New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-16

tario. But the son soon found his way
back 20 "the States and nov makes q
mart OF what our orators are always
pleased 10 term the backbone Of the
nation. sir"
81 wouldn't be here except for the
league" he explained II never dreamed
before Of going OF the farm for any
thing"
There are any number Of others
among the new members In the House
and Senate pledged 20 the league who
could say the same thing. The Gov
enor is simply more conspicuous
example Of il. One can understand the
solidarity Of front which these mon
will present TO any suggestion from
the holdover politicians sparsely
sprinkled among them that they agree
20 compromise or delay. They are here
in Bismarck for a single purpose 10
nut into effect their dream of state
owned market and then to retire TO
their farms confident Of more fruitful
DAYS melowlng into the evening OF
life. The obstructive politicians whom
they threw out, neck and crop, in their
sensational raid on the state govern
ment last fall may come back then,
they or their prototypes, but chsstened
by experience.
To Carry Out Peoples Wishes
after the voters" the Governor told
them in his terse message, "have twice
shown a conscientious determination to
have state-owned terminal elevators,
-four mills, packing plants, cold storage
plants. state hail insurance, exemption
Of farm improvements from taxation,
state inspection. grading and dockage
Of grains and rural credit banks, |
earnestly recommend that you let moth
ing stand in your way in carrying out
these wishes Of the people"
There is serious talk Of lobby OF
1000 farmers 10 do a little watchful
waiting on the follower Senators in
case the legislation providing for the
constitutional convention strikes bare
ground. At - call from Townley the
1000 would come without a doubt and
pack tho leagues big. empty barracks,
yclept the Northwest Hotel, like hu-
man warehouse There is a suspicion
rapidly ginning ground that the talent
cd leaders Of the Non-Partisan League
had Just such a possible colonization in
mind when they undertook 10 trans
form this exhibition building, with its
show rooms and auditorium, into a
hotel. A great many cots could be
placed side by side In it's big, bare
chambers. and. as the day clerk sug-
gested. its guests would be free from
espionage and eavesdropping.
But perhaps the threat alone Of such
a lobby will be sufficient to coerce the
Senate into giving the call for con
stitutional convention two-thirds
vote, this being necessary under the
emergency clause Of the constitution
II there Is 10 be no delay. II and when
the convention meets, however there
is likely 10 be another issue on which
the farmers themselves will be divided.
This will be the question Of investing
the state school fund in the projected
stste-owned enterprise.
School Fund Sacred TO Farmers
The critics Of the farmers movement
here say that the leagues main object
is 70 get its hands on the Sl0,000,000
school fund which the state has co..
lected from the sale Of public lands
and which its constitution expressly
restricts to school purposes, while per-
hitting its investment only in gilt
edged farm mortgages and certain spe-
Gifted kinds of government bonds. This
fund is as sacred TO the farmers Of
North Dakota as was the Kaiser's war
treasure 70 the Germans. Representa-
tive Whipple, when asked If the farm
ers had in mind tapping this fund Tor
their state-owned elevators. -four mills
and so on, exclaimed:
Not on your life. They wouldn't
he,r Of it for q moment
ero H.
put up 20 you in this way it was sug-
gested. "Supposing you were asked
simply TO provide i'm the new constitu-
tion that in addition TO the govern
mental bonds already specified the
school fund might also be invested IN
the bonds of public utilities owned and
operated by the State Of North Da-
kota.'
NO, sir, we'd never think of allow
ing that" and his jaw set like steel
trap.
"That fund is sacred to you farmers,
is it mott"
Eyes, sir, you can call it that, abso-
lutely."
But President A. G. Townley OF the
league thinks such an expansion Of
the funds investment might be effect
ed. though when asked fatty what there
was in the charge that the league was
after the school fund his reply was
short eXpletive, slight variation OF
"Le mot de Cambrun!"
Iownlcy said he wished the state
simply 10 guarantee the bonds Of the
utilities projected. He thinks such a
guarantee would induce the farmers
themselves to provide the capital nee
cssary, amounting in his mind to about
81 ,500, Geo TO start with. or enough TO
erect a terminal elevator, flour mill
and packing plant at, roughly, $780,,
600 each. Whpple's idea, on the other
hand. is that the states debt limit can
be set forward or abolished and the
utilities created on the proceeds OF
state bond issue. At present the debt
limit is 100000.