Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-04-13
FARMERS, IN TURNING OV-
Err THE
PARTY TO THE NONPAR-
TISAN LEAGUE, GAVE So
CIALISTS POWER TO EX-
PERTINENT IN STATE.
CONTINUED from Page ~

overwhelming majority, would not
have objected much to any legislation
in the interests of the farmers. They
had been led to expect that they
would get that kind of legislation.
now they are discovering that the
Nonpartisan leaguers had mado tie
ups in other directions. so hat h
farmers, for instance, wanted legisla-
ton compelling the railroads to build
two waiting rooms in every station in
towns of 400 or more population. The
leaguers turned that down. The
farmers wanted a two-cent fare law.
The leaguers turned that down. In
short, the leaguers turned down
abruptly all legislation affecting the
railroads. The I. w. w. agitators
caused a lot of trouble in North Da-
kota farming districts last year, so
the farmers wanted some legislation
checking the I. ". w. activities. Mr..
Townley said thumbs down. Gradual
~. about the time the legislature adj
journed, 1t dawned upon the members
who did not belong to Mr.. Townley's
organization. that the Nonpartisan
league had tied up with the Socialists
on state ownership propositions. with
the 1. w. W. on legislation affecting
that lawless organization. and with
the labor leaders on industrial insur-
ance. So the farmers got nothing X
cept the realization that they were
being used as paWns in a great So
cialistic game.
Expect General Reputation.
1t will be the work of the executive
committee to get these truths before
the farmers and business men of the
state. They have confidence that
when the facts are made generally
known there will b. a general repu-
diation by the farmers OF the Nom
partisan league, or at least a cleaning
out of the men who o AVE control
Of it.
This will he no easy task. Perhaps
never before in the history of politi-
cal movements have SO much power
and SO much money been given into
the hands of a few men. without re-
quiring them to make any report Of
their receipts and disbursements. or.
in fact. asking any questions about
h exercise of authority.
It has been claimed that there are
$4,000 members of the Nonpartisan
league in North Dakota. That is an
exaggeration. 1t is conservatively es-
timated that the membership is 40,-
900. Each of these men has paid
SIG for a two-year membership in the
league. Some Of them paid cash,
Some gave NOLeS ana some gave posi-
dated checks. At any rate. the Nom
partisan league leaders have collect"
ed in cash and paper about s600,0oo
in memberships. The notes and post
dated checks are now being hawked
around on the market through a Min
neapolis firm organized for the pur-
pose.
Corporation Formed.
In addition, another organization
was formed, Familiarity known as
1.-THE Million Dollar Corporation
stock in which was sold at 800 a
share. The corporation is authorized
to buy real estate Inc do about every
thing under the sun. To date there
has cen no record Of any work done
by this corporation except to collect
the notes signed by the farmers in
payment Of stock certificates. Mr..
Townley and his associates have failed
to make any report of the receipts or
disbursements of the league. No one
knows what the money has been spent
for or What has been lone with 1t, ex-
cept Mr.. Townley and he is not talk
ing.
Mr.. Townley has announced his re-
tirement from the presidency of the
Nonpartisan league in North Dakota
and has named F. d. Wood of Deer