Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-09-17
FARMERS TAKE NORTH DAKOTA OUT OF POLITICS:
TO MAKE THEIR OWN LAWS AND RUN THEIR own STATE
They Have Swept Primary Elections Against the Old Partes
Have AZ 600 Members and Campaign Fund Of $350OOO.
Will Start Daily Newspaper Open Bank and Build
Office Buldinu

North Dakota are prosperous. They are not the small
farmers known in the East Out here the Norwegian
German or American who has wheat farm has fat
balance in the bank all the time He is not particu
larly avarlcous. He has plenty to eat and his fam
lily has plenty to They all have automobiles
They all go to the city when they feel like it. But
they want what they say are their rights" And it
is to get these rights" that they have finally
ganized A. c. Townley of Fargo, is the organizer
of the league He is the genius behind it. He Is I'M
der forty years of age and school teacher
Later he became farmer He is good taker and is
remarkable executive He has the confidence Of the
farmers Of the entire State and he is feared by the
who have hitherto controlled affairs in the State
He won't be interviewed He won't have his pict-
ure published He won't discuss the affairs of the
league except to say that 1t is successful because it
has honest purpose and because organized to
benefit the great mass of the people of the State Mr.
Townley has had the advice Of some of the leading
upifters" and soclaistic workers of the East Their
suggestions have been kindly received. but the
ganization has been carried along lines entirely
Mr.. Townley's own.
The Leagues Field Marshal
What he has lacked, If anything. In initiative
and effectiveness has been supplied by ID. c. Coates
who is in some ways the field marshal. He was once
Lieutenant Governor of Colorado. He was an Off
cial of the city of Spokane and such instru-
mental in drafting a charter for the western
city. He is typical of the shrewd breezy Westerner
whose frankness is concomtant of much profound
knowledge and who either write or talk in way
which his own folks of the Vest understand and
which leaves no doubt in any ones mind to exactly
what he means He and Mr.. Towney make a for
midabe team and 1t is to their joint endeavor and
eanestness that the Farmers League owes its pres
ent prosperity.
Ask the republican leaders of the State what will
happen at the November election in this State and
you will get this reply
1--WE don't know anything about it. Ask the
Farmers League. That runs the State
Ask the democrats and the reply is the same And
1t is true The officers of the league admit it, but
they insist that the league has the interests of the
State whole at heart. The story of the leagues
origin is an interesting one. Most people out here
know 1t in general way. Most people outside the
State know nothing mt all about 1t.
For several years the wheat growers-and they
constitute about sixty-five per the total pop
ulaton-have complained that the railways and grain
men of Minneapolis and St Paul controlled the State
Legislature. The farmer harvested his wheat sold it
to middleman for the best price he could get and
the middleman later sold for much higher price.
In other words, the middlemen used the wheat of
the farmers for speculative purposes The farmer
obtained fair enough price, but he saw no reason
why he should not get it all With this in mind, the
Wneat growers caused referendum to be passed by
the Legislature to settle the question whether the
State should build grain elevators Lake Superior
or on some main artery of transportation The peo-
pie voted in favor of doing the referendum was
of such character that the Legislature practi-
cay directed to raise funds and build elevators
The object was to give the farmer place to store
his grain at nominal cost. until such time as he
could take advantage of the highest price.
The Legislature practically ignored the referendum
II authorized directed the proper State officials to
investigate the whole matter construction to
determine If the idea practicable. The desg-
mated authorities reported back that the idea was
good in theory only Therefore the Legislature took