The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1920-12-24

Following close upon the heels Of
the attack of Arthur LeSueur, former
ly one of the highest councillors in
the Nonpartisan league, upon the pre-
sent method of organization, and par
ticularly upon Mn, Lemke and state
ments in various parts Of the state, at
tributed to Senators Levang, Church
and others, that Townley would not
be active in the state any longer the
rumors that have persisted for long
time OF a serious rupture among Non
partisan league leaders, appears to
have been founded on fact.
Leadership in this fight will be
taken by the delegates from Morton
county, according to reports backed
by a bombshell dropped in camp to-
day by the Mandan News, the official
paper Of Morton county.
-. Features Attack.
> Frank Wilder, editor, has made the
leading feature of the week a review
Of Mr.. LeSueurs pamphlet and he
has backed this up with lead edi-
tOrial with a charge that the Nonpar-
tisan league is "a purely despotic Or
ganization-an organization without
semblance Of democracy, an organiza-
ton built from the top downward in
stead Of being built from the bottom
up"
Then he suggests that fright now
is splendid time for the Nonpartisan
league to reorganize along lines of
pure democracy
''lf the Nonpartisan league" he con-
tinues, "will change it's plan so as %
provide some form iv> local organiza-
ton similar to the local ASSEMBLY"
OF the old Knight of Labor, the local
work will be thousand times better
taken care Of than it is today.
Local Organization.
"A plan Of local organization, with
finances going through the local "a
the county, state and national depart
ments, will at once relieve the farm
ers local newspaper proposition; do
away with the Inconvenience of 50
many unpaid post-dated checks, for
every local secretary becomes a col
lection agent for dues and assess
ments and, being right on the ground,
all those charges would be promptly
collected. ., "
There would be no stopping of
campaign work after election, but the
work would go right along uninter-
rupted. ...-
In these local organizations tho
work of educating our membership
TO deal with their friends could be
pushed and most successfully planned,
campaigns or drives could be ar
ranged and carried out in a way to
wipe out the opposition in many Of
the smaller towns and modify it great
~ in the larger towns. The question
OF fraternity and sociability, so lack
ing in the present organization could
be cultivated and made use of to the
very limit
I'VE have touched upon this question
out lightly; much more could be said
along the same line, and we hone to
be able to take these matters up more
in detail in future issue.
'Opportunity is ripe for those in
command to put the Nonpartisan
league where it can do thousand
fold more good in the future than il
has in the past.
Are those in authority broad-mind-
cd enough and big enough to GRASP
this opportunity"
Directors and editors of the League
county weeklies of the state met in
Bismarck last week and it is under.
stood that this editorial of Mr.. Wilder,
who represented his paper at/thc
meeting, reflects the view of all those
present except the representatives. of
The paper in Burleigh county, the State
record who refused to discuss the
proposition, it is said.
Politicians believe that this editor
lal attack Of the Mandan News is mart
or carefully conceived plan TO
launch the drive for a reorganizatic,
as outlined in the article and to pre-
vent the adoption of Mr.. Lemke's plan.
IN 1act, Morton county leaguers de-
clare that If their plan is not approve
at the meeting that they will with
draw from the state and national or
sanlzatlon and 60 ahead and form
thelr county organization with their
idea
Hit Financially.
Inc league weekly papers have been
nara MT financially and the directors
thereof charge this to the unfortunate
general policy of the league due to
the leaders not having their fears to
the grass roots" and to the manage
ment OF. the Publishers Service bu-
reau.I The Mandan News has with
drawn from this bureau and is there
1ore more free than the other papers
TO express the views of it's subscrib~
ers and local supporters.
Many of the papers, it is
said have not gotten back from,
the, Publishers National Service
bureau all of the cash and
notes collected by it for these pa-
rers. All Of the papers were organ
ized by the bureau and the money COL
'ected from th1 farmers for stock
went first to the bureau and was
'ilen sent to the local newspaper cor
poration. The Mandan News, it is
said, is one Of these papers who have
been unable to get all of the money
subscribed for its stock. The bureau
officials. it is understood have ex-
plained this difficulty by declaring
that some Of the papers still owe the
bureau for part of the purchase price.