New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-04
FARMERS RULE
NORTH DAKOTA
Governor Frazier, Elect
ed in Revolt on "Inter-
eStS," Takes Chair
BY WILLIAM NJ. HoUGHToN

ny WILLIAM vi. HOJ CLIFTON
Bismark, n. D.. Jan. 3.-North Da-
kota becomes to-day sovereign safe
in fact as well as in name.
Lynn J. Frazier, "the farmers Gov
ernor.' took the oath of Office before
the Legislature, and for the first time
the government of the state is in the
hands Of men dominated by state, and
not outside, interests.
1t is hard for an Fastener to COM
prehend the utter subjection Of this
great commonwealth to alien interests
which preceded the farmers revolu-
ton, effective with New Years. In
New York, in New Jersey, in Pennsyl-
vania there is and has been industrial
and political tyranny, a rule OF the
people by big business. but in these
Eastern states the tyranny all comes
from within. Wall Street is a part OF
New York; the Public Service Corpora
tion. a part of New Jersey, and the
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh interests
are home bred.
But here the Interests" are resident
in ST. Paul and Minneapolis and be-
long 10 Minnesota. They are not
amenable to North Dakota regulation
or subject to North Dakota control. Il
has always been a case here or utter
submission or revolt
Revolt Came Suddenly
The revolt came with the sudden.
ness and power Of one of those
"twistcrs" which occasionally tear
through this part OF the country. The
farmers Non-Partisan League had its
inception less than two years ago. 1t
dipped into its first political campaign
before il was a year old. and yet this
first political campaign is the one just
closed. in which it elected the Gov
ernor and all other state officers but
one: eighty-one out of the l13 men,
bers OF the State House of Representa-
tives; eighteen out OF the twenty-five
State Senators up for election, and
filed all three vacancies in the Su-
preme Court, giving it a majority OF
that body,
This accomplishment is even more
astounding when IL is remembered that
North Dakota is 4 state Of magnificent
distances. Eighty-tive per cent OF the
inhabitants live scattered on farms and
must be reached by personal canvass
for the most part. That, IN fact, rs
lust the way they were reached. Two
geniuses named A. c. Townley and +. d.
Wood, both farmers without former
political experience, organized the cam
paign. They borrowed money with
which TO buy automobiles to carry
them about from farm to farm. 10
each farmer they visited they showed
in black and white the revolutionary
programme OF the Farmers League,
calling for state owned grain elevators
-four mills and packing houses, for
state hail insurance and state oper-
ated rural credit system. They asked
him did he favor it. and. on getting an
Affirmative answer, they said: Nine
dollars. please" And they got II. The
first hundred farmers they canvassed
ioiued the league. involving this fee, 10
3 man. After that the harvest Of mem
hers averaged little above 80 per cent
Of a possible crop.
Membership DINc LApoHuo
or course. as the membership drive
cxnanded Townley and Wood gave over
tho active canvassing to regularly con-
stituted organizers. As president and
vice-uresident. respectively, OF the
league they were needed at headquar-
ters. The latter, at first in Deerng, Nc
Henry County, near Woods farm, were
moved to Minot when McHenry and its
adjacent counties had been thoroughly
organized. When the territory about
Minto had surrendered completely the
beadouarters were moved again, TO VAL
low Gity this time. And from Valley
Citv they came eventually TO Fargo
Fargo. bv the way. is the largest town
in the state II has a population or
about 23 900. while the state, according
70 the census Of 1915, has one OF 300
600. which is something OF an indlca-
tion of its predomlnantly rural cnarac-
ter.
Toward the last of its canvass the
league was employing 100 organizers
and 100 automobiles. Then, during tne
winter Of 19l5-16, it promoted from
500 TO 500 meetings in every part OF
the state, where II enrolled thousands
more. and by last February 1t had OBJ
tanned 10000 members and had organ
lied three-quarters OF the state. But
even at this juncture the political and
non-agricultural elements of the Popu-
Iation had not yet begun to realize the
significance Of the movement Only
farmers are eligible to full membership
IN the Non Partisan League, and only
farmers had been approached. The
merchant who provided Office furniture
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