Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1920-07-29
i AFTER CASH TOWNLEY
| HERE FRIDAY
Secret Meeting Held in Opera House.
Plans Under Way to Secure S1s
Renewals From Emmons County
Nonpartisans.

| NeHe"dis FROM EmmOnS County
Nonpartisans.
The bankrupt king of the nonparti-
san league was in Linton last Friday
afternoon, although his visit had not
been publicly advertised. The cam
dldates, some committeeman and
boosters had been notified, however
and the usual league enthusiasts from
Mike Scherr to Ben Co1bin ware pres
ent
The meeting took place in the op-
era house, Townley and Meitzen being
in command. Fay Harding, Emmons
county's socialist-republican member
OF the legislature, acted as official
bouncer, and allowed only the chosen
ones, to enter.
Local people who mad never heard
Townley speak, supposing 1t was
public affair, tried to gain admittance
but were refused. Even stockholders
OF the league newspaper, here to at
tend an advertised stockholders
meeting, were turned away.
1t is, of course, impossible to give
an accurate report of that meeting
because of the great stcrecy maintain
ed. However, it is rumored that Town
ley expects one hundred Emn1ons coun-
ty farmers to contribute s1OO to the
fall campaign fund, and he expects
local boosters in each precinct to cam
vass the precinct for $18 renewals.
Townley is worried over the primary
election results, and fears complete
overthrow this fall. Hence, he has
cancelled his trip to Washington state.
and is making personal appeal in
each county to his boosters, commit
teemen and candidates..
Fridays meeting was devoted most
ly to plan of organization for the
fall campaign, or, rather, for gather
ing some more $1s checks. The coun-
ty has been divided into five districts
conforming to the commissioner dis
trlcts, and one man put in charge of
each. Is addition, each township is
supposed to be canvassed by com
mittee Of five boosters IN an