The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1920-10-08

never be q pOlltlcal DOSS IOlloWlHS
the Carl Marx school of politics. He
was defeated but his ambition to
enter political life was only sharp
ened. He dreamed not only of being
elected to the legislature but of con-
trolling the legislature of North Da-
kota.
In January, 1915, he went to Bis
marck and attended the legislative
session as a visitor. There a bitter
fight was being waged between two
factions of the legislature, n de-
manding the passage Of a law, and
the appropriating of money, to build
a state-owned terminal elevator, SINH
lar to the terminal at New Orleans
and those in Canada. 1t had been
voted upon by the people, but the
legislature, as it ofen happens, did
not heed the wishes and demands of
their constituents. The Equity So
ciety leaders had called a mass meet
ing in protest against the legislature.
This meeting was held at Bismarck
while the session was on-and while
Townley, the dreamer, looked on, and
dreamed.
Here was his opportunity to begin
his career as a politician. He was a
socialist. The state-owned elevator
appealed to him. Here was a chance
to work for a socialistic political en-
terprise and at the same time join
hands with republicans and demo-
Gratis. Here was a chance to promote,
not real estate sales, but political
action and a political organization.
True, he had never been interested in
the welfare of farmers and their prob
lens, but he had taught school, and
debated on socialism with it's OPP
ponents and was we'll posted on state
ownership. Was not a state-owned
terminal a part Of the socialist pro-
gram?
So Townley secured permission
from the Equity meeting to address
the gathering, but not being a pol
ished speaker then he engaged a
brother socialist to address the farm
ers assembled , and there A. E. Bowen,
Townley's friend and at one time a
candidate for governor on the socialist
ticket in North Dakota, outlined a
proposed farmers organization with
state headquarters, and organizers
and speakers in the field. 1t was en-
Enthusiastically endorsed by the disap-
pointed farmers who had been denied
their demands.
Dreamer Townley had not dreamed
in vain. He was to be a political boss,
He silently left Bismarck and gath.
cred around him a working force of
organizers, naturally the socialist
with whom he had become acquainted
while a member of that party and a
candidate for office under their ban.
ner. 1t was not long before Townley
broke up the socialist organization of
North Dakota. It's state paper was
discontinued because of employment
by Townley Of it's business manager
it's bookkeeper and it's editor. He
employed practically all it's organic.
ers. So embittered did the members
of the socialist organization become
that they openly %repudiated Townley
and his activities-and expelled hin
from their organization. But in {
short time every socialist in the statt
withdrew their opposition and %jointet
the Farmers Nonpartisan league, un
til today there is not a prominent So
! cialist in North Dakota who is not {
worker and supporter of Townley, ano
most of them are on the payroll o
the organization at high salaries.
| In the first election, Townley sue
, ceeded beyond his own dreams, assisted
by the indignation of the Equit,
! element in the state because o:
. the legislatures refusal to estab
l fish the terminal elevator which the.
had demanded and which the peopl
had voted for. He elected the entir,
state ticket, with one exception, a ma
r jority of the lower house, a majorit.
of the supreme court and was onl.
prevented from capturing the senat
by the law which provides that hal
e of that body hold over, their tern
being four years instead Of two.
1t must be remembered, however
4 in this campaign that Townley ha
o the support of the progressive repub
s lican workers of the state as wei
V as the support, because of the presi
l dental campaign, of the stalwart fac
= ton of the republican party know
as the Mckenzie organization.
This initial success of Townley wa
due to the fact that at that time h
surrounded himself with republican
and democrats and kept the socialist
S in the background. He was taken n
his word. He was a nonpartisan. H
was only fighting for a state-owne
r elevator, a rural credit bank and ia
reforms. He had been repudiated b
e the socialist party. He had been er
l. dorsed by the farmers state Grang'
the Equity society and the Farmer
Union. Although Wilson carried tn
state, Frazier on the r~epublica
,f ticket won nv 81 0OO ma ioritv with