The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-12-12

not have occurred to him that the legislature fore
saw this very contingency, and that it wished tt
insure real rule of the majority by insisting
that the constitution could not be changed by any
small minority which CHANGED to constitute tenn
porary majority baotng on this specific question
More than ninety -four thousand votes were pollec
November S. OF this number less than Al 900 ap-
proved any Of the five amendments which Mr.
LANCER has declared a part Of the constitution OF
thi estate. For months there had been dinned
into the ears of the people, both by the league
and by it's opponents, the fact that failure to
vote on any of the amendments would be vote
against them Leaguers understood this situation
as well as the opposition faction and at least five
thousand eagucrs who assisted in initiating these
amendments withheld their final approval. They
may not have registered positive negative at the
polls, but they refrained from voting on the ques-
ton at all, and in so doing they positively
withheld their approval as though they had
marked "No' after each Of these amendments
on the official ballot.
|
League officials and league organs are silent
now when confronted with the admitted fact that
previous to the election they held the common
view that "a majority Of all the legal votes cast
ing less. President Towney just prior to elec-
ton, in letter published in the North Dakota
Leader said $50 the first thing you do, if you
want any state elevators, flour mills and banks, is
to vote yes and pass these ten amendments. It's
a hard fight, because more than half OF ALL THE
VOTES CAST FOR GOVERNOR MUST VOTE
YES ON THE AMENDMENTS. That is, if 49,
900 vote for Frazier and $4,000 vote for Doyle,
600
vote no on the amendments, the amendments
would not pass
Again in the same letter, published October 26,
Mr. Townley said: eff you vote mo- or if you fail
to vote at all, you are counted against the amend
ments"
On page Is of little political pamphlet entitled
"The Truth About the Constitutional Amend
ments" distributed by the republican state central
committee during the campaign, Chairman Lemke
said: "In order to carry, the constitutional
amendments must have majority of all the votes
cast so that the citizen who does not vote at all
on these measures is helping defeat them as much
as the man who votes against them.'
Mr.. Townley and Mr.. Lemke were honest with
themselves and their followers when they made
these statements. They were giving league men,
bers good advice as they it, Not all league
members chose to follow this advice, with respect
to approving the league amendments. There is
a conservative element, even within the league,
which does not believe the state is ready for reign
of pure socialism. And this element was large
enough, when combined with the anti-league fac
ton, to withhold from the amendments maj ority
Of all the legal votes cast at the general election.
The action Of the state canvassing board un-
doubtedly will be attacked It is to the everlasting
credit of Secretary of State Thomas Hall, Lacquer
though he be, reelected by the largest vote given
any candidate on the leauge ticket that he was so
possessed of the courage of his convictions that he
dared join State Treasurer John Steen in opposing
this action. 1t is interesting to conjecture the
stand which Commissioner of Agriculture Hagan
and Insurance Commissioner Olsness would have
taken, had they stood in the shoes Of State Auditor
Kostzky and Superintendent of Public instruction
Macdonald. But they did not, and Kositzky and
Macdonald voted with LANCER, which was to be ex-
pected. The state canvassing boards action will
be attacked, how, when and where cannot be said.
The matter ultimately may find it's way into the
federal courts, but the proper course to take is
now question:
We do not believe that the rank and file of the
league, honest substantial God-fearing farmer
folk who believe in fair play and who detest poor
loser and gutter, will unqualifedy endorse the
action of the state canvassing board, even though
a majority of the Nonpartisans may regard the
result victory. 1t is a victory which may turn
bitter in the mouth of the Mctors, for no perma-
nent good can come from ill-gotten gains Trick
cry and chicanery have wrecked other political
parties which started out with full as great prom
Use as the Nonpartsan league. Mr.. Townley Mr..