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of the farmers' organization, the Non rtisan league, began his talk at a ttle before 9:30 o'clock and it was five minutes to twelve before he had completed his address. IT WAS LARSON'S LINE OF AT TACK ON THE LEAGUE WHICH LEADS TO THE BELIEF THAT THE ORGANIZED FORCES OF BIG BUSINESS IN THE EAST ARE GO ING TO FURNISH SOME OF THE SINEWS OF WAR FOR THE PRES ENT CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE INTERESTS OF THE FARMERS AND THE LABORING MEN. ABOUT LARSON'S TAXES After the Republican candidate had spent about an hour ridiculing the Nonpartisan league platform, in ssating that it was not workable; tell ing the audience how much more taxes he paid than did his opponent; holding up the organization of far mers as a menace to themselves and ending with a plea for his support at the polls next November he launched into an attack against the League on account of the "tinge of disloyalty," which he said clings to it. It was right here that the real ob ject of his address was brought to ht. He was prepared with a type written copy of the charges he was apparently coached in detailing. Many of the charges he read direct ly from the manuscript with which he had been furnished and most of it sounded like the kind of stuff they peddled against the farmers in Min nesota during the primary campaign / there last June. It is just the kind i of dope that is being sent out from the headquarters of Big Business asi represented by the copper company, the packing companies, and other big Interests that fear the strength of the organized farmers. NO TRUTH IN THEM The whole attack on the loyalty of the Nonpartisan league was composed of mistatements and plain untruths. The rank and file of the member ship is loyal, according to Mr. Larson, and all the rest of the enemies of the League. But its around the leaders that the "tinge of disloyalty" flut ters. The men who have made it pos aible for the farmers to organize to such an extent that in the course of three short years they have entire control of two states and have glowing prospects of controlling in four more as soon as the results of the November election are announced, are the men at whom the charges of dis loyalty are hurled. There were but few specific instances men tioned by Larson but he said there were scores of cases he "might mention." While he was telling of the "con vletion' 'of one official of the League a voice in the audience informed the speaker that the man in question had been exonerated by the supreme court of Minnesota. "Yes," Said Larson, "I believe that he was released by the supreme court The Nonpartisan League Platform and What It Stands For Those who attack the Nonpartisan league platform are few and far be tween. The enemies of the League fulminate against its leaders, they pretend to be fearfully concerned about the fact that the farmers pay dues, they hatch libelous statements as to the loyalty and integrity of the organization as a whole, but when they come to the platform they try to dismiss it, if they mention it at all, with the sweepin gassertion that it is socialistic. Now it is of no concern to the farmers and wage earners what the apologists of disorder and exploita tion CALL the platform, the vital point is what does it mean. They know that it embraces in all nine planks, each designed to relieve the producers of much of the burden they have carried these many years and the consequence being the hired champions of special interests, the politician and his boss fight it tooth and nail. They are fighting a losing battle, however, for the League plat form is in line with modern thought and furthermore is positively neces sary in order that the country may progress and grow strong. The fol lowing short summary of the plat form may prove of interest to our readers and is therefore submitted: (1) The exemption of farm im provements from taxation. A simple thing, but fraught with great good for the rural communi ties. It is this. As things stand at present the very instinct for improve of Minnesota on a technicality." SUPREME COURT FLOUTED But the action of the supreme I court cuts little figure with Mr. Lar son when it comes to a declaration that a lower court was in error in the I conviction of a League worker. Had C his attention not been called to the error it is likely that Larson would have been willing to let his statement that the League worker in question was serving a prison sentence for dis loyalty stand without correction. 3 It would take too much time and space to call attention to all the un truths recited by Larson. SMORE FABRICATIONS g At one time during his address he said that Kate Richards O'Hare, now under sentence for seditious utter e ances, had made 125 speeches for the Nonpartisan league in North Dakota. There is not a word of truth in the d statement except that the .oman was t in North Dakota once. bhe never d made a speech for the League nor n has she ever had any connection with the organization. Larson criticized the action of Arthur Le Seuer, an at torney in the employ of the League, o for acting as advisory counsel for the I. W. W. at some time or other, but s he did not mention the tact that Miss O'Hare had for her attorney, when she was tried for sedition, a e North Dakota attorney who is active .t in his support of the anti-League y forces and who was not criticized for his action. It makes a difference to n Mr. Larson who is defending alleged d seditionists and disloyalists. A n League attorney must not do it, but s it is all right for the other fellow to get the money in any manner which g presents itself. f STATE OWNERSHIP STORY He also made a charge that the League in North Dakota stands for f state ownership of farm lands and d farm machinery. This of course is untrue, as any one who wishes to can ascertain. Publicity was given such I, a story by the Old Gang in North e Dakota, but there was not even any s foundation for the statement. It took Larson over and hour to detail the charges against the League and most of his statements were of the kind mentioned above, neither facts nor based upon facts. In fact, the entire mass of fabri cation with which he had been fur nished was baseless in fact and utter ly ridiculous in construction. It was simply a repetition of the stuff which has been used, without effect, in other state campaigns. DAVIS MAKES ANSWER In his five