The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-07-02
Will Bear Watcl1irq

N IKE ana more frequently VI late appear
kNl mentions OF the Nonpartisan League and its
plans Beyond the fact that its leaders are said
TO be inclined toward pro- Germanism compare
lively little is known OF it outside of dozen North
western states but So rapid has been its growth
and so aggressive its political methods that it
will bear watching and warrants a careful study
Of its plans and purposes.
The Farmers NUnpartisan League IS new
granger political party OF distinctly socialistic pro
clivities that has sprung up in the Northwest
North Dakota appears to be its birthplace and
there it has swept the older parties out of office
and grabbed almost everything V sight that per
tans to governmental affairs. From the Dakota
ranges it has spread across the Red River of the
North into Minnesota and has turned that state
into a boiling. sccthing political Cadron
In three wears the Farmers Nonpartisan league
has enrolled 100000 members in the states of the
upper Mississippi valley. 1t has captured abso-
lutte control ui North Dakota from the supreme
bench down through the Statehouse to the agrcul-
tural college, with the exception of few follower
senator's who are slated for the shelf next fall,
1t is fully organized for a fight next November
in FIVE stateS-AlmnesOta, Montana, Idaho. and
the two Dakotas In eight other states, Wiscon-
sin, Iowa Kansas. Nebraska, Colorado, Washing
ton, Texas, and Oklahoma, agents skipping
about in "Aivvers" enrolling the farmers for 1920.
Thus by the time the next presidential election
rolls around the league expects to be strongly in
trenched in thirteen states and to walk from the
polls with the "word's bread basket region hook
ed over IFS left arm SO far it has done organ
zing east of the Mississippi river but Illinois, In
diana Ohio and Michigan its line of march,
extended. and if it continues to spread with the
amazing raDiditv it has shown in the northwest
the league plans eventually to invade the east and
the south and to expand itself throughout rural
America. This fall ii expects to elect ten or a
dozen league candidates to congress. Its predic-
tons for 1920 might we'll fall under the blue sky
l;,w--no limit.
The avowed purpose of the Nonpartsan league
is to establish AN equitable system of marketing
for the farmer Back OF it is communistic pro-
gram for state ownership of mills, elevators, cream
cries, packing plants, pulp and paper mills, state
land banks and hail insurance, single tax and
other taxation changes, and cooperative stores.
In essence it is the old Populism in toys.
minus whiskers and plus hosiery-pus, too, some
hing that lacking in the days OF the Pops and
the Farmers aanCe-an ample chest.
\ fund OF some 81 $4,000 a year represents the
sinews OF war. Each ofShe 100000 farmer mem
bers has gone into his jeans for $40 either i'll cold
cash, in notes. or in time checks. The $40 pays
UP his dues for two years-SlO an election is the
basis-and the spending OF the money is absolute
" under the control of \. {. IOwnley founder and
manager Of the league, and his associates. The
organizers the road get 81 81 40 for each $l6
membership lined up. There are some 800 of these
agents.
The loyalty issue has been raised and the league
is under attack from many quarters 1t is difficult
with the primary fight at blazing heat to gather
how far the anti-loyalty attacks upon the league
are involved with politics Here and there or
yani/crs and officials Of the league have been ar
rested and indicted and in some convicted on
charges of dSloyalty and OF spreading doctrines
hostile to the military and naval policy OF the
.nited States Townley himself, and Joseph Gil
BERT state organizer, are under Indictment in
Martin and Jackson counties. The cases will not
be finally disposed OF until after the primaries.
The league officials declare that the league
throughout has upheld the Wilson war policies.
The opposition charges that such upholdings have
ALWAYS had weasel words attached
Nv. S. S..