New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-18
Seven Thousand Non-Parti-
san Leaguers Assemble
at St. Paul To-day
Demand Equality
In Price-Fixing
Radical Speakers on Pro-
gramme, but Seditious
Utterances Are Barred
By Theodore NJ. Knappen

ST. PAUL, MINI, Sept. l7.-When
A. c. Townley, North Dakota farmer
lost a Sl25,OOO fax crop few years ago
something began TO evolve. One phase
Of the seouential evolution will be
national exposition in ST. Paul to-mor-
row and for two days following. 1t is
called a conference Of consumers and
producers on the high cost Of living"
II will be attended by some HOOo
delegates, representing, thickly mere
md thinly there, the whole country
including about 1900 representatives OF
organized labor, and it may turn out
to be almost anything.
It Is certainly largely, II not chiefly
p piece OF advertising for the Nations!
Non-Partisan League, which called and
is conducting the meeting, The confer
ference will be the leagues first bow on
the national stage. But whatever the
conference may really be it is an ex-
preston Of the activities OF the league
whose vaulting ambitions now know no
limits. The details Of the programme
and the publicity end have been largely
directed By Benjamin Marsh, OF the
committee on the II. c. l., New York
League Grows in Power
Since urtimely weather turned MI
Townley's great potential profit into
overwhelming loss, the Non-Partisan
League has grown 20 be his business. 1t
is some" business, too. To-day the
organization, Of which he is president,
holds the state Of North Dakota IN the
hollow Of it's hand Eighty paid organ
izers are at work 20 convert Minnesota
into a state dominated politically by
the agrarian interest, and active organ
ization Of the farmers is proceeding In
Wisconsin and every state west OF the
Mississippi.
The Non-Partisan League is com
nosed exclusively of farmers, and not
outstanding some talk TO the contrary
.he leaders are determined 20 keep its
membership to tillers Of the soil. IL
mas become the most frankly class leg
islation political body in America.
1t seeks in conjunction with organ,
ized labor TO dominate the politics and
industry of America.
Declare Workers Must Rule
II proposes to see TO it that the men
who produce from the soil and who
work with their hands, being a ma
iority of the nation, shall direct us
nolicies for their benefit The mem
bership IS growing at the rate OF q
thousand a week, and each member
ravs Sic in advance, being two years
dues. In return Cor this fee he re-
ceives the weekly organ Ct the league,
The Non-Partisan Leader" sl the
economic and political printed matter
put out by the league and very full IN.
structions as 70 now TO make himself
politically efficient.
The league publishes daily paper
m Fargo. is starting another at Grand
Forks and will soon have one in ST
Paul. As yet the league prefers to act
through the shells of existing political
organizations. after II has emasculatec
hem. In other words, It's members
axe party organizations futile by
.onlnatinc their own candidates anc
,aking them subscribe 10 the tenets Of
the league, regardless Of what their
regular party attitude may be.
The natural course Of evolution prob