Kate Richards O’Hare was one of the leading speakers within the Socialist Party in 1916. She was sent by the United States to London for a worldwide conference and received one of the longest standing ovations for her speech. From there, O’Hare gained a reputation for her oratory and toured the United States giving speeches during the early days of World War I. She spoke at Bowman, North Dakota, on July 11, 1917, on behalf of the Non-Partisan League. It was there that her negative opinion of the United States draft was heard by a military official, who immediately reported it to his superior. She was arrested on charges of sedition only eighteen days later.
Within the crowd at the speech was Lillian Totten, who had recently been appointed postmaster of Bowman. She was married to Edward P. Totten, who had once held the positions of both Bowman County State’s Attorney and County Judge. Following Kate Richards O’Hare’s speech, Lillian Totten invited O’Hare to her home, where they discussed a variety of things, including life in a socialist commune, education, and children’s affairs.
News of Totten and O'Hare's meeting spread quickly through political networks, even reaching the President of the United States. Upon hearing of her hospitality, President Woodrow Wilson sensed the political turmoil on the horizon and made an executive decision to have her removed from her office as postmaster. The charge listed against her was the same as O’Hare’s: sedition.
In the courtroom, the prosecutor accused Totten of sedition through active listening. Totten’s defense quickly responded, saying that if that was all that was necessary for sedition, then everyone at the meeting should be on trial with her. The defense ultimately won the day, gaining Lillian Totten her freedom, but her position as postmaster of Bowman was lost forever. On this date in 1917, Lemmon, South Dakota, was the final setting for this entire affair, with examinations being held to replace Lillian Totten as the postmaster of Bowman. O’Hare would later comment on the events, saying, “We spent a pleasant evening talking about educational affairs and taking care of children, not realizing such a domestic scene would be a seditious gathering.”
Dakota Datebook by Gabriel J. Mitchell
Sources:
- The Devils Lake World and Inter-Ocean (Devils Lake, N.D.), June 29, 1916
- July 25, 1917, Fargo Forum
- July 27, 1917, Bismarck Tribune
- The Fargo Forum and Daily Republican (Fargo, N.D.), August 2, 1917
- The Oakes Times (Oakes N.D.) August 2, 1917
- Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, N.D.), November 28, 1917
- Dec 8, 1917, Bismarck Tribune
- December 24th, 1917, The Bismarck Tribune
- Dec 24, 1917, Bismarck Tribune
- Dec 28, 1917, Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
- Fargo Forum and Daily Republican make a full note of the causes and effects Dec 28, 1917
- The Devils Lake World and Inter-Ocean (Devils Lake, N.D.), January 17, 1918
- Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, N.D.), April 15, 1919
- July 12, 1919, Bismarck Tribune
- Emmons County Record (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]), June 3, 1920
- https://www.history.nd.gov/publications/queen-lecture-platform.pdf