Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1920-03-11
Bishop Wehrle Tells Of League

~. = = ii
The following article written by the
by Bishop Wehrle on the Nonpartisan
League appeared in the March NUM-
Der of the Extension Magazine. 1t is
so concise in arraignment Of the Town
leyites that we are herewith reprint
ing it in full. Read the article and
pass it on to your neighbor. The ar
ticle is as follows:
The Nonpartisan League Experiment
By Rt. Rev. Vincent Werhle, D. D.,
Bishop Of Bismarck. F
/; For more than two years North Da>
kota has been in the limelight on ac-
count Of the Nonpartisan League,
which came into existence in that
northwestern state and at the present
time controls it's politics; and from
there has been, and still is, spreading
over a number of other states in the
Union. This Nonpartisan League is
so radical departure from the ac-
cepted political parties, and its forma-
la has so many unique features, that
a brief analysis of it's present status
and the political affairs of the state
it controls must be of interest to all
American men and women observers
of such phenomena. t'sss *
The first question which must be
answered is: 'sWhat caused the Nom
partisan League 70 come into exist
ence z" Farmers are usually the most
conservative body of citizens; they en-
dure many acts Of ill-treatment before
they rebel: they have much respect for
the laws Of their country. When they
break with old party lines in an al
most revolutionary way, as they did
in North Dakota, they must have had
grievances. Most of these are not
specifically peculiar to North Dakota,
but can be said q apply to the whole
United States grievances growing
directly out; Of tlbss capitalistics system
which controls the money market and
the whole commercial life of this and
other civilized countries, and which
are gradually leading the nations
toward social revolution. To arrive
alta clear understanding Of the gene
sis Of the Nonpartisan. League, the
question 'What caused the Nonparti.
san League to come into existence
first inNorth Dakota I" must be an
swered catagoricalfy. s9 ,.ls,3, Y.
.al.ss 5s The Causes Enumerated. n " !,
s., III the first place, theSrate Of inter-
est has excessively high In North Da-
kota. Many farmers have for years
and years struggled to pay their
debts, but only succeeded s. enrich
ing the money lender. The moneyed
men have become richer and richer,
but too many hard working farmers
of small means remained poor in spite
of hard work, and this in country
where land was given them free BY
the G Government. s IA .g.s
! $,s q. Much land is in the hands Of
spectators who do not improve it,
and help not at all in building up this
new country. Other land spectators
have bought up large tracts Of land,
especially from the Northern Pacific
Railroad Company, at an extremely
4 Low price, and afterwards have, by
artifcial manipulations, screwed up
the price excessively, often making in
one land deal more money than hard
working farmer could earn in years.
Thus the farmers hae been compelled
toSwork for years and years, for no
other purpose than to enrich these
I spectators. S HI
8. u. The prices Of goods and mater
ials, which are most needed in q new
!. country, such as lumber and. farm ma
chinery, have been and still are abso-
lutely undef e control Of large corr
porations witch ars not doing busi-
ness for their heakh. It arouses
the ire Of the farmer when he IS given
evidence that farm machinery made
sinSthe United States is sold cheaper
on the steppes Of Russia than here in
our own country. y i; ii
The market price Of our prod
ucts, wheat and beef, has been entire
Nv too much under the control Of th
Chambers Of Commerce III Eastern
sS;aS1fat -. trn m,1ch at the nnarcy ~ the