The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1920-02-28
Attorney General Covers the
Five Main Points of the Nom
partisan League Misrule of
North Dakota and Exposes
Duplicity of Its Leaders in Its
Effort to Perpetuate an Un-
yielding Yoke of Oppression
and Extravaganza on the VOt-
ers of the State

Playing the rule of Townleyism in
North Dakota in a fact-fil!ed resume
Of the lO0ting of North Dakota under
the guse of so olcalled farmers move
ment,, William Langer. the insurSen-
attorney general held huge crowd
at the auditorium yesterday afternoon
for over two and half hours with
a. tenseness seldom in evidence at Il
political gathering cf this character.
This was the first time that At
torley General LANCER has appeared
in public in this city and his address,
delivered in a raspng. non-theatrlcal
voice and manner. was genuine sur
prise. Nothing but a message over
laden with pointed shafts instead OF
glittering generalities could have cen
tered the unswerving attention of
such an audience as greeted Mr.. Lam
ger. His reception and the interest
and applause which accompanied his
speech were tribute to the man and
his message and not an evidence Of
Mr. Langer's oratoricai powers.
(. LANGER'S CHALLENGE
Mr.. LANCER confined his speech 70 th>
five pointed challenge which he isSl,rl
to A. G. Townley last October and
:. which challenge Mr. Tewllley has cons
sistently refused to recognize These
points, which were outlined at great
length and in all their details. were
1.-The Valley City bank deal.
2.-The looting of the, Scandinavian
American Eank Of Fargo.
3.-The Minnie J. Nielsen controver.
sy over the office of superintendent
of public instruction. ,
4.-The activities of J. r. Waters as
bank examiner and manager Of the
Bank of North Dakota.
5.-Proof that the organization of
the Nenpartisan league is not demo-
cratic and that A. G. Townley was
as autocratic as the most despicable
reign of any Of Russia's most tyranni-
cal cars.
Proceeding the main portion Of his
speech when he took up each OF the
five points in detail. Mr.. LANCER told
how he and other state officials had
toured the stata telling the voters
they should vote for the ten amend
ments to the state constitution and
how Townley and Governor FraZle"
had repudated their spoken and writ
ten promises given during that tour
time and again.
PROMISES BROKEN
"We all-Frazzier. Townley. Tom
Hall, myself and others--had promls-
ed Won in those speeches thar no
measure passed by the state legiS-
lature would become law before the
people of the state had chance to
decide directly whether they wished
those laws Or not said the attorney
general But after it was all over.
the legislature which was controller
lock. stock and barrel by Townley.
pinned the emergency provision on
them regardless of their promises
made in the campaign. That is how
Town]ey and Frazier. through their
league controlled legislature. kept
their solemn promises.
Last spring in the referendum cam
paign. you were again tod to vote
yes on certain laws. OF these seven
laws, two were the most vicious thar
were ever pres ented in any state; the
newspaper graft law aid the board OF
administration law. On these two Tom
Hall and advised you to vote mo- but
they were finally approved through
the influence of Townlcy's machine.
MISS NIELSEN'S FIGHT
THE first trouble l ever had with
Mr. Townley was over a womali-MlsS
Minnie ]. Nelson. After a cam
naicn Of the most bitter untruth. Miss
Nelson won the office of superin-
tendent of public Instruction. From
that time until she was to assume
her duties. Miss Nelson was pro>ecnt
ed. insulted. humiliated aud the
proudest act Of MY official career was
the opinion | furnished showing that
Miss Nelson was qualified for that
Office.
1T took sheriff with lot Of rcd
blood in his veins who does not be-
lieve in men making war on women
to oust Neil Macdonald from til"
position which he thought he held for
life. That man was Sheriff Rol'n
Welch of this county and he had to
take Mr.. Macdonald by the nap OF
, the, neck-if he has a neck-and by
the seat of his pants and propel him
through the, open doorway before Miss
Nelson could enter the Office to which
the majority of the people of thi>
state had elected her.
Continued on Page Two)