The nonpartisan leader. [volume], September 16, 1918, Image 10

About The nonpartisan leader. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1915-1921

Image provided by: State Historical Society of North Dakota

                
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"livestock pool,"'whicli evidence in our possession
proves to be in existence.
Under the Veeder pools control of the meat trade
was effected by agreements regulating the ship
ments of dressed meats into the various competitive
districts, with a system of fines for overshipments
and bonuses for undershipmcnts. This scheme was
so thoroughly exposed during the proceedings
which led to the injunction of 1903 that it was
abandoned. Besides it was a clumsy plan, which
required a large statistical bureau and regular
weekly meetings to determine the amount of the
shipments for the coming week into each district
and fix the margins. A much simpler and equally
effective plan was then evolved in the form of a
livestock pool, providing substantially for the di­
1
1
•T
AMES M. PIERCE, publisher of
the Iowa Homestead, one of
those men whom only democ
racies can produce, has dealt a
powerful blow to gang
terrorism in Iowa. In
10 pages crammed with
pointed illustrations and
comment that go to the
root of the situation, the Iowa Homestead
for August 22 lays bare the vicious propa-
I
sr
ganda of the
Greater Iowa as
sociation and other
special interest organ
izations and the re
sult of their contemptuous
attitude toward the most sa
cred American institutions. The
breaking out of the mob spirit in
Iowa is another illustration of the
fact that wherever the power of
gang politicians is threatened, law,
order, free speech, sacredness of
person and property count for noth
ing. The gang will not conduct a
campaign within the limits set by
our state and national Constitu
tions.
"It is because I believe that such
conditions," declares Mr. Pierce,
"as I have set out in detail are not
only doing no good but are actually
doing more than anything else to
destroy Iowa's war-time efficiency,
that I have decided to strike at the hydra-headed
monster of mob rule the same as I would strike at
the spiked helmet of Prussian militarism. It is no
time for temporizing or pussyfooting. It is a
time for vindicating the rights of the law-abiding,
peaceful citizens. of Iowa, for making democracy
safe in this state while our boys are helping to
make it safe for the world. It is time for setting
our faces uncompromisingly against.the foes with
in who. are helping to make a mock of law and
order."
PEOPLE MUST STEP ON
IT, AND STEP HARD
1
iiinnj" IIII/iiumiM
1
I
eREATER.
IOWA
All these instances prove that the old-gang poli
ticians responsible for violating our laws protect
ing person and property must be. chased out of
public office and the private organizations promot
ing thuggery made to answer for their crimes.
When these interests see their opportunities for
stealing within the law endangered by the awak
ened intelligence of the voters, they are entirely
willing* to violate the law in every possible way.
There is n» law when these interests do not want
it where the old gang is in control. North Dakota,
where the farmers are organized, has given the
people ^everywhere an object lesson on how to
maintain that law and order which is the founda
tion ef *democracy, 3rosperity and civilization. -Mr.
Pierce recognizes this and says: "The same glad
relief will be brought.Iowa when the farmers
are united in demanding it, in exercising their
rights, in overthrowing their Belf-exalted rulers
and masters."
A farmer hamted Carlson of' Hancock county,
Iawa.. vIia ha/t trifiitori in Mni4.lv Doimffl
vision of purchases of the cattle, sheep and hogs
sent to market according to certain fixed percent
ages, which could be agreed upon for long periods
and needed to be changed only when conditions
were greatly altered, as, for example, when one
of the big packers purchased an independent plant.
This division of livestock purchases is not only
an automatic regulator of the relative volume of
business of each of the Big Five, but also secures
substantial uniformity, of prices paid for livestock
and, consequently, of the prices at which dressed
n^ats are sold. In brief, the prearranged division
of livestock purchases forms the essential basis
of a system by which the big packers are relieved
of all fear of each other's competition and, ACT
ING TOGETHER, ARE ABLE TO DETERMINE,
Organize to End Iowa's Reign of Terror
MINIMI
imlllll
The Nonpartisan league is todky the party of law and order. Here in this cartoon
yon see the corporation gangsters stirring np the monster of mob. role. The story on
this page proves by facts printed in the Iowa Homestead, that the usual combination,
of politics, big business and the kept press has been instrumental in the traitorous
work of stirring up strife at home in these times when all should co-operate. In view
of what has been going on in Iowa as well as in other states, one can see why Secre
