The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1920-01-22
LEAGUE LEADERS REPUDIATED
RY THEIR OWN COURT

BY THEIR OWN COUKI
Repudiated by supreme court
which they helped to elect, leaders Of
the Townley movement come out of
the House Bill so fasco discredited,
stripped of the last shred of respect,
exposed as men who would deliberate
ly set aside the constitution when that
fundamental basis of law stands be-
tween them and their selfish ambi-
ton.
Nothing since the organization of
the Nonpartisan league was first con-
ceived has so served to reveal the
complete disregard entertained by the
leaders of this movement for any
established form of government
which stands in the way of their plans.
The conflict between House Bill 50 and
the clear wording of the constitution
Of North Dakota, as amended, only a
year ago through the dictates Of these
same leaders, was so apparent that the
average grammar school student could
easily discern it. And still this man
Lemke, reputed father of this bill:
had the temerity to 60 before a dig
nified body of jurists, sworn to up
hold the constitution and the laws of
their state, and to ask them to stultify
themselves in order that he might put
through his scheme for the more COM
plete communication of North Dakota.
Anarchy could not go further; Rus
STA, even under Trotzky and Lenine,
can offer no more blaring example of
dictatorship which would override
all right of the people and degrade the
constitution.
North Dakota should give thanks
for House Bill 60. It has put social
ism-communism, if you will-to the
supreme test in North Dakota. The
conflict between the anarchistic will of
an autocratic dictator and the con-
stitutional will expressed by demo-
cratic people reached a crisis at an
opoortune moment. Had the dictator
ship been permitted to proceed longer
welding ever tighter the chains with
which it sought to strife freedom OF
thought, of speech and of action
North Dakota might have awakened
too late to the fact that it was en-
shaved, it's hands tied, and it's every
avenue of free government closed.
It is we'll to remember that the de-
cision which held House Bill so uncon-
stitutional did not come from an un.
friendly court dominated by big Bus.
iness." 1t came from tribunal four
of whose members were endorsed and
elected by the organization which A
C. Townley and Bill Lemke dominate
1t is natural to believe that had there
been a reasonable shadow of doubt
these judges would have given Lemke
and Townley the benefit of it.
The thing which Bill Lemke sought
to do to North Dakota was too glazing
too fragrant. ....... "a.
Bill Lemke today is not a pretty
, spectacle. Stripped of all the shams
tof false democracy behind which he
has sought to hide, he stands forth
bare and naked in his demagogery, re-
vealed in his true light as petty au-
tocrat, a sman who would abuse the
powers of temporary majority, and
who would sacrifice the constitution
and the guarantees which he, as step
ping stone to power, helped to secure,
in order that he might fortify the die
tatorship to which misguided con-
stituency has unwittingly elevated
him. -
The constitution still governs; there
is yet such a thing as law and order
in North Dakota; Bill Len1ke and A.
c.. Townley and anarchism and cem-
munism are in eclipse.
Will an outraged electorate arise
and redeem itself Bismarck Tri-
bune.
John H. Bloom, who for many years
has owned and edited the Devils Lake
Journal. has sold his paper and we
near will move to Fargo where he will
continue to operate with the nonpar-
tisan league in. some capacity or other.
He has been fish commissioners or some
other fishy job for some time, while
Mrs. Bloom is postmistress at Devils
Lake. In the relinquishing Of the
editorial pen by Mr.. Bloom, passes
rs i +