The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1919-11-07

tors and square deal in buying and
weighing grain. But Townley induced
them to 60 farther than this. IN eff
feet he seems to have suggested that
while they were about it, they ought
to make themselves independent of
big Business for all time. The only
way to do that was to get control of
the legislature and dictate just the
laws they though necessary to bring
about the desired result. That is what
happened. The Nonpartisan league
gained legislative control and elected
their candidate for governor. We
read further:
ut was a remarkable situation, that
which enabled $4,000 farmers to ally
in anger for the overthrow of repre-
sentatives and even policies that had
been popular for years. AS a whole,
these North Dakota farmers are fine
people, men of sterling honesty, Wig
orous in their dislike for men that
work in the dark, hating cunning prac-
tees, suspicious of cleaked and mys-
FERROUS designs. They are good Amer
leans, though many of them were, slow
to comprehend what the war was
about. Perhaps no state in the Union
can offer more worthy body of plain |
American folk. Yet they were liter
ally hypnotized by Townley. The only
explanation for their sheeplike attitude |
is the rage that colored their reason
ing whenever they thought Of the
tricks that had been played on them in
the weighing and grading OF the only
valuable thing they had to sell-their
wheat
Talk About Politics.
"They were in this condition of
| mind when the time came tor the new
state government to organize and for
the legislature to meet Townley had
prepared to handle this organization.
He went to Bismarck, the capital. a
week before the date for the opening
| of the legislature, and established
headquarters at the Hotel Mckenzie.
Surrounded by his trusted lieu.enants,
almost every man of them Socialist
and scarcely one of them farmer, he
gathered in the farmer legislators as
they got to town, drew them to his
rooms and induced them to sign a
compact document which pledged
them to support measures that Town
ley intended to put before the legisla-
ture. Eighty-one member of the house
signed this compact and eighteen
members Of the senate, minority, at
fixed their signatures. All bills that
originated in the house and all that
| were sent to the house from the SEN
ate were sent to the secret council to
which no one was admitted excepting
| signers of the compact, and bills that
were approved in the secret council
thereafter had the backing Of the
pledged members of the league lsgis-
lators.
"There is no space here to set forth
the astonishing bills that were showed
through the secret council. Mention
of one will suffice. This was the ia
nous House Bill a.. 1t was nothing
less than a bill to abolish the Consti-
tuition of the state by legislative encat-
ment and to substitute Socialist
charter, Socialist charter of the most
radical nature. 1t was proposed to
raise the debt limit from 100000 to
the sky. That was the only limit. 1t
was proposed to lend school funds on
bonds of the state, and at the same
time the state was to be committed to
numerous Socialistic enterprises which
would have made, and eventually did
make in some cases, investments very
precarious. 1t abolished certain safe
guarding provisions of the Constitu-
ton and it eliminated PATRIOTS: prir-
ciples. The house passed this bill with
whoop, but the senate fortunately
stood fast"
Many Wild Schemes.
As soon as the Nonparrisan league
: had gained sufficient control, to APP
p.ars that Mr.. Townley went about
t carrying out various tf his Pet
schemes. Among these conspicuous
example is the "co-operative stores"
idea. Every member of the Nonpar-
E tisan league paid 500 for membership
| in the store scheme. He didn't get
. anything for his money except the
privilege of buying at the cooperative
store and the promise of goods at cost
plus freight and ten per cent profit
a 1t is said that probably 81, 500,OO0 was
: taken in from farmers who subscribed
to this scheme. We are led to be-
!, lieve that one of the questions event.
nally asked by the Townley follower.
was as to what became of those sub.
scription fees. Mr.. Hill answers:
"Half of the 500 went to the conf'
pany, $40 went to, the establishment,
of store in the chain, S. went TO the
organizer and the other IS was spen,
for organization expenses whatever
they may have been. 1t was huge
success in promotion. benefitinl
everybody, it appeared, but the farm
ers. Men who went out in the busy
little Fords to get subscriptions w,!let
their pockets
"'They sure come in bun ckes,
laughed one organizer. I got twenty
seven subscribers in one day. Nearly
all the workers are cleaning up $20l
: to $500 month";
"One organizer took in $l,557 ir
i seven weeks. Others made from $5(
to $50 a day."
"Rich Mans War"
The entrance of the United State!
!, into the war, we are told, served te
check Townley domination somewha
9 in North Dakota. Many schemes hac
, to be abandoned on account of wal