The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1917-03-08
A NEW NON-PARTISAN LEAGUE.

There is a movement on foot to organize a new Nonpartsan
League in North Dakota. Townley is going to be thrown out and
some fellow put in at the head of the league that can really get
something started.
At least, that is what the Grand Forks Herald asserts with
out batting an eye. The Omenee Herald vocferously seconds
the motion, and the Normanden of Grand Forks declares the mo-
ton carried. There can be no disputing the correctness of this
startling assertion, because these publications admit frankly that
they always tell the truth.
Thus we have a new Nonpartisan League.
There can be no contesting Jerry Bacon's right to the presi-
dency.
While the Grand Forks Herald should perhaps properly be con-
sidered as the official paper of the new league, the fact that Jer-
ry owns a controlling interest in that publication might demand
in all fairness that honors should be passed around. Therefore
that distinction should fall on the Omemee Herald.
There will be no "six dollar suckers in the new league. All
the expenses of the organization will be paid out OF the surplus
iieaped up by the late lamented Good Government League.
Representative Divet of Wahpeton, made famous by the snuff
bill in the Fourteenth assembly, will be the official ~"shepherd Of
the flock"
lie only qualifications for membership are that you must be
"safe, sane and conservative" the president of the league to
be the sole judge in such matters.
The standpat senators of the Fifteenth assembly Shall consti
tute an executive board, with full powers to enact such laws as
are deemed beneficial to the league and repeal such statutes as
might stand in the way of it's perpetuation.
On with the dance.
Senator Hyand, one of the Hangover" senators, IN defend
ing his opposition to the house resolution calling for an invest-
cation of the railroad lobby, said in part: "When a corporation
or other industry pays into the state and county treasury hun
dreds of thousands Of dollars they can have my ear when they
plead for justice" This is rather a significant statement, in view
of the charges made by some OF the local lunlnarles u eHecC
that the league members would do nothing to antagonize the rail
roads, while the "safe and conservative" senate was continually
on the lookout for corporation heads to whack.
The News, in support of it's opposition to state owned utilities,
cites the fact that the state penitentiary and the street car line to
the state capitol, both state owned institutions, are not paying
propositions. Will the News assert that they would be If private
|y owned? It should also be borne in mind that both OF these en-
terprises are creations of the Old Gang, for which Falky is an
apologist in his feeble way. Why not discard our public school
system on the same grounds? It has been a constant drain on.
the taxpayer.
We are in receipt of a news item, apparently from Roland
township, sent in by someone who failed to give us his name.
While we always appreciate news items, and are only too glad to
print them, they will invariably be consigned to the waste basket
if the sender does not give us his name. We have SO frequently
called attention to this requirement that it should not be neces-
sary to repeat it. BY all means, give us the news, but do not ask
us to stand responsible for some item that you yourself are afraid
to father.
The Omemee Herald has been publishing q series OF leg1sla-
tive letters signed 81" There is considerable speculation as 70
whether that stands for Jerry or Judas. It would 40 credit 70
either of the two celebrities.