The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-13
N0N-PARTISANS
WAY BEHIND IN
SOUTH DAKOTA
Made One Squirt, but Fail to
Retain Even Balance of
Electoral Power.
G. @. p. OUTLOOK BRIGHT
Labor Issues Appear but
TiIIers of Soil Keep
Level Heads.
HARDING GOOD FOR 10000
Women's Votes to Clinch Pro
hibition by Electing Re-
publican Nominees.
G. @. p. OUTLOOK BRIGHT
HARDING GOOD FOR 10000
b. STAR Correspondent Of TIE HERALD.


SIOUX FALLS. S. D., Oct. 12.-When
Arthur Townley and his intrepid
scouts came down upon South Dakota
to see about installing the North
Dakota non partisan system into the
State Capitol at Pierre, he found that
Gov. Peter Norbeck had taken advan-
tage of the prerogative Of all thorough
" awake politicians by beating him
to it.
AS a result, this State is the only
one of the nine in which the Nom
Partisan League is active, with the
possible exception of Washington"
that has been able to defend and pre-
serve the integrity of both major
political parties against Mr.. Townley's
onslaught. Instead of being in con-
troll of either the Republican party or
the Democratic party here, the Nom
Partisan League has Jared forth upon
its own, aided and abetted by an
earnest but numerically insufficient
group Of union labor AS a matter OF
fact the Non Partisan League labor
combine cannot muster sufficient
strength at present to claim owner
ship of the much coveted balance OF
power.
That condition is not the result of any
failure of the Townley party to exercise
to the uttermost its undeniable sagacity.
industry and astuteness. Rather South
Dakota as the writer already has
pointed out, saw Townley coming and
quietly passed laws that deprived him
of his fundamental platform on which
he invariably makes his first stand in
all new territory. And 1t is not to
Townley's discredlt Peter Norbeck IL
not the most popular man in South
Dakota, but he who beats Gov. Peter at
a round of politics requires no further
tuition in the most fascinating game in
the world.
Harding Good for 10000 to $4,000
South Dakota is stepped in a three
cornered political fight this year. While
the Republicans appear to be well In the
lead. and even the Democrats and the
Non Partisan leaguers look to see Sena-
tor Harding win the State over Cox md
Christensen by from 10000 to- $4,000
there is yet time for a serious reversal
OF prospects. Gov. Norbeck, the Republic
can candidate for Edwin S. Johnson's
seat in the United States Senate. appears
10 be the most vulnerable nominee on
the Harding ticket, but even his nunner-
Gus opponents concede that he will win
in the general Republican tide should
Senator Harding get $4,000 plurality
in the State, Johnson Is, II must De
remembered Democrat He is not
candidate for reelection.
To get back to the advent of the Non
Partisan League into this state, Arthur
Townley, Boycott Bill Lemke and their
organizers found that the farmers OF TINS
state were not to be impressed by their
financial programme Whereas the BANK
of North Dakota was making loans 70
farmers and in other ways alleviating
the trials and tribulations of the tlilers
of the soil, Townley found that South
Dakota already had adopted q system
of rural credits that had placed WI
100000 in thirty year loans into the
hands OF its farmers. and that II mad
sold public lands to young farmers on
terms that even the North Dakota plan
could not better Inasmuch as the Bank
OF North Dakota had loaned but $4,000
600 and was failing to interest outside
tapital in its programme, the farmers
f,ereabouts saw nothing TO shout about.
other irksome conditions Irritating the
North Dakota farmer were round nom
existent here or had, like their financial
troubles. been obliterated by legislation.
II "a unnecessary to record all or them.
The point Is that Townley and Lemke
found South Dakota's fertile SOIL par
ticuIarly barren for their purposes. How
ever. Lemke, saying that an organization
\ in South Dakota was necessary 10 the
Non Partisan Leagues nascenr nationai
programme. scouts went about organ
izing farmers in twenty-seven OF the
sixty-six counties and. two years ago.
made local deals with Democrats in
stanch Republican precincts that re-
suited at the polls In the overwhelming
victory OF the Republicans
democrats In the Minority.
The Legislature elected two years ago
contained about twenty Non-Partisan
I.eaguers-one in the Senate and about
nineteen in the lower House. The Demo-
Gratis could place but eight or ten men
in the Senate and twelve in the House
OF Representatives. And that was the
sum total of the results Of the Demo-
c,atic- Non-Partisan League susion. II
ia hut fair to say. however. that the
leagues organization then was not tSe
efficient machine II is this year. The
league will do better this year. II is
hardly likely that the Democrats will
However, unless al signs fail. the Legis-
lature again will be Overwhelmingly Re
publican, and there IL no reason to
believe that either the Democrats or the
leaguers will elect any of their candi-
dates 10 administrative or executive
Offices.
The salient point I'm the battle here
involves the fight for Senator Johnson's
seatN on the face Of things Norbeck
woulAwin handlly were IL not that many
Republicans dislike him and he has made
tactical plumbers. on one hand he or
ranized and led the wood campaign here
fust before the Presidential primaries
He and William II. King, chairman OF
the Republican state Central Committee.
managed to win the State for the Gen
eraI but II resulted In much acrirnony
that did not help the Governor at ali
The Governors crusade against the
use of foreign languages In churches and
schools caused the European born far
mers TO desert him on the other hand
the stalwart Republicans and many
bankers and business men found fault
with certain features OF his liberal pro-
eramme (the programme that whip
sawed the Townley forces), saying that
n was a sop ~ the NonlPartisan League
GOV. Peter was bombarded from all
sides.
After the failure OF the Democratic
and Non-Partisan League combine to
make good two years ago, the two par