tary of War Baker, Attorney General Gregory and President Wilson have denounced
repeatedly the mob"
spirit. Common people must organize for protection of person
and property against the silk-hat anarchists. Citizens of North Dakota enioy free
dom from this terrorism, and have shown all other farmers how to
prevent the atrocities of the mobbists
saw the good work the League was doing there
and advised his Iowa neighbors to join the move
ment. That, of course, was a crime against gang
rule in Iowa. The Homestead says:
A MASON CITY
KU-KLUX
A
"On a recent Wednesday night some men called
at Mr. Carlson's house in an automobile. They
were W. E. Wilson (who calls himBelf adjutant of
United States Reserves of Iowa, whatever that is)
Max Gorman, then chief of police of Mason City
but now an exile in disgrace, and George B*um
mund, a neighbor of Mr. Carlson, Who wears a star
and carries a revolver as one of the 'state secret
service officials' that have sprung up in every com
munity since the war began. They told Mr. Carl
son that the council of defense was going to meet
in Des Moines or Mason City and wanted him to
be present. He said that he would prefer to come
to Des Moines, but Chief Gorman replied: ''No, you
will have to go with us to Mason City toiiight.' It
should be added here that Mason City is not even
in the county in which Mr. Carlson lives and where
he has always enjoyed a good reputation. Mt.
Carlson inquired what he waswanted for and was
told that he would be informed after he got to
Mason City. He asked for time in which to con
-suit a lawyer, but was ordered to go with them
immediately* While he was getting ready to ac
company his wallers on the 45-mile trip to Mason
City, the men talked with his wife, asking her how
she would like to have their house painted yellow.
They also took a copy of the Nonpartisan Leader
from the table and put it in their pockets. Arriv-'
jing at Mason City' at'about 10 o'clock that nif^it,
mim
"ii'iniiunii
11 111 ii
""CI AMI
NOT ONLY WHAT THE LIVESTOCK PRODUCE
ERS SHALL RECEIVE fOR THEIR CATTLE
AND HOGS, BUT WHAT THE CONSUMER
SHALL PAY FOR HIS MEAT.
In order that the working of this system shall
be clearly understood, it is well to start with the
simplest situation—that of a Btockyard in which,
only two of the big packers are represented and
where the division is commonly "fifty-fifty.". In
such a market the independent packers, local butch
ers and speculators will purchase not to exceed 5
per cent of the livestock, far too few to influence
the market strongly, much less fix the price. The"
'other 95 per cent of the livestock, it is agreed, is
to be divided evenly between the two big pack
(Continued on page 14)
James M. Pierce, the Great Farm
Editor, Tells of Atrocities of Big
Business
imniiinii.ilh|illlhiiii
oes Monies
CflPlTAU
iTrrrrT*
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Mr. Carlson was
S-"* taken immedi
Stely to a room in the city hall
where there were three or four
policemen in uniform. Someone
telephoned to Truman Potter,
mayor of Mason City, saying that
they had Carlson, and in a short
time Mayor Potter came in with
two more men who were strangers
to Mr. Carlson and demanded in a
blustering tone, 'Where is that
man Carlson?' When he was
pointed out, Mayor Potter ordered
every one out of the room with the
exception of Carlson, Chief Gor
man and the two men who had
come in with him. While one man
took a revolver out of his pocket
and laid it with an officious flourish
on the table in front of him, Mayor
Potter said to Carlson, 'You have
been reported as organizing for the Nonpartisan
league. That is going to be stopped right now.
We are going to run the Nonpartisan league out
of Iowa.' He went on to say that the League offi
cials were arrested in Minnesota for treason and
that it would not be long before the -government
stopped the League everywhere. He also indulged
in other equally wild and false statements, such as
one that the Nonpartisan league had organized in
California to prevent the cultivation of 100,000
afires of sugar beets, in which charges there, is not
a, scintilla of truth."
After meeting this and other abuse, Mr. Carlson
was forced to sign a pledge, the contents of which
are unknown to him, and Mayor Potter warned him
"that if he reported any of the evening's events to
the Iowa Homestead he would be put where he
could not do anything more until, after the war
was over." He was then taken* back by auto
has home county.
A few days later Chief of Police Gorman made:
brutal assault on a drafted soldier leaving .for.
camp and fled from the city to escape the con*
sequences.
TRUMPED-UP CHARGES
OF DISLOYALTY,
Here is how the Homestead discusses another
atrocity:
"There is no better farmer, no more loyal citi
zen in the whole state of Iowa than Wes Randell
of Mahaska county. Born within four utiles of the
splendid 640-acre farm he how ovftis, he has spent
the 45 years of his life honored by alL He has de
voted himself to increasing- thevyield of his acxtiB
and the .get of his herdst s^hg the possibilities
"fl