minutes of rebuttal Mr. Davis completely discredited the charges made by his opponent by reading from statements and speeches of federal officials, including Presi e dent Wilson, Secretary of War Baker e and Secretary of the Navy Daniels d and George Creel, chairman of the e committee on public information. !These remarks, addresses and procla mations have been based upon fed t eral investigations and not in one of ment on the farm is penalized. From the point of view of mere cash-and alas as things are arranged at pres ent that is of paramount importance, it "pays" to refrain from building a substantial home, to erect a trim and efficient fence or a modern sanitary barn. There is a premium upon lay ing aside the paint brush and main taining a most distressing shabbiness, for every attempt in the direction of improvement is appraised by the as sessor and the penalty levied. The exemption of farm improvements from taxation would remove this in iquity and give great impetus to the building and maintaing of real farm homes. (2) Rural credit banks operated at cost. The subject involved in this plank is broad and deep and calls for a deal of study, including an examination of the systems already established in other countries. The vital point how ever is that the rural credit system is not an Utopian attempt to get something for nothing, but is a scien tific method of financing farm opera tions and carrying farmers over hard spots by (1) breaking down the arti ficially high rates of interest already prevailing, (2) by altering the mo tive involved in the process from the mere accumulation of dividends, which is the prime reason for bank ing today, to the sustaining and sup porting of one of the most important industries of the world. Instead of making a bank raise dividends and them is there a charge of disloyalty against the farmers and their organ ization. In fact, they even go so far as to state that the League is not to be disturbed in its activities, that mob violence must be stopped and that the winning of the war is the paramount issue at the present date. CROWD APPLAUDS DAVIS When Mr. Davis completed his talk and the reading of the statements of I federal officials, there was a ver- I itable storm of applause, members of t the audience stamped upon the floor, I threw their hats into the air and in i other unmistakable manners showed 1 there approval of the stand of the speaker. More than a hundred who were in the audience when Mr. Lar son began his long speech had de parted before the two and a half hours he consumed had gone by. Charges of disloyalty against the i men who have organized their League do not go well with the farmers of Montana and if the enemies of the League expect to get very far in their campaign it is apparent that they I will have to adopt different tactics. "Don't organize now," pleaded Larson at one time during his ad dress. "Wait until after the war and then do not follow the men who are now at the head of your organiza tion." It was the old cry of the politician who feels himself slipping. They realize the strength of the organized farmer and know that it spells defeat for the old conditions whereby they were able to profit by the very fact that there was no organization among the farmers and they know that the farmers and laboring men of Montana are going to stick this fall and that they are going "over the top" to political victory in the No vember election. liberty Bond Campaign Will Bring Great Money (Continued from Page One) the people as to how they are going I to get thru the winter and feed and clothe themselves, and there are in stances, no doubt, where there is not going to be any great oversubscrip tions, and possibly some of the places " where the subscriptions will fall be low the quota, but in no case will the failures, if there are any, be credited to any lack of desire, to any absence of patriotism or to anything that will cause criticism to be cast upon a community. There will be the usual terms of payment arranged for those who will not be able to pay all in cash. The bonds make the best invest bment possible at the present time. While the principal appeal for their purchase is made from the stand point of helping the government, the fact should never be lost sight of that you are only loaning your money to Uncle Sam, that the loan is se mothing ele, the Rural Credit system makes the bank assist very power fully in the raising of grain. (3) State terminal elevators, ware houses, flour mills, stock yards, pack ing houses, creameries and cold stor age plants. The rapid transition from privately owned to state owned and operated public utilities all over the world makes it the plain duty of the people of this nation to get in line or be outdistanced. It means in the case of terminal elevators, etc., the estab lishing of huge storehouses for the farmer so that the threshed, grain will no longer lay in the field and rot for want of proper housing condi tions in the event of bumper crops, as has so often been the case in the past. It means the manipulation of grain prices by chambers of commerce, in which 300 imaginary cars have been sold to one real one, will tend to dis appear and, above all, this plank means that the principle of control over the necessities of life by those who make and use them is in a fair way to be established, always pro viding-and this is the most impor tant point-that the PEOPLE EXER CISE THE CONTROL and do not, through negligence or want of under standing, leave it in the hands of gang politicians. (4) State hail insurance. Also a method whereby the return for labor expended in the production of crops is rendered more secure by the automatic insurance of all grain Knows League is Loyal Judson King of Washington, D. C., who is executive secretary of the Popular Government league and who has been making a speaking tour of the northwest for the Nonpartisan league during the past summer, said in a recent speech he made in Boise, Idaho: "I am for this war to the bitter end until military autocracy and all that goes with it are forever crushed. And so is the Nonpartisan league. To the honest-minded people of Idaho who want to know the truth, but, misled by newspapers and loose talk, are doubtful as to the loyalty of this organization, I want to address this question: "Why is it that the charges of dis loyalty all come from county and state officials If Townley is a trai