The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1920-10-14
.BACKFIRlNG ON / !.
LEAGUE PLANT
MAY JAR SOME
League Headquarters Charge
Conspiracy While it Appears
League Favored
COURT ACTION PLANNED
Assistant Secretary of State
Declares Election Laws of
State are Muddled

A new "plot" by the Nonpartisan
league has been discovered, }..".
And a new "plot" by the anti-Town-
ley men has been discovered
4 Both of which appear to be due
to the complicated and ambiguous
election laws Of North Dakota, which
the legislature, in the last four years,
has done nothing to correct.
The Nonpartisan league organ in
. Fargo raised great disturbance be"
cause all the individual nominations
for the election in November. are
printed in one column. '&t
The ballot, as many county audi
tors are having it printed is three
column ballot, having a column for
Governor Frazier and others yictori-
GUS in the Republican primary; a
Democratic column and an individual
nominations column -
League Name Used
In the individual nominations col
umn there are two divisions. The So
cialists filed individual nominations
for presidential electors. These are
blocked together apd designated as
socialists. The Nonpartisan individ,
ual nominations, being men to take
the places OF those defeated in the Re-
publican primary, are blocked togeth-
er and are designated as Nonparti-
sanaleague candidates.
The league organ says it is a, plot
to put the socialists and the Nom
partisan individual nominations in one
column. + %
Gives League Advantage
Some anti-Townley men declared
that it is an illegal and unfaifi ad-
vantage to give. the Nohpartisan
league candidates in labelling them as
candidates of the league. II -.
In 1912 Attorney General Costello
held that the individual nominations
should 60 in one column. Other per
sons are said TO have held that there
should be separate columns.
In 1915 Attorney | General Linde
held that twas NOT permissible to
designate Nonpartisan league car1di
dates on the ballot because the league
had no legal standing as "a political
party. =
If these attorney generals were cor
rect then the league is given an UNI
fair advantage in this falls ballots.
The league organ declares that
there is a plot on, and it names'At-
torney General LANCER, Secretary OF
State Hall and others as being in the
plot" It is understood that LANCER
holds three-cohlmn ballot is per-
missable.
Up to Auditors
It was explained today by Assist
ant Secretary of State Duffy, Mr.. Hall
being out of the city, that the county
auditors are charged with the duty OF
printing the ballots and they may
designate them. The office of the
secretary of state has not attempted
to do more than the law allows
which is to certify the candidates to
the, county auditors. w
Considerable money would be saw
ed in printing three-column ballot,
and under the present designation
many people believe that the league
candidates, being designated as sucn
on smaller ballot, would gain in
stead of lose. 4
A smaller ballot also would aid
people in voting, as criticism has
been voiced for years against a long
and complicated the ballot. n
One of the recommendations OF
Secretary of State Hall to the leg
islature is that the election laws be
1hodsfied aandr7clarified, "by someone
who understands how to write clear
Fnp1ish" =" ~