The Tomahawk., 1919-08-14
FARMERS WIN FIGHT
IN REFERENDUM
All Seven Laws Approved by
People at Special
Election.
new INDUSTRIES ARE SAVED
Vote on Issues Only Runs Far Beyond
Last Vote for 0overnor-Laws
Will Have Final Majority Of
10000 to $1,000.

brought up for referendum before the
people on June 26 have been REIN
dorsed by thee people in an election
marked by many surprising features.
Although dealing with issues alone
many thousand more voters turned out
than In November, 1918. The farm
ers cast at least 5000 more votes for
the industrial legislation than they
cast for the popular governor, Frazier,
and about $4,000 more than they cast
for the amendments involving this
legislation last fall.
There was marked gain in the city
strongholds of the anti-farmer inter.
ests over last year, due probably to
the better understanding labor now
has of the farmer-labor political move
ment.
Opposition Desperate.
Huge funds were sent in from the
big centers East and West to defeat
the Nonpartisan league in its home
state, and the violence and bitterness
Of the opposition surpassed that of
previous campaigns. The large insur.
ance interests alone, according to an
affidavit of a California professor.
raised $1,000,000 for the purpose.
Anti-farmer interests in every state
where the farmers are organizing
sent special contributions, and the
great controlled papers and magazines
throughout the nation turned their
guns on the small army Of leaguers.
The opposition, better organized and
more desperate than ever before, also,
succeeded in reaching three of the
state officers elected on tho farmer
platform.
But in spite of these things the peo'
pie Of the state have given the new
legislation an Endorsement of from H..
900 to $4,000 and the state officials
can proceed at once to put the laws
into effect.
Attacked Whole Program.
While pretending to be In favor Of
the farmer program and consequent.
~ leaving alone the laws providing
mills and elevators, hail insurance and
tax reforms, the anti-farmer interests
attacked those laws needed to make
the industrial program a success--the
industrial commission act and the
Bank of North Dakota act. The first
gives proper businesslike concentrar
ton Of authority and responsibility
for the new state industries and the
latter gives the necessary Independent
system Of financing.
Tho failure of the bank law would
also have meant the failure of tho
plan to lend money on mortgages and
on warehouse receipts for farm prod.
ucts at cost. The home building act
was not attacked, but would have
been of little use to the people with
out the state bank.
The other five laws which the oppo-
sition attempted to repeal were:
The administration act, cOnsolidat-
ing the board of control. board of re.
gents and board Of education into ono
board, supervising the whole field Of
state penal, educational and relief 40.
tivity-an act which followed the lat.
est expert advice in this field and
which is not followed by other states
because It reduces the number Of
political Jobs.
The tax commission act. substituting
one commissioner for . body of three
in the interest Of ecoAomy and efn.
cheney.
The immigration act, providing de.
partment such as IL maintained by
several other progressive states, with
an appropriation OF 100000 to adver.
tise the resources Of the state and
assist new settlers.
The newspaper act, which reduced
the number Of official county papers
to receive public printing from three
or more to one and put the choosing
Of this paper in the hands Of the
voters ut the regular election. The
merit Of the act was obvious; the un-
named objection to it lay in the fact
that 1t abolished an important wheel
In the old party political machine.
The judicial redistricting act, Do.
signed to simplify judicial procedure
and equalize court work in the lower
state courts.
New York judges with the help OF .