Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1916-04-06

OF the people OF EmmOns county
know absolutely nothing about
the institution which has been
organized during the past year
in this state and which is known
as the Farmers Non-Partisan
Political League" Backers of
the proposition have pretty thor
ouehly organized the north tier
of precincts in this county, and
only those precincts had any ex-
preston whatever in choosing
the league candidates for state
Office and the legislature.
Some weeks ago the Record
stated that it was neither for nor
against this league and that it
would be impossible to take any
stand until the league candidates
had been announced. We then
reserved the right to support any
of such candidates that appeared
to be the proper men for their
respective positions and to op-
pose any of those that we might
have reason to believe were not
the best timber.
In following this discussion it
will be well for our readers to re-
member one or two important
points. 1t will be we'll to bear
i'll mind that the farmers of the
state are absolutely entitled to
cooperate in any honest way
that they may see fit to improve
their own conditions. However,
under our present form of gov
eminent, every male citizen of
the state who has complied with
the necessary laws has an equal
right of franchise, and when it
actually comes to supporting the
candidates for the various offices
it is our contention that all ha u
an equal right, whether they q
farmers, hired help, mercn3 Is
or professional men, 70 have 4
say.
1t is not the business of any
person what the farmer does
with his money SO far as putting
up his nine dollars to the league
organizers is concerned. That is
his business. If the head of the
league has the ability to get the
money on the vague promises he
makes, that is purely personal
matter between the farmer and
the organizer. But the Record
refuses to believe that the aver.
age farmer will surrender his in
dlvidual right of franchise with
his nine dollars. In other words
every honest and intelligent far.
mer will still retain the right tc
refuse to vote for any unworthy
candidates even though they may
have the endorsement of the
league. There are some mighty
fine men who have taken a mem.
bership in the new organization
and we believe there are many
of them who have no very con.
crete idea of what is actually to
be accomplished. If they have
we should be very glad to find
it out. For. instance, the candi.
dates endorsed from Emmons
county for the legislature are
Fay Harding, of Braddock, and
c. A. Ward, of Hazelton. Both
are honest, clean-cut, upright cit.
liens of the county and would
compare favorably with any who
could be chosen. But it is of in
terest to the voters of the district
to know whether they are going
to stand as candidates on Their
own merits with the intent tc
legislate honestly and fairly &C
cording to their own convictions
or whether they are proposing to
stand merely as automatons tc
put through the League pro
gram" as it has been outlined by
their official organ. If they are
the latter, then they are on the
wrong ticket. In that case, they
should tell the assessor to list
them as socialist" For the
Non-P Partisan League is managed
and manipulated almost entirely
by socialists and /. w. w. organ
izers, and their avowed program
is taken almost bodily from the
socialist plan.