The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1920-07-16
NONPARTISAN LEAGUE JOLTED
IN NORTH DAKOTA.

The results of the North Dakota
primaries are moral defeat for
Townleyism. The nonpartisan league
candidates were defeated in two Of
the three congressional districts: the
leagues candidate for the Unitel
States senate "noses out" by only
1000 majority and it's candidates for
governor by only 5000
To get a true realization of the
significance of this slump in the
Townley organization one has to re
member that the league is in control
of every branch of the state govern
ment; that the state has instituted
socialistic methods and the league has
built up powerful political machine
with an army of workers on the pub
lie payroll.
The foundation of this Townley
machine is the industrial commits
sion"-the governor, the attorney
general and the commissioner of ag-
riculture and labor-with full power
''to conduct and manage on behalf Of
the state of North Dakota certain
utilities, enterprises and industries
now or hereafter established by
law"
The governor has arbitrary veto
power over any action of this auto
cratic triumvirate. And the governor
is the creature of Townley Thus all
the property, all the wealth and all
the business interests in the state are
more or less at the mercy of Townley
and his merciless organization.
They have established. for in
stance, the State Bank of North Da-
kota, backed by state bond issue If
$2,0O0,000. In this bank must be de
posted all public funds of the state,
the counties, the cities and the vari-
Gus public institutions. totaling more
than s9O,OOOOO0. From one source
and another this Townley trio has
control of more than s20O,OOO,OO of
public funds-a terrific power of in
timidation over the banks and bank
ers, and through them over the bust
ness and industrial interests and the
farmers.
1t is clear that this department Of
business by the state can go into any
community which refuses to vote tho
Townley ticket and establish COM
petitive store or stores and take over
the private business of the commua-
ity.
This powerful political machine
runs the state mills and elevators,
the state home builders association
and the state printing commission,
which is nothing short of an organ
lied press bureau, subsidized by state
funds for propagating Townleyism
throughout the state. 1t has estab-
lished state official newspaper at
Fargo, under the direct control of
Townley. This and other newspaper
organs established and financed in the
various counties. through designation
as official newspapers, in which alone
legal publications can be made, sup
port the soviet state of government
of Townley and are in turn supported
by it.
With all these powerful influences,
and many others like them, the Town
ley machine barely carried the pri
maries for its candidates for COVER
nor and the United States senate.
and lost two of the three congress
slonal districts. It's crushing defeat
is not improbable at the general cleo
ton in November If not in Novem-
her, then for surety in 1922, for the
revolt is growing. The nonpartisan
league has sown the seeds for its
own destruction. The American
spirit can be relied on to come back
to sanity. to justice, to the American
principle of fair dealing.