The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1920-10-14
A. c. T0WNLEY, DREAMER,
PROMOTER, B0SSP0LITlCIAN
Townley's Newspaper Organic alton
and Stores Company

his presidency. No Leagde mem
Der could talk to another through the
"official" paper unless re praised the
political boss and paid tribute to him
If criticism was directed at him by
members it must come through out
side publications, and, in that event,
the member who showed such dis
respect of the president" was
promptly barnded traitor and read
out Of the organization by the of
fetal publications" of the Leagce,
his publishing company having es-
tablished "official" papers in each
state where his League ope ted, and
moved the first paper, now the ma
tional Nonpartisan Leader" to st.
Paul-and later to Minneapolis.
Thus we saw many members, en-
ployees and state officials elected by
the League discarded. They dared to
criticise Townley, the promoter, and
Townley, the political boss, gave
orders to his editors to attack and dis
credit them. No member of the
League, no official of the League, and
no public official elected by the
League, has been able to get any
criticism, Of any kind, published in
the "officia" paper - in ToWnley's
papers And here let me record, they
never will. The columns Of the "of-
ficiar' papers are only open to those
who praise the "king". If an en-
ployee on the numerous "officiap'
papers of Boss Townley breaks this
unwritten law they are promptly dis
charged. Or if an independent paper
is established in local field by
League members and it should per-
chance disagree with the president"
or his attorney, that paper is imme--
diately attacked and discredited, and
Townley's "official" papers in large
headlines declare it has "sold out to
the enemy"
And thus the Nonpartisan League,
so-called farmers organization, is
dominated by one man, safe from
criticism from within his organiza-
ton, absolute master of all its poll
cies mad actions because of his owner
ship of all of it's "official" papers,
while his salaried attorney sits with
him on the Executive committee"
keeping his "official" papers "official"
and the subscriptions" flowing into
their treasury.
No such organization for power
was ever created within an organiza-.
,tion in the history of the United
States. President Gompers, of the
American Federation of Labor, must
always combat men in that organiza-
ton who disagree with his policy or
policies; they can use the official
papers of the different branches of
that federation to criticise, suggest or
condemn any action taken or pro-
posed. This is true of all other or
CARNATIONS, unions, declarations, So
cieties and associations, political or
otherwise, in the United States, ex-
cepting privately owned corporations
or concerns. Members control the
affairs of their organization-andt the
official publication.
But in the Nonpartisan League,
Townley, the political boss, has diff
ferent %ideas. He is typical of the
boss politician. He says the rank and
file shall not control my organization.
The boss shall dictate. In the Non
partisan League the president"
dominates the members and the or
ganization instead Of the organiza-
ton and the members dominating the
"president''. The "official" papers
direct the members instead of the
members directing the policy Of the
paper. The boss politician wants no
criticism. He will not tolerate it,
and Townley wants no advice from
the members or criticism from them.
On the other hand, like the political
boss, he accepts the praise, tribute and
honary mention and publishes that
fene!y, but the waste basket in the
office of the "official" papers holds
al the criticism which comes or may