Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-05-07
SIGNING AWAY MANHOOD

SIGNING AWAY MANHOOD
Two years ago The Herald published the text Of 4
pledge which had been sent from the Fargo headquarters
of the NonpartiscAn league to political candidates in this
state, which pledge the candidates were required to sign.
The substance Of the pledge was that the siener bound
himself II elected, to work and vote for such measures
as might be directed by the league. The Herald pointed
out a: that time that the league was not an organized
body, that tho league members had no vote or voice in its
management, and that there was no provision whereby
those members could express themselves on any subject
whatever. Everything that was done in the name Of the
big five" and Of these five, one. A. c. Townley. was the
whole works. 1t followed. therefore, that when the can
didate for office pledged himself to act as might be d.
rected by the league. he pledged himself simply to do a
Mr. Townley told him.
The authenticity Of the pledge published by The
Herald was denied, and there was published in the Town
ley press what purported to be the text Of the pledge ao-
tually provided. The phraseolosy was changed some-
what, and the significant portion was toned down some
what. Later, at a meeting in Hillsboro, the presence OF
Mr.. Townley and Mr.. Lenke, a local man who had been
a legislative candidate, read a pledge which had been
sent to him, and it was identical with that which had
formerly been published in The Herald. Mir. Lemke then
and there admitted the correctness Of the pledge as read.
Every one who followed the doings of the following
legislative session will recall the manner in which the
secret caucus was handled, and how men, elected osten-
sibly as independent citizens, to use their own intelligence
and their own judgment in making laws for their fellow
citizens, forgot their manhood and submitted themselves
through the operation of the secret caucus to the DOM
ination of one man. All of that has gone into history
as one of the scandals Of American politics. Similar
methods are now being employed in Minnesota to control
the action OF members Of the legislature Of that state.
NJ y>-- - NL> tY..lI -LJ,.t- - A--a - -1.A
ter which had been sent by James Cumming Of Polk
county, Mimi, declining the endorsement Of the Nonpar-
tisan league in his candidacy for the state senate, and
giving his reasons for that action. The letter was a SIM
pie, straightforward statement from an honorable, inde-
pendent man. who had served the people of his district
in the legislature, and served them we'll. Reference was
made IN that letter to a pledge which had been demanded
Of him, and which he refused to sign. The pledge is
similar in general form, and identical in intent, With the
pledge required of candidates for the North Dakota leg
islature, and signed by many Of them. There are varia~
tions in form, but the intent is the same. One clause
pledges the candidate to work and vote for those meas
ures that are approved by a majority of the members Of
the legislature elected by the league and organized la
Dor.
In signing that pledge the individual throws his in
nature, not as a free agent, but as the servant Of a little
clique. - If three members bound by that pledge are elect
ed. and he is one of them, he is bound in every act and
every detail by the decision of the other two. The ma
jority In the caucus may be committed to some measure
which he is convinced is contrary to the interests of the
state and Of the people Of the district which he repre-
sents. He is helpless. He must not only not oppose their
action, but he must support it.
James Cumming refused to sign such a pledge. He
is an old resident of the district. He is a real farmer. He
is and has been at all times in thorough sympathy with
progressive legislation. And because he is a man of that
type and that character he refused to bind himself in
any such manner. He could not have bound himself in
that way and remained an honest man.