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Jh 344 Npari~an" OFFICIAL " ' BLICATION OF THE NATIONAL NONPARTISAN LEAGUE IN Tme STATE OF MONTAIIA VOLUME 8 GREAT FALLS, MONTANA, SATURDAY, MAY 17, 1919. NUMBER 1I HOSI - - ORATORS TAKE STUMP SOON DELIBERATE DISTU., AOF QUAMME'S REMARKS RAISES HIS IRE;--HE COMES BACK Says, Likes N. Dakota Plan - President Quamme'of the St. Paul Federal Land Bank says: "I am not against the rural credit system of North De. kota. I am for it and I want everybody to know it. North Dakota needs a rural credit system. There are lots of farm era in the state that we can't reach for one reason or another. That is true of every farming state and I'd like to see rural credits like North Dakota's established in all those states." Ill nuIIIUIIumIIIIlhIIl nIlmluIIIllllllllHIUnII IIUI nIIIIIlNuIIIuIIIItII IT The Bismarck (N. D.) Tribune and other anti-farmer papers have been printing recently stories intimating that E. G. Quamme, president of the Federal Land bank of St. Paul, has been attacking the Bank of North Da kota, established through the action of the recent North Dakota legisla ture. These newspaper stories have borne heads like "Farm Bank Replies to Attacks on Farm Loan Bank," etc. Shown one of these articles last week by a representative of the Min nesota Leader, Mr. Quamme said: "There is absolutely no founda tion for such a lying article and such misleading heads. They are trying to make me say that I am against the rural credit system of North Dakota. I am not against the rural credit system of North Dakota. I am for it and I want every one to know it." Explains the Plot Mr. Quamme went on to explain how the Bismarck Tribune, which originated the story and spread it to other anti-farmer papers, tried to draw him into a trap and got him to give a purported "interview" which then was to be twisted into an attack upon the North Dakota bank plan. George Mann, publisher of the Bis marck Tribune, first wrote a letter to Mr. Quamme, asking the latter to ex plain the amount of loans made to North Dakota farmers, the rates charged for loans and other questions having to do with the federal land bank system. Mr. Mann intimated that the fedaral land bank was criti cized somewhat for not having loaned more money. Mr. Quamme, in a letter, gave the information desired, showing that $14,000,000 had been loaned to North Dakota farmers at 5 and 5% per cent interest and stating that this progress of the federal land bank system should be considered satisfactory and not slow, as Mr. Quinn intimated. Mr. Quamme got another letter from Mr. Quinn requesting permis sion to print the infofination Mr. Qiuamme had gives. This permission was given. Trap Is Sprung. Then Mann sprung his trap. He picked up a portion of an editorial from the Fargo Courier-News. The' Courier-News pointed out what is true that the $14,000,000 loaned by the federal farm loan bank has only reached about 5 per cent of the bor rowers of North Dakota, that the: Bank of North Dakota will be enabled to make rules more liberal than the government's rules and that the state! bank will thus reach borrowers that!, can not get the benefit of the cheap government money. Mann printed a portion of the Courier-News editorial and then printed Mr. Quamme's statement, stating in black type above Mr. Quam me's statement: "Quamme Makes Reply,' to carry out the impression that the federal land bank president was replying to the Courier-N6ws edi torial. Then an attack, written by the editor, on the Bank of North Dakota, was added at the end of Mr. Quam me's statement, to make it appear that Mr. Quamme was attacking the state bank. When a representative of the Min nesota Leader called upon Mr. Quam me he had copies of the Bismarck Tribune article lying on his desk. "There is absolutely no foundation You Must Register To Sign A Petition, If you Did Not Vote Last Election-- You MustRegisterAgain. Go And Register Now! Democracy Is In Danger! iIl..Ii..ini..u MMluuuIIIIIHlJ il.U U UlUUMili unalllli Mill U Wl iM l lllullHuiinJlunluuMnIIlllIuunuuunenunu111uuu.III ..l.luu iIllNuIilfilMuIM IIM lHnuun..l uuunuulmll NW......l.uIl.ilu in the statement I wrote to Mr. Mann for such a lying article," Mr. Quam me declared heatedly. "They are try ing to make me say that I am against the rural credit system of North Da kota. The article is misleading and unfair. I merely gave a statement of the work of the federal land bank in North Dakota. "I am not against the rural credit system of North Dakota. I'm for it, and I want everybody to know it. Of course, I permitted them to print my statement. "There is nothing in the statement that I wouldn't say again, but I ob ject strenuously to having such an in terpretation put upon my words as the editor of the Bismarck Tribune put upon them. "Need State System." "North Dakota needs a rural credit system. There are lots of farmers in the state that we can't reach for one reason or another. That is true of every farming state, and I'd like to see rural credits like North Dakota's estab lished in all those states. "For instance, the federal land bank doesn't lend money on unimproved land. The farm must be a going con cern before we are permitted to make a loan. That is the place for the state to step in. North Dakota needs that sort of rural credits to help these men get on their feet. When they have got on their feet, and a farm, as we consider farms in the federal land bank system, established, they can obtain a loan through our system and release the states money for another man who is just beginning to