far as l am able to learn there
twere no pressing obligations of the
fpaper and all demands upon it had
Ibeen met
"The facts are, there were long
land $4,000. including several hun
Vdred dollar payroll with less than
fnothing in the bank to meet it.
Yam sure you would not venture the
Yassertion that an overdue, unpaid
'Spayroll is not pressing obligation.
fMy, experience with the paper during
tthf last several years, during the
ltime that have carried the RESPONSE
tbilty for keeping it going, is that
lwhen it gets about where it was
Nfnancially, on the date Of the sale
1--WE have to dig up some money on
lI,pretty short notice. 1 didn't know
HwSere to get the money"
II Says Warning Given.
X Further answering Senator Frazier
MMr. Townley said:
4 "You say no warning was given
fIt is matter Of public knowledge
1that the League delegates and state
committee have been told repeated!
Ethat the paper might have to be solo
flat any time. The delegates at Bis
[marck last summer refused to sigr
Ma blanket guarantee, upon which thu
committee could raise m oney, and fail
ed to raise money by any other means
NJ told the delegates at that conven
= ton that if the state committee, be
/ cause they could not finance it, wer,
compelled to turn the paper back t.
the national committee I would agre,
by some means to keep the papel
going until after election. And,
also told the delegates, with the stat:
committee present, that after election
the paper might be sold and that il
would be sold any time the nationa
committee was unable to finance it.
"At another time Mr.. Church ant