The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1917-01-25


gathered in Valley City Wednesday
and attended a big meeting at the city
hall to hear President Townley of the
Nonpartisan league discourse on the
subject 'Shall the League Program be
Enacted Into Law
From 300 to 500 farmers were in
town and all that could crowd into
the hall were on hand to listen to the
Velva on the 500, showing the inter-
est manifested.
J. w. Brinton acted as chairman
and introduced Mr.. Townley who out
lined the plan to be pursued in gain
ing the consummatiOn of the league
purposes. Among the many other
things mentioned by the speaker, most
of which are familiar to the public,
was the intent to own and operate a
million dollar project in the form of
an elevator and -four mill.
Mr.. Townley was followed by Attor
ney Lee Combs of Valley City, speak
ing in regard to the legality of new
constitution. He said:
Il am in favor of the passage of
House Bill A, providing for submis
sion to the people Of revised consti-
tuition, because I believe it is lawful
to do that and because l believe the
people demand and need change in
the organic or constitutional law of
\ the state, and because l believe that
the method provided for in that bill is
the most economical that we can
adopt.
Under the constitution which we
now have the legislative department
had plenary power over every con-
ceivable field of legislation except
where restricted by the constitution
itself or the constitution of the United
States of America. And l, as law
yer, have failed to find anything in
our present constitution which re-
stricts, curtails or denies the right of
this legislature to submit this bill
which they propose to submit-for
revision, l call it-of our constitution,
subject always to vote of the people,
upon which vote they are either to
adopt or reject it."
An incident that featured the meet.
ing occurred when w. H. Mcpherson
addressed those assembled. Mac used
to be member of the legislature in
the early days, and won fame in the
legislative halls at Bismarck with his
oratory and magnificent voice. He
got along fairly we'll in his talk until
he stated that the farmers in this
meeting did not understand what they
were asked to vote upon. That was
like throwing monkey wrench into
sensitive machine, and as far as
what he further had to say, to use
an agricultural term, the beans were
spilled = y. .>~}*rgs wy a.
At the close of the meeting adopted
unanimous resolution which reads
as follows:
Resolved, that we, the farmers here
assembled at the city hall Of Valley
City, North Dakota, do hereby declare
ourselves unanimously in favor of the
passage of House Bill No. A, submit
ting to the people of North Dakota a
new constitution for their rejection or
approval.
And be it further resolved, that we
urge and demand the passage of this
constitutional measure through the
senate and ask and demand the sup
port of our senators, Thoreson and
Ployhar, representing Barnes county,
and ask that a copy be sent to the Sec
retary Of the senate to be read to the
senate body. ,
"Re it further resolved that Fred
Schultz, M. H. Wilberg and J. H. Al
brecht be selected as committee rep
resenting this gathering to sign and
present this resolution to the secretary
of the senate and to Messrs. Thore-
son and PlOyhar
The Valley City meeting was the
last of three held on the line of the
Northern Pacific railway, the first be-
ing at Steele, the second at jamestown
and the third here.
The sentiment of the farmers and
members Of the league seems to be
thoroughly in favor of giving undivid-
ed support to the league program that
is being enacted in the legislature.