estab lish a farm. Story Is "Rot." "I want you to tell your farmers out in North Dakota not to be lieve any such rot as that publish ed in the Bismarck paper and peddled to the Twin Cities news papers to discredit the North Da kota rural credits. I want them to know I am for their rural credits bank all the way, and I am very much interested in seeing it suc ceed." The Courier-News editorial pointed out, just as Mr. Quamme pointed out, that the federal land bank is unable to reach all the farmers of the state who need loans, and,who are unable for some reason or another to get the money from the federal land bank. The article is in no sense an attack on the federal land bank system. The Non partisan league has at all times been a warm supporter of the federal farm loan system and it is a recog nized fact that there must be a state agency to supplement the federal sys tem. Glendive, Mont., May 4, 1919. Montana Loyalty League, Dear Sir: Yours of recent date entitled "Who Is Who in the Non partisan League." Sorry to say that I have read these misrepre sentating statements quite fre quently in the Kept Press, conse quently you are running shy of ammunition to fight the organiz ed farmers. However, I wish to state there is no need of send ing any more pamphlets until you can furnish some real facts and at least a little truth. 'Respectfully yours, H. W. BOHLSEN, P. S. The above is a copy sent to the Loyalty League. Please send me two of those pe titions for the referendum. I will get a neighbor to take one of them. The farmers have as much right to say who shall be our of ficers as any body and those ras cals who are fighting the Lea gue so hard, ought to be put on a homestead with money enough for about a month's provisions when I am sure they would feel different toward the farmers or ganizing, before the first year was out, especially if they had a crop failure. I am tired of those daylight thieves robbing me every year I have anything to sell and if I started in I could tell a tale of ex periences such as few have thought possible. I farmed seven years in Missouri., working early and late and I only had $250, more than I started with after selling my farm for $2,000 more than I paid for it. I have had much the same ex perience so far, having farmed two years and had one crop fail ure while the one I did get did not pay expenses. I am in the League to stay, I read my League papers and give them to my neighbors who read them and re turn them so I can pass them on again. As a result I have got six League sympathizers who I think will vote the League ticket straight next election. We'll Stick. R. H. Forsythe, Meat. GREAT MEETING ON REFERENDUM AT MANN HOUSE Ferris & Krogman Tal A rousing community" meetin was held at the Mann school house about 20 miles northwest of Great Falls to protest against the action of the last legislature in trying to take from the people of the state the Primary Law. A number of striking speeches were heard amongst which the ef forts of Col. J. C. Ferris command er of the Grand Army and Organ izer Krogman of Miles City fame stood out with sharp definition. Colonel Ferris. Colonel Ferris spoke at length on the political situation and urged the farmers to get out and sign the petitions," "For," said he "Democracy is in danger. The thing we old fellows fought so stubbornly for years ago, and for which so many young lives were given, will be lost if we do not all fight now. The Blue and Gray, were enemies then, but today all that is forgotten, we are all merg ed in one great army. The Grand Army of the New Democracy. Now the fight is on and like good sol diers we must deploy our forces in such manner that victory will perch upon our banners. Let us organize, let us be educated, let us act!" Krogman Speaks. Organizer Krogman's remarks were confined almost entirely to organization and the necessity of registering but that did not pre vent him from developing a little about the platform and principles of the League. He dwelt at some length with the proposed storage elevator at Great Falls and point ed out flow the thing was likely to fizzle after all. Speaking along the line of the League Platform, Krogman said, "The state mnst own and control its flour mills, elevators, packing plants and oth er public utilities, before any real relief can come from the e-n nomie troubles which afflict us." PEOPLE tO HEAR ALL ARGUMENTS ON PRIMARY REQUESTS FOR SPEAKERS DELUGE STATE OFFICE WHICH PLANS TO PICNIC ENTIRE TREAS. STATE Hundreds of Meetings will be Taken Care of Says Secretary IIIIIIHuIIIIIInIIIIIII IIin1111111111111111111 [ InuIsuinumln m;anauua fHII nhumlunuI InIfIulI i uu111111111111111111f t DEAR LEAGUERS: The people of Montana are rushing to the rescue of the Primary Law in a manner which is cheering the hearts of those who organised the movement and filling them with renewed courage to push on to greater aecomplishments. Day after day the requests pour in, for petitions, for instructions for speakers, coupled with offers of help and encouragement of every shape and form. The state is aroused as it never was before. The armies of Democracy are forming into line and all indications point to a splendid victory for the progressive forces. The officials of the Referendum Of fice are burdened with work but are going about their heavy tasks with a cheerful smile for they too fight the battle of the right and so fight with redoubled vigor. The petitions are still going out and many are yet to go, the pressure of work makes it imperative that those who applied first get served first, so