The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1920-10-14
c Good
FOR VICTORY OF
INDEPENDENTS
Average Man and Woman Voter
Takes Great Interest In
Discussion of Issues.
BY L. J. Siijan.

With less than three weeks left for
the present campaign, as far as it APP
plies to the opposition against Town
leyism. may be summed up this way:
There is prevalent a feeling of aloof-
ness, even apathy, among some Of the
political war horses who should be
active. Some of them find it difficult
to adjust themselves to 4 campaign
where state interests and issues run
contrary to party lines and party line
up on national affairs. Some are so
absorbed in their private affairs that
they neglect their duties toward the
state almost to the point of being UNI
desirable citizens. This, of course. i'm
pairs to some extent the efficiency and
mobility of the local organizations
thus inflicted. but the managers at the
joint campaign headquarters do not
consider it large enough in scope. nor
intense enough in the various districts,
to seriously affect the final results on
November 2nd.
This battle is not a battle Of one set
OF politicians against another. 1t is a
battle of the people against an intoler-
able political machine which. through
Its strangle hold on the present state
administration, ruthlessly %squanders
public money and corrupts state insti-
tutions for its own selfish purposes. In
order to find out how the wind is blow
ing 1t is therefore necessary to keep
an ear to the ground and listen to the
voice of the average voter. Politi-
clans talk a lot and make much noise,
but 1t is the average man and woman
who has the final and decisive word.
Already in the June primary cam
nalgn there was noticeable Il desire
on the part of the people to hear both
sides of the issues. Members of the
NonpartiSan league refused to obey
the orders of the Townley machine to
stay away from opposition meetings
ana turned out en- maS>e to hear the
Independent speakers. The result was
shown in the wiping out Of the former
big league majorities to comparatively
l!ul0lllleS LUZ those
Iownley candidates who finally won
the nomination.
his time the common voters show
an ever greater desire to hear the
issues discussed. and the attitude Of
League members at anti-TOwnley
meetings is all that can be desired.
They exhibit a fairness of mind and
an earnestness of purpose which we
have to go back five years to find an
equal to in this state. They do not
any longer attend meetings of the In
dependent opposition for the purpose
OF jeering and hooting the speakers
OF the platform. They come to get
the most possible complete informa-
ton and they ask such questions as
they want explained to them in a
spirit Of fairness and with no inten-
ton Of quibbl;ng.
In many instances semi-official local
league delegations have presented
themselves at Independent meetings
to hear the anti-Townley side of the
arguments on the present issues, and
they have been surprised at the atti-
tude of the opposition. They have
discovered that Independent forces do
not intend to disrupt the farmers pro-
gram. They have heard O'Connor,
McGrann, Nelson. Stutsman, Kamplin,
Solum. Steen, koSitzky. Hall and other
Independent candidates pledge their
word that the terminal elevator and
the state mill program shall have a
air and reasonable trial; that all state
industries shall be cleansed Of political
interference; that the Bank of North
Dakota shall be turned into a state
institution managed exclusively in the
interests of the citizens Of the state
That there is going to be a change in
the present system of creating new
and fat jobs for agitators imported
from outside Of the state. and that an
era Of economic administration of
state affairs is to be ushered in.
These are the things the farmers
and the rest of the people of the state
are Interested in; these are the things
they want to hear discussed; these are
'AS IA'AiSs tllet Ndul u see zone. 1nev
will see that they are lone ever if
they are going to vote against their
so-called WI organization whose
managers so far have lone nothing
beyond what they have been forced to
co n supplemented this with empty
promises. The people of the state
those of them who believe in sane and
real progressive measures-are begin
ming to believe that the Independent
candidates are sincere in their prom
1ses. O'COnnOr has convinced those
who have heard him ]. T. Nelson has
convinced those who have heard him
and so with McGrann, and so with
Stutsman, and SO with kamplin and
so with the rest Of the Independent
speakers whether they are candidates
or not.
Among the important issues in the