Grand Forks herald., 1917-03-22
T0WllLN[''''' / l FINDS
A new LEAGUE
IN MINNESOTA 4 1
Organization incorporated
at St. Paul Has Radical
progism.
ToWNLEY SAYS OLD
PARTIE1 DOING IT
State Officials Show Fear of
Townleyisrn End Try to
Run to Cover.

st. Paul, March 32.-Clterior mo-
tiyes and a move TO discredit an "hon-
est agrarian organlxa ton" are seen
by Secretary OF State Schmali in the
Incorporation Of the, Minnesota Nom
partisan league, which yesterday filed
articles in his ONCE. In statement
today he explains that if, the. incor-
poration articles had been submitted
to him first they would not have been
filed yesterday. III
Secretary schmahl's statement fol.
lows: I'D
HAD the clerk in this Office, who
received the articles of the Minnesota
Nonpartisan league, submitted the
same to me, as, he should have done
for approval. they would never have
been filed except by mandamus pro-
ceedings.
"The scope OF the principles en-.
unciated therein is entirely at vari-
ance with the common sense and good
Judgment Of the men representing the
interests Of Minnesota farmers, who
compose the unincorporated organiza-
tion of. the Farmers' Nonpartisan
League Of Minnesota and those stated
principles prove too clearly that there
is an organized move on foot to dis
credit an honest ,agrarian organiza.
ton.
1.-THE names Of q lie incorporates OF
this already discr| dited corporation
movement. when oupled with their
daily political assol tates, are sufficient
to indicate the tdrior motives of the
corporation and the men who were
responsible for it's Organization under
the Minnesota lawk.'
What New League Stands For.
The new minnesota Nonpartiban
League" setstforth the general nature
of Its business and purposes in thir.
ty-six sections of afticles Of incorpo.
ration.
The league will favor temperance
recognition, of women's right. Tor
ren's title.rights. an eight-hour day
for all kinds of labor other than farm
mum wages and compensation laws
old age pensions. tonnage tax on all
minerals mined and the divorcing OF
tariff questions from political argu-
ments that the tariff may be placed
on a business basis and duties as:
sessed on imports only as necessary
to protect against foreign cheap labor
products and many other progressive
measures, according to.its articles.
Articles Of incorporation also were
filed for the Minnesota Nonpartisan
League Publishing company, the in
corporators being the same in both
cases. The publishing company is
capitalized at $15O,000. The leagues
liability is limited to 10000 and 1t is
to be supported by membership fees.
The tncorporators Of both new or
ganizations are A. J. Stoneburg OF
Cambridge. Isanti county, member
OF the Republican state central COM
mittee two years ago; Oscar Blum
quist Of the town Of Spencer Brook.
1santi county, third assistant secre-
tary Of State Senate. and o. F. John
son Of Marine Mills, Washington
county.
T0wnley Is Worried.
A. G. Townley, president of the Ma
tional Nonpartisan league and the
Nonpartisan League of North Dakota,
said that there lis possibility that the
Interested in one or other Of the big
political parties. whose plans in this
state bid fair to be seriously affected
by his Nonpartisan league which al
ready has $4,000 to 10000 members
in Minnesota.
The incorporators refuse to discuss
this angle Of the incorporation.
State Auditor Preus, in whose Of
flee three Of the incorporators had q
clerk. acknowledge the Incorporation
papers. declared that 'In order to
correct any impression that I am in
any way a party thereto I desire to
state I. had no knowledge Of the mat
ter" Mr.. .Preus was out of his Of
flee at the time