do not complain if your petition seems late in coming, it leaves this office not more than 24 hours after we get your application, and will reach you as fast as the U. S. Mail will operate, then it is up to you. You are doing your part, we are doing ours, the result will be-defeat for the Old Gang in the near future. Every meeting also will be cared for in its turn. REFERENDUM SECRETARY Ilununumunununnununuumu1111 l ulul ll1 ý IIIIIIInIuiImilltil lnaumnul u m lunmuIII I 1111111111111111111111111111 The approach of June brings the next turn in the campaign against the copper crowd's convention law into view. This is nothing less than a great state-wide picnic plan. Picnics everywhere, in every locality and reaching the most remote corners of the state. A large number of well known speakers will address the great central picnics it is planned to have, and then devote their attention to points more or less remote. No request for a picnic will be ignored. lit .·~t Mighty gatherings these cen tral picnics will be, places where thousands of farmers will get to gether to hear the referendum ex plained and be informed as to all the requirements for registering and signing the petitions. Hun dreds of petitions will be circu lated by a corps of volunteer workers and those who have not already signed will get a good chance to do so there. No one will be overlooked( either iP the way of hearing the message or of having a chance to defeat the gang it is planned. Spread the Light. The picnic plan arose out bf an earnest desire on the part of the Leaguers throughout the state to have everybody understand just what it was all about. The League wants no one to sign or vote who does not know what he or she is signing or voting. Lea guers say, let us spread the light, therefore send us literature and speakers, and the State Office is standing up to the task as best it may. In every case where a pic nic is being arranged it is at the express wish of some residents of the locality, so much in eirnest are they all to have the matter aired. Noted Speakers. Speakers from outside pointe are being arranged for but a com petent staff of local men also will assist. A number of pronminent publicists, attorneys and profes sional men have banded them selves together to help defeat the gang and there will take the stump against the infamous mea sure, amongst whom the names of B. K. Wheeler, Attorney Gen eral Ford, W. F. Dunn and nany others are prominent. Labor Men Co-operate. Not only are the picnics to be held in forest groves and by swift PROFF'S PROFFER ORGANIZATION TO LABOR FEDERATION A Professor's Union Now. Those who have noted the way our universities are being combed by reactionary boards of trustees to weed out men of progressive ideas, may find some satisfaction in the fact that the professors of the University of Illinois have formed a union. More than this they have affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. If the rest of our universities do the same and if the people on the outside give them the proper support, there is still some chance of maintaining decent higher ed ucation for our young men and women. What the people outside can do is well 'illustrated in the re cent case of Dr. Louis Levine. The University of Montana fired him for publishing a book which show ed that the big copper companies were not paying their fair share of taxes. So many organizations running brooks, but in town and city as well. The labor people are working with the League and large meetings all over the indus trial portions of the state are planned. The coal camps will be visited and the lumber mills. No corner will be overlooked, no one slighted, every request-and they are now piled up in the State Of fice by the hundred-will be at tended to and speakers dispatch ed to the place on the day of the meeting. Thanks to the magnif icent response of the people a vast campaign of publicity has became a certainty. and papers took up his defense, however, that the University of Montana had to take him back. Our state universities at least ought to be freed from the special interest taint. Their professors ought to bhe free to teach the truth and thus exert a wholesome influence on the general public. As it is now their professors are less free than those of private colleg es. The boards of trustees or boards of education are made up of prominent large interest men or lame ducks who have been de feated in election, and the Rocke feller board working through the department of agriculture brings still further pressure against all independent thought. It is not an accident that the ag ricultural college of North Da kota alone dares to champion the farmers where there is conflict with anti-farmer interests. Westby, Mont., May 3, 1919. The Montana Nonpartisan, Dear Sir: I saw in your paper that the grafters and packers are passing a la wthat they want us farmers to let our grain shell while we vote in September, this year, but I'll circulate a petition against that. If you will send me about four petitions, I'll pass them along to others who would be glad to spend a day to get the right thing. That was about the slickest law, I believe Montana has ever tried before, but it is just like the man said once, "there are tricks in all trades" and I suppose that is what it is. I live only one mile from the North Dakota line, so you see I can visit a good state often and let us stick here in Montana so that we can get Montana on the map too. We will stick and we will win. Yours very truly, P. S. Hope to get those peti tions by return mail.