Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1919-11-19

ter battle TO put al man s name on the |
list than was afterWards requir-
ed to put him IN parliament
. Record Of Ddsastsr..
III the earlier Labor parties I'm this
counts y, and particula1y in the Popu-
list party there was PRACTICABLE no
limit to the outragesVof which the or
NOTED candidates under which the s. jolly
good fellows Z. the friend 4 of labor"
the man who once worked at the bench
himself, the. man who had delivered
himself Of some sensational declaration
In the Hbehalf Of labor or against some
great private monopoly, were given posi-
lions Of power which they themselves
had sought under the patronage OF the
enemies OF labor and for the express
purpose of betraying the trust imposed
in them. .s 81 s.
s35s IS q Better way us ~ u
81 In North Dakota, and in other states
where the farmers Nonpartisan league
is being organized, persons whose names
are to be supported in the primaries
are selected after this fashion: All the
League members meet in their; voting
precinct. They select a delegate TO the
legislative convention by asking for in
formal nominations. Each name pre-
scented is written on a blackboard and
an informal vote is taken. If any one
whose name. has been written on the
board gets no votes at all, each such
name is erased. There then takes place
the. frankest, fullest, open discussion
Of the persons who have been presented.
! after which the voting is renewed, and
after each ballot the name having the
smallest number Of votes is dropped
and this is continued until some one
of the nominees is given majority
These delegates meet. in a district
-eonvention, and following the same;
plan nominate their candidates for the
| legislature and for the county offices and
elect a delegate to the state convention.
| In the state conventions the same pro-
| cess of elimination finally leads to the
| selection of the state candidates. After
| that all names go to the primary cleo
ton for final approval.
| Cooperating Organizations.
In all Of these gatherings where can
! didates are to be named, if there are
trade unions or other organizations
! seekisg to cooperate, they, do not meet
I together in a mass. Each group meets
! by itself, selects it's own representative
| after it's own manner, and these men by
mutual conference and arrangement
/ adopt each others candidates, indorse
each others measures and SO complete
their work.
old-Time Politicians Still Betray.
I So far this has worked so well that
there have been very few betEayals in
the brief existence of the League. Of
these it may be said that the persons
who have broken faith with the League
were not members of the League.
They were not directly related as farm
ers to the work Of the League They
had been old-time politicians and Office
holders and were unfortunately Endorsed
by the League after it had made what
it believed to be a sufficient investiga-
! ton.
The Leagues experience with Messrs
Hall, Kositzky and LANCER of North
Dakota, twice elected by League votes
and now fighting the League, not only
justifies this manner of selection, but
ought to suggest the very great import
ance Of a strict adherance to this pro-
gram in the future.
The Tested Men.
It may be said frankly that the more
directly the candidates for public
office are chosen by industrial organi.
cations of some sort and from among
those who by long service have demon
strated their loyalty and their capacity
themore certain will they be to prove
themselves both capable and loyal in thu
administration Of public affairs. Under
such an arrangement the possibility o,
being imposed upon by persons who may
seek to use a Labor party to promote
, their own personal ambitions to the dis
advantage of labor and to betray thu
purpose of a Labor party through pri
, vate bargains with the enmies Of labo
. to their own personal profit will be re
duced to the lowest minimum.
Should a successful Labor party arts
> in the United States, in order that i
may be successful it would need to com
bine within its ranks the great organi
, cations of labor, such as the farmers
> Nonpartisan league, the railway broth
erhoods, the miners, the textile workers
the steel and packing house employees
the building trades and other such bod
. les. The temptation will be great t.
, select candidates already in the publ
, eye. The very habit of mind which ha
t taken possession of the public though
I in/~this country will tend strongly t.
r the selection Of candidates already fam
e Gus or suddenly made so by some sen
!. sational utterance or by some unfor
= tunate event.