The Washington herald., 1920-07-01
TAFT SEES PRIMARY
IN NORTH DAKOTA AS
FIGHT UPON LEAGUE
BY WILLIAM howard TAFT

BY WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE one.
lawful use of its assets to further
the financial operations of various
associations. creations of Townley
in the league plans.
Opponents Well Organized.
The opponents OF the league have
never been so well organized and
their speakers in the campaign
called a spade a spade. The out
rageons defiance of the intelligent
public opinion by Frazier, Townley
and their confreres in public ad-
ministration would insure their de-
feat but for the stolidity OF farmers
who are leaGuers. There are many
of them Scandinavians. Germans
and Canadians; their slogan Is well
stick" They heed nothing and lis
ten to nothing except what comes
from league sources.
The unblushing method by which
the State government through the
legislative requirements as to pub
lication of all public legal notices
controls a very large number of the
papers of the State suggests Lenine
and Trotsky. 1t is hard to believe
that the league could do the things
ii has done and not be hurled from
power By an indignant people. The
true story includes decentralization
of the school system and the con-
nivance of a league majority of the
Supreme Court in other phases of
the leagues outrageous conduct.
Power In Triumyirate.
The Non-partisan League had Its
origin in a union of farmers to cure
real evil and to put them on an
equality in dealing with warehouse
men, millers and packers. Townley
and others made 1t into a political
organization and vested complete
power of control in a triumvirate
of Townley. Lsmken and Wood,
whose rule is absolute and who elect
their successors. Having solidified
the farmers into a unit body i'm
pervious to reasoning or facts they
have now developed their real char
acter. which is that OF Socialists.
They have brought from serv-
ice of the State Socialists from ev-
cry quarter and they are preparing
to create a Socialist government.
Capital is fleeing the State. The
credit of county. municipal and
State governments is at a low ebb.
| The taxes have been greatly in
creased. and partly because of the
great overhead expense due to cre-
alton of commissions and Offices
filled with nonresident radicals at
high salaries. The head of the tax
machinery is a Socialist and he has
doubled and trebled the farm as
sessments of the State, apparently
to force land into the hands Of the
State. OF course this pinches the
farmers. who were the initiators of
the whole movement. and ultimately
the clash between Socialism and the
body of farmers means the destruc-
ton of the league.
Meantime the league leaders have
believed they could hold their solid
farmers support by continuous de-
nunciation of big business. Wall
Street and the money powers. They
also enlisted for this election the
support of railroad labor unions
which are in the control of radi-
calls and Socialists
Service Men Opposed.
Against the league were all the
business men of the State, many of
the American farmers, a good many
Scandinavian and German farmers,
formerly of the league, who have |
seen the light, and a great majority |
of the former service men. The |
cities have probably given majori- |
ties against the league, but the |
voice of the country is uncertain. |
The business men and the conserva- |
tives realized the crisis and were.
more active than ever in the his
of kA 49,
this is written the result of the
balloting is unknown.
Senator Gronna sought renomina-
ton, He was opposed by a politi-
cal professor named Ladd, at the |
head of the Agricultural College of !
the State, who has embraced the |
principles of the league and acted
with 1t. Senator Gronna until re- /
Gently was flirting with the league |
and placed no obstacles in it's path. |
1t was thought that the league
might acquiesce in his renomina- |
tion, but IL took Ladd. Mr.. Gronna |
has now become most denunciatory /
of the league and Of Socialism, and !,
talks like a conservative. How |
Is his conversion the fu-
ture will disclose. Former Gov.
White. a conservative of high stand
ing, the colonel of one of the North II
Dakota regiments which was in the d
fight overseas. was also a candidate, n
forced to remain on the ticket, from II
which he sought to withdraw, by II
the insistence of the veterans of H
the great war. I'll
Leagues Power Ending.
The defeat of the leagues play
to capture the Republican party II
in Minnesota has heartened the op- II
ponents of the league in the Da-
kotas. II LANCER Is elected Ii will II
be the beginning of the end of the II
leagues power in all the northern n
tier of States from Minnesota to H
The league Is Socialistic, unpa-
triotic. anti American, despotic,
dishonest in its methods, and lives
only because of the totally blind II
prejudice and ignorance of the great
body of its supporters. 1t may have
been successful yesterday. but 1t
contains the seeds Of its own de-
utruction. The sooner the. victory n
1ver II the less the injury il can