The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-03-23

amateur" Mr.. Divet is another Pro
gressive, by the way. J..
After pulling back until the very
last of the session, the caucus decid
ed to pass the Terminal Elevator Bill
against Townley's wish-the first de-
| finite evidence OF revolt against his
leadership. But after its passage he
stubbornly held ON and isisted on a
veto, which wish was gratified.
A few days before. the session clos
cd, a petition, was signed by 20 mem
bersSOf the secret caucus asking for
reform in the league which would
give its members more power. 49,.
"This movement came from big
business, which is trying to destroy
the farmers power" shouted Town
ley to the caucus in fiery speech.
"rhcy are trying to break up the
league. If you want to help our enc
mics just go on with this petition
His magnetic eloquence STAYED off the
reckoning.
Killed Anti-I. W. n. Bills.
One more phase Of the. legislative
session is noteworthy. Several anti
I. w. W. bills were introduced at the
urgent demands Of farmers from over
the state. Every one Of them was
killed in the secret caucus. The reas-
on is not hard to seek. Arthur LIE
Sueur, brilliant Socialist and l. w. W.
attorney, was asked to advise the Cfi-
cheney committee which passed on
bills as they came up.
Without going into the merits or
dement's of Socialism, the personnel
Of the league leaders put into power
by farmers movement is sure to be
Of interest to the observer.
Charles Edward Russell, we'll
known Socialist writer and speaker,
spent several weeks in North Dakota
during the formation of the league,
contributing weekly articles to the
weekly articles to the league organ,
the Non-Partisan Leader. The vital
sections of House Bill A sound much
like passages from his book, "Why
Am Socialist" ~. @s a,t..
+ The "Brains' Of the League.
+ D. c. Coates, once lieutenant COVER
nor of Colorado, later Socialist city
commission of Spokane, was one of
the league organizers and is manager
of the Leader. He is generally known
as the drains" of the league.
A. e. Bowen and A. G. T0wnley,
who fathered the movement, are both
Socialists, the former having been a
Socialist candidate for governor of
North Dakota at one time.
o. M. Thomson, one of the chief
organizers, was a Socialist candidate
for congress in 1914
Henry Teigen, secretary and right
hand man of A. c. Townley, was sec
rotary of the state Socialist party and
editor Of the Iconoclast, Socialist
paper published at MinOt.
Leaders Not Farmers.
Some light may be thrown Gu the
situation by the fact that these men
had not been identified with the
equity or cooperative marketing
! movement in North Dakota to any
considerable extent previous to the
recent campaign. Their. interest is
academic, not vital. AS whole they
are frcc-lance opportunists and agi-
tatOrs rather than actual farmers,
and they are not in close touch with
the past and present life of the peO-
pie Of North Dakota. AS matter of
fact none of the real leaders is iden-
tilted with the everyday problems of
the average farmer. A. G. Townley,
the only leader claiming to be far
mer, bases his claims on having
plunged on flax raising by thousands
of acres. II
IF, as it is claimed, the farmers are
in a spontaneous uprising and know
| exactly what they want in legislation,
why is it necessary to separate each
one of them from SIG for two years
dues in advance?' This was aques-
ton put to A. c. Townley.
1T is necessary for organization
replied Mr.. Townley. But some of the
farmers are so finicky as to question
the necessity Of such heavy tax, es-
| pecially since those who get the mon
ey are not held to any accounting to
the membership and are not under
bond. There are about $4,000 mem
bers in four states, and little arith-
metic will demonstrate that someone
is handling lot of money.
1.-THE bookkeeper gets the money
is as satisfactory reply as could be
gotten from Secretary Teigen. It is
universally admitted that the secre-
tary-treasurer, o. S. Evans, does not
handle it and it is definitely known
| that A. c.. ToWnley paid certain large