The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1920-06-11
NokIH DAKOTA A SETTLING
MASS OF POLITICAL ACTIVITY
Republicans and Democrats of tho
state Have United in a Campaign
Against Townleyism.
(By Jay Thomas).

FARGO, North Dakota.-Tbe e+..,
of North Dakota from one end 70 III.
other is a seething mass of politica,
activity, and to outward appearance,
at least, the most of this activity is
designed to wrest control of the state
government from the hands of the
Nonpartisan League.
The Republican and Democratic
leaders of North Dakota have per
fected working agreement on state
political issues and will go down tn,
line together for the purpose of do
feating every candidate for publir
Office who enters the field with the
Nonpartisan League endorsement
in fact, they are demanding =
straight reputation of the League
and its principles from all candidate
who seek party support of either tho
Republican or Democratic organiza-
ton.
The state primary election will be
held June 80 and the first fight will
be conferred on the selection of Re.
publican nominees, as the League
will endeavor to name its candidate
on the Republican ballot.
1t is charged that A. C. Townley. a
self-declared Socialist, has foisted
state socialism on North Dakota
through the operation of the Non
partisan League; that the tax of
every farmer in the state has beeo
more than doubled during the past
year; that the attempt to establish
state-owned grain elevators and flour
mills is failure; that the state bank
act has practically destroyed the
credit of the state; and that the CO.
operative chain stores are a frad,I-
lent scheme for the purpose If tax
ing money away from the farmer.
These in brief are the main questions
at issue. There are, however, a
number of side lines which enter in
to the discussion.
1t is not the purpose of this article
to discuss the alleged Socialistic ter
denotes of the Nonpartisan League.
or the operation of the state bank,
flour mills or chain stores. The rec
ord facts regarding the taxation and
these other matters will be set forth
in other articles to follow 1t is my
intention to lay the foundation for fu-
ture intelligent discussion of the ac-
tual operation of the Nonpartisan
League by giving close-range birds
eye view of the political conflict now
raging in North Dakota.
Lynn J. Frazier, the Nonpartisan
League governor of the state and ell
the state officials were elected on rht
Republican ticket, and Frazier will
again lead the fight for the League as
a candidate for the Republican nomi-
nation for governor. The opposition
to Townley and the Nonpartisan
League, so far as the Republican
party is concerned, is headed by VII
liam LANCER, present attorney gener-
al of the state, who was selected by
the Republican state advisory con-
vention as the candidate of the Greg
ulars" to make the race against Gov
ernor Frazier. His endorsement at
the convention was unanimous. Lang
er was elected attorney general with
the endorsement of the Nonpartisar
League, but broke with the Townley
organization at the time of the Scan
dinavian American Bank scandal IN
Fargo and has been carrying on tic
fight against "Townleyism" ever
since. When LANCER parted COM
pany with the League, he carried
with him State Auditor kozitsky and
Secretary of State Hall
IF the Republican primaries, june
so. result in the nomination of Lang
err and the state and legislative tic
ket endorsed by the REGULARS" the
Nonpartisan League will be out of
business in North Dakota. If, how
ever, the League candidates win in
the primaries, then the fight will be
carried on to the general election in
November with the Irregular" Repub-
Leans openly supporting the Demo
cratic state ticket. Republican lead
ers and Democratic leaders agreed
upon tic candidates endorsed by the
convention of both parties, and it is
worthy of note that the platforms of
both conventions were largely de-
voted to condemnation Of the Non
partisan League and its socialistic
program The Republican platfoT'
saws in part: eve assert that the
nolicies and principles of the social
i-tic leaders of the Nonnartis7r'
League as evidenced by recent amend
nents TO the constitution. enacted
end put into effect IFS socialistic pro
pram. and the new constitution It at
tempted unIawfullv to impose upon
thc state and many laws not enactpd
~ the voluntary act Of either the
neonle or the Legislature. but at the
dictation of a group Of agitators and
ocnriesced by ronfding hut misguid-