The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-10-21
SOCIALISM MAY
PLUNGE LEAGUE
. DOWN TO DEFEAT
Managers View With Fear Swift
Change, in Sentiment in
North Dakota.
AMENDMENTS ARE LOSING
Support for Proposed Measures
Dwindling With Better
Understanding.
AMENDMENTS ARE LOSING

That. because of the purely social
istic program proposed by the National
Nonpartisan league in the ten amend
meIts which it is submitting for the
approval Of the electors ut the Nov.
ember election, the entire league state
ticket and u majority Of its candidates
for the legislature may 80 down in de-
feat is regarded as Il safe bet III poll
teal circles here.
The league press carefully avoided
discussion of the proposed amendments
until the subject was forced upon its
attention by the barbed criticism of the
oposition. Within the last three weeks
the Townley newspapers. the, Courier
News. North Dakota Leader and other
publications aWned and controlled ~
subsidized by the president of the Non
partisan league, have devoted many
columns Of news and editorial matter
to an attempted justification of the
amendments. AS a result the eyes of
even the most confirmed leaguerS, men
who more than IL year ago adopted
the pratice. Of reading none but league
literature have been opened.
There seems no longer to he any
question in North Dakota that the
most important Of the league amend
1nents will be defeated. A majority
Of all the votes cast at the November
election is required to bring these
Il to- S.fr {1
tive assembly for its ratification. The
league leaders quite generally have
given up amy hope Of obtaining SUCH
ma jority for the amendments which
make the sky the limit for bonded i'll
debtedneSs: which removes from the
present constitution the provision re-
stricting the levying Of taxes to public
purposes" and the amendment ) which
would enable the state to embark in
and finance all manner Of bushes and
enterprises.
Tho constitutional amendment whose
approval would enable the Legislature
by law 10 pro idc for tIl:' ?>I.. Of a
general land tav 70: fine payment Of
state hail Insurance premiums is rot Il
league measure but was, initiated
some time before tho league became Il
factor in state politics and was ap-
proved by The last legislative assembly.
1t comes before the people in NLvcm
Der for final ratification. There ap-
pears to be no general opposition 10
this amendment. whose adoption wOlIlG
enable the state 10 embark upon an
which has been ATTEMPTED
with varying degrees of success in sev~
cral Of the Canadian provinces and in
one or two of the American states.
There is much intagOnism to the
leagues proposal TO amend the provi-
sion covering initiative petitions so as
to reduce the number Of signatures re-
4uired from at least ten percent of the
legal voters to be Secured in a majority
IF the counties of this state. to ten
thousand electors ut large" and reduc-
ing the number Of signatures ~Onu re-
ferendum petition from ten percent OF
the voters af the state from a ma jority
Of the counties to 1000 electors at
large
One effect Of this amendment. II high
authority Of the league
points out. would be to enable any one
division of the state to initiate or
refer any matter in which it might
have a direct local interest, without
the state at large 1t
would thus become an easy matter for
The league. by the Use Of q stock list Of
signatures in one or two counties
where it CHANGED to be strong. to per-
propose Or to perpetually
block any legislation which it might
favor or oppose. The amendment would
make it possible for very small per-
:entage of the voters to indefinitely
suspend the operation of any legisla-
i've enactment. or to constantly clut-
.er up the ballot with sectional mat
ters in which the state as whole had
60 interest and upon which if would be
difficult to gain an expression.
The same argument would obtain in
he matter of adopting constitutional
which the league pro-
'Oses. by constitutional amendment
proposes to initiate through the med
um Of 10000 electors ut large. instead
IF requiring at least 23-percent pf the
egal voters i'll each Of not less than
,ne-half the, counties of the state. as
1t present. All of these amendments
would tend to make it easier for the
league to disturb or suspend legal O."
authority with which il
lid not agree and would tend to give
he entire state government a lack of
stability which does not appeal in pros
)ect to the average conservative voter
League managers now are wOrryin;
over the possibility of opposition To-
this carpetbagger program developing
to such an extent that the small mar
gin of 10000 Votes which the league
has claimed as safe majority for
Governor Frazier and other members
Of its state ticket will dissolve into
nothngnes. The situation in North
Dakota is such that VI very few
votes changed from one camp to an
other may decide the issue.