The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1917-03-08

! clever artlStS IN tnat line tndt no Sc
Of judges on earth could arrive at q
decision.
The old Farmers Alliance, later the
Populist party, apparently has been
reborn in North Dakota. The new or
ganization bears the name Of the
Farmers Non-Partisan Political
League. II stands for state eleva-
tors, state flour mills, state packing
houses, state hail insurance and a
state rural credit system. The league
at the last election captured every
elective state office except one and
elected three justices of the supreme
court who endorsed the program of
state-owned utilities. 1t controls ev-
cry branch of the state government
except the senate, where the conser-
natives have a majority of three votes
while s5 per cent Of the members Of
the lower house of the legislature are
committed to the leagues program,
The league is a secret organization
and only actual tillers of the soil are
eligible for membership. 1t has CO.,
900 members in North Dakota and is
spreading TO South Dakota, Mime
sofa, Iowa and Montana. The revolt
is primarily a protest against the
juggling Of grain prices and the spec
ulation in food prices by the cham
bers of commerce, and the purpose Of
the league is to put the speculative
markets out of business through CO.
operation Of the state and the farm
ers in the distribution of land pro-
ducts. As to ways and means, the
plan constitu-
.ional convention 10 raise the debt
INIT of the state from 100000 to an
amount that will allow the accom-
1lishment of their aims. The follow
ng history Of the organization is
'ound in the Literary Digest;
The Farmers Non-Partisan league
vas founded less than two years ago
md dipped into its first political cam ,
,aign before it was a year old. Two
,eniuses named A. G.. Townley and f.
!. Woods. both farmers without for '
ner political experience, organized {
he campaign. They borrowed money
With which to buy automobiles to
AIRY them about from farm to farm
q each farmer they visited they q
bowed in black and white the revo- 1
utionary program Of the farmers
eague calling for state-owned gram I
leyators, flour mills and packing
ouses, for state hail insurance and
tate-operated rural credit system
hey asked him did he favor 1t, and '
n getting an affirmative answer they
aid: "Nine dollars, please" And they
ot it, The first hundred farmers 4
hey canvassed joined the league, IN :.
diving this fee, TO a man. After
nat the harvest of members averaged h
little over 80 per cent of possible %
-op. Toward the last Of the canvass u
ie league was employing 100 organ ;,
ers and 100 automobiles. During =
ie winter Of l915-1916 it promoted {
DO to 600 meetings in every part OF h
ne state and by last February 1t had n
)tained 10000 members and had or =,
anized quarters of the state.
n Washington birthday, 1916,
Getting was called in each of the
600 voting precincts of the state Ii
The attendance was "
in many cases 100 per ri
mt, and in not one below 80 per cent, =.
t these meetings delegates were u
ected to legislative district conven- Sc
ms, and these district conventions N
minated men for both houses of the Of
yislature and elected delegates to a =,
ate convention which met in Fargo u
the latter part of March. The m
ate convention nominated Lynn ca
Frazier for governor and named in
e leagues candidates for other state :,
fees and the supreme court.