tor, if this league is seditious, why has no arrest nor hindrance ever come from the Federal government? "The answer is because Washing ton knows and President Wilson him self personally knows that the league officers and members are loyal and are patriotically supporting his poli cies. He knows it from convention cured by the best of security and that you will get your money back with a good rate of interest and in the meantime it will have been working for you that this may be made a safe country to live in and that the entire world may be relieved of the yoke of autocracy. BUY LIBERTY BONDS, BUY THEM EARLY. AND BUY A LOT OF THEM. IT IS YOUR PA TRIATIC DUTY AND A MIGHTY GOOD INVESTMENT. SERVICE STARS FOR MANY Hundreds of Relatives of Leaguers in Government Service Members of the Nonpartisan league over the state of Montana are taking great interest in the plan for securing a service flag for the state. Scores of members have renlied to the re quest of the Leader for the names of any of their relatives who are in the service of Uncle Sam. whether in this country or abroad. It is the plan of the Leader to secure the names of all members or relatives of members who have entered the army or navy, either thru voluntary enlistment or by the way of the selective service act. Get busy at once if you have not answered this appeal. We want the names of every one entitled to a place on the flag. The sooner you answer the sooner the job will be complete. Why not declare an embargo on lip patriotism? fields in a county or subdivision thereof. The monies for such opera tions are raised by a tax on ALL LANDS of from three to five cents per acre. It means that the farmer who suffers from hail will not have to undergo the humiliating dickering which is usual with hail insurance companies and that he will not find himself bankrupt in the fall, as is so often the case now. (5) State inspection of dockage ando grading. A method of removing from the! line elevator buyer the ungrateful task of making his wages out of dockage and undergrading, by estab lishing a state grading and dockage department under the control of a competent scientist to whom disputes may be submitted and whose judg ment is final and binding upon both parties. Many thousands of dollars are saved yearly to the farmers of North Dakota by this law alone. (6) Torrens land title system. An arrangement whereby the ex cessive charges of handling matter pertaining to title deeds are elim inated. Registrars' offices are estab lished as part of the state machinery where all matters relating to clouds and uncertainties on titles are re ferred and where all information about such things can be obtained for a nominal charge, ranging from 25 cents to five dollars. (7) Nonpartisan election law. A system of nomination by five or more electors and their candidate, resolutions and telegrams sent him direct. He knows it from A. C. Townley in person. "He knows it from his trusted personal advisers and confidants- men like William Kent of California, ex-congressman, and appointed by the president as a leading member of the United States tariff commis sion. "I know. I have seen the tele grams and letters and answers. "He knows it finally from the re ports of the thousand-eyed secret service bureau of the Federal De partment of Justice. "Before I left Washington, a high official of this department, who knows whereof he speaks, told me that the federal government knows the Nonpartisan league is loyal and is doing all it can to help the presi dent. and that the accusation of dis loyalty and socialism against it are being made for political purposes by local and state politicians and finan cial interests whose supremacy was threatened by the league who were fighting to keep themselves in power." LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Leaguers Should Write to Leader and Tell of Conditions in Their Vicinity One of the most important and in teresting departments of the Montana Leader is going to be that portion de voted to the reproduction of letters written by the readers of the paper. We want them often and from all parts of the state. There may be some problem you have solved in your neighborhood that is bothering the Leaguers in some other part of the state and your solution may make it easier for some other member of the league. Tell us about League meetings, how the campaign is going and what the other fellows are do ing. Be sure and sign you name, not necessarily for publication, but so we may know who is writing. Address the letter as follows: "The Montana Leader. Box 1625, Great Falls, Mont." A number of letters which have been received have not been printed yet, but will be in an early issue. Over in Minnesota. whei'e they suppressed free speech and attempt ed to deport farmers from the state, they are afraid of federal intervention aimed to protect the constitutional I rights of citizens. Look out for those who try to enforce their opinions by might rather than reason and logic. They are just like the Iluns our boys are trying to put in the clear "over there."-The Stnltsman County Press, Jamestown, N. D. i with or without a money deposit. A ballot at the general election carrying the names of the candidates only ; without stating to what party they belong. (8) Equal taxation of railroads, mines, telegraph, telephone, electric light and power companies and all public utility corporations. A method of taxation in which all industries bear a burden in propor tion to their earning capacity and where no favored company or corpo ration is tolerated. The elimination I of coppor-dictated tax methods in [ which, as all know, the great smelters .! and mines escape with nominal tax ation and leave the burden of financ ing the state to the small fry. (9) Rural telephone system oper ated at cost. The most modern method of estab lishing communication between farmers and the city and knitting rural communities together. Of great advantage to cattle and hog buyers who do not, under this system, have to spend large sums driving about the country to obtain information, which they can get from the hotel lobby by phone. It also enables farm ers to market more effectively and keeps them in touch with prices and conditions. The hallmark of a mod ern farming community. Operation at cost is simply with enough well paid employes to run the plant and no PURELY ORNAMEN TAL officials or useless dividend drawers.