Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-10-05

did not heed the wishes and demands
of their constituents. The Equity 80
ctety leaders had called a meet
ing In protest against the legislhture.
This meeting was held at Bismarck
while the session was on-and-While
ToWnley. the dreamer, looked on, and
dreamed. '3sF
Here was his opportunity to begin
his career as a politician. He wasHa
socialist. The s~tate-owned elevator
appealed to him. Here was q chance
to work fora socialistic political n
;terprise and at the, same time join
hands with Republicans and Demo-
Gratis. Here was a chance to pro-,
mote. not real estate sales, but po-,
thtical. action and q political organi-
cation. True. he had never been in
iterested in h welfare OF farmers
and their problems, but he had
taught school. had debated on social
ism with its opponents and was well
posted on state ownership. Was not
a state-owned terminal a part OF the
Socialist program?
So Townley secured permission
from the Equity meeting to address
1.-THE gathering, but not being. a polish
ed speaker then he engaged q broth
er. Socialist to address the. farmers
assembled, Inc there A.. e. Bowen,
jTownley's friend and at one time
lS0AA0AOAko ~ SOtSEUOIE OA k1l0Y 0ONA0A0
iist. ticket in North Dakota, outlined
proposed farmers organization with
dues, with an official newspaper, with
state headquarters, and organizers
and speakers in the field. It was en-
Enthusiastically endorsed by: h disap-
pointed farmers who had been denied
their demands.
Dreamer Townley had not dreamed
in vain. He was to be a political
boss. He. silently left Bismarck and
gathered around him a working force
OF organizers, naturally the Socialist
with mhom he had become acquaint-
ed while a member Of that party and
Ia candidate for Office under their
banner. It was not long before
Townley broke up the Socialist r
ganization of North Dakota Its state
paper was discontinued because of
employment by Townley of it's bust
ness manager. it's bookkeeper and Its
editor. He employed practically all
its organizers. So embittered did the
members of the Socialist organization
become that they openly r~epudiated
PEELED him from their organization.
But in a short time every Socialist in
the state withdrew their opposition
land Joined the Farmers N~onpartisan
league, until today there is not q
prominent Socialist in North Dakota
WHO ~ HOT WOTAeI dLo SuPpoItSIl VI
ITownley. and most of them are on
the payroll of the organization a
high salaries. 4
:. In. the first election. Townley sue
ceeded beyond his own dreams, as
sisted by the indignation Of the
Equity element in the state because
LOT the legislatures refusal to estab-
lish the terminal elevator which
they had demanded and which the
people bad voted for. He elected the
, entire state ticket, with one excep-
; ton, a majority of the lower house
a majority of the supreme court and
!, was only prevented from the captur.
: ing the senate by the law which pro.
: ,vides that half Of that body hold
, stead Of two.
: It must be remembered, however
!, in this campaign that Townley ha(
? the support of the Progressive Re
publican workers OF the state as wei
, as the support, because of the preat'
!. dental campaign, of the stalwart fac
,, ton Of the Republican party known
: a the Mckenzie organization.
!, This initial c Of Townley wa.
! !, due to the tact hat at that time hi
. surrounded himself with Republican,
; and Democrats and kept the Soctal'
!, lists in the, background. He was tax
: an at his word. he was N~onpartisan
: He wa only fighting for q state-own,
|. ed elevator, ar ural credit bank and
tag reforms. He had been repudiat
ed by the Socialist party. He haa
been endorsed by the farmers stat
,Grange, the Equity society and thu
Farmers Union. Although Wilson
carried the state, Frazier on the Re
publican ticket won by $1,000 ma
!jarity,, with a total vote Of abou
100, 1000 in the state.
And here, following this great vic
tory, Townley. the dreamer, dreamed
new dreams. planned new promotion
and Immediately assumed the role o
boss politician. He attacked and dis
credited, with the official paper Of hi
Organization and q large daily which
he acquired, the president OF tn
state Equity society and read out o
his organization several elected Off
cials because they disagreed Will
him and refused to do his bidding
He tried and tested his strength. II!
NOV knew his power. he owned tn
daily, and the official paper Of hi
Organization, with the largest circula
lions in the state. He owned then
through q secret agreement with tw,
Socialist friends-under a trustee
ship. He was getting $500 per yea
from $4,000 farmers in North Dak0t
alone. He had moved the organiza
ton into Minnesota. Montana an,
South Dakota He established othe
Official" state papers n = nations
magazine, all under his immediat
control and ownership. Seven dollar
from each member went into hi
publishing company. The member
had nothing to nay about th
Leagues management They onl
endorsed candidates for ofice-ant
ITownley saw to it that his clos