Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1917-08-23
IOWA NONPARTIsAN LEAGUE

Inspired by the Farmers Nom
partisan league Of North Dakota,
and in the main modelled upon that
successful political organization, an
Iowa non-partisan league of farmers
is being formed potent in state af-
fairs. In part the leagues program
is to be economic, in that it will
work for protection of farm crops
and farm profits. Its procedure,
as indicated by the hackers of the
membership movement. will be to
watc closely every public act of ev-
cry Iowa official and every member
of the general assembly, and to sup
port or oppose each office holder ac-
cording as he stands or fails to stand
for what the farmers consider to be
their interests. 1t will not be con-
sidered necessary that all men elect
ed to office be farmers, so long as
they are farmer friends.
The history of the North Dakota
league has been one of steady sue
cesses. At present the whole execu-
tive and legislative and apparently
also the judicial machinery of the
state are in their hands. North
Dakota, of course, is essentially
an agricultural state. Government
by agriculturists in the interest Of
agriculturists is nothing more nor
less, therefore, than government by
the majority. On the whole North
Dakota seems to be very we'll salts
fled with her experiment. So far
as state government is concerned
she had found by trail that the label
republican and democrat are super
fluous. Most of the legislation e.
nacted, while some of it would be
reasonably classified as radical, has
been practical. The recent election
of a nonpartisan league candidate
to the national congress from the
state was triumph pointing TO wild
err aspirations on the part of some
of the leagues leaders.
In South Dakota, without much
noise being produced, the work of
nonpartisan league organization has
been going on with results pleasing
to the organizers. In Iowa the re-
cruiting agents at present are salts
flying themselves with enrolling
state members, deferring until a
later time the formation of local
branches. 1t is planned. according
to good account, to carry the cam
paign into several other states of the
middle west without delay. The
vision of an agricultural west domi-
mated solidly by famers' party hav-
ing no regard for the old party shib-
boleths and dogmas is not wholly alb
sent.
There is the less demand for a
league of the North Dekota sort in
Iowa, since the Iowa farmers have
always been pretty well treated by
the general assembly. Iowa far
mers, while divided in national senti-
ment along republican, democratic,
progressive and other party lines,
have never been at loss to express
their will on state issues. Without
formal organization, the Iowa far
mers through their Iowa intelligence
have been enabled to see clearly and
to deal effectively with projects in
imical to their interests. The cities
have often questioned whether a dis
proportionate influence, indeed, was
not being welded in some matters
by the rural vote. If the farmers Of
Iowa despite these things still feel
that they have been denied any part
of their birthright, they may flock
to the standard of the nonpartisan
league. 1t is worthy of doubt, how
ever, whether prosperous old Iowa
will include to transfer its allie
glance