Grand Forks herald., 1919-12-15
WORKS SEVERAL WAYS.

The intent Of the bill recently en-
acted permitting all persons living
more than half a mile from their poll
Ing place to send their ballots in In
stead Of marking them at the poll
ing place, and to do this regardless OF
whether they are within their cleo
tion precinct on election day or not
Is to give the Socialist manipulators
an advantage in the elections. And,
if the bill is not rejected by the Vot-
ers on referendum. this will be its
immediate effect, for the Socialist
movement through the use which It
has had of the Nonpartisan league.
has, ready for it's use, moro thor
ough and compact organization than
any other political organization, and
q. moro complete one than is likely
to be formed by any other group.
The Socialists, moreover, employ,
openly and habitually. methods which
have not been employed openly and
on a large scale anywhere in this
country except in some cases years
ago in the southern states for the
notification or control Of the negro
VOTE,
The bosses have not overlooked
much in the past in the way of de-
vices to control those who have once
come under their influence. In or
ganizinE the Nonpartisan league Mr..
Townley took care TO place himself
at the shead of it, without the for
1nality of inviting the farmer mem
bers to express themselves on the sub
ject. The rules under which the or
sanization operates are such that
Townley can perpetuate himself in
Office as long as he pleases The
members at large are not supposed
to have opinions on that subject.
Neither arc they supposed to have
opinions on any other subject. They
are not permitted to originate any
thing. That function belongs to the
people higher up. When those of the
supreme council have decided what
shall be the policy Of the league on
given subject that decision is an
nounced whenever it is thought poll
tic to convey this information to the
members. and the latter are expected
to ask no questions, but to get into
the harness and pull for what they
have been assured is 1.-The league pro-
gram If they exhibit reluctance,
they are apt to be heckled, and de-
nounced. and boycotted, and generally
subjected to disciplinary measures
ic1 4n A..
BILE for them.
In order that the members may re-
main in the right mental attitude
their reading is carefully selected for
them. In justification of their polio;
of circulating radical Socialist and
free love literature among school
children Mr.. Townley's mouthpieces
have championed liberal habits in
reading. and have insisted that sub
jects should be studied from all sides
A different policy has been followed
in the censorship of reading matter
for adult Nonpartisan leaSuers. They
have been warned that they mus,
read literature of only a certain class
and. specifically, that they must con.
fine their newspaper reading to those
papers which Mr.. Town!ey directs ir
person or by proxy.
All of this. it would seem. mus
establish a fairly complete despotsm
The members of the organization
must accept as their supreme officia
indefinitely the man who has Gle
waited himself to this position: the.
must accept without question his de
cisions on all matters of policy
whether these pertain to the markin,
OF their laws or their attitude towar,
their neighbors; and they must accep
their daily news and all opinion
thereon from the same source.
But there remained an opening il
the fence through which menlbe
might slip through. The actual vot
ing, through which men were select
cd to carry out M. Townlcy's wi
was secret and 4 secret vote ma
cause a lot of trouble. A man VIII
does not care to stir up trouble by as
serting his independence may yet z
to the polls and vote independent,
and this was an embarrassing poss
bi'ity. Therefore it was decided tha
the secret vote should be abolishe
whenever and wherever its abolitio
seemed to be desirable. This wa
accom- plished by extending "abser
voter" privileges to all voters livin
more than half a mile away from tn
polls. This would apply, on a gucs
to 80 per cent Of the farmer vote
The bill does not require the vote
to send his vote in. But it does or.
ate condition under which it wi
be possible for the local league CO.
poral to know to a practical certain1
just his every man in his squa
votes 1t will not be necessary
meddle with those who openly de,
Townley dictation. Their attitude
known. Those whose subserviency
the boss Is unquestioned may be e1
couraged to attend the polls in pc
son in order to make good shoy
ing. But the man who in the pa
has followed Townley's lead in got
faith, but who, while he has Civ.
little expression to his views, is su
pected Of leanings toward indepen
ence. will be visited by the work
chosen for that purpose and invft,
to mark his ballot in that worker
= 49, oF.Hrsf45s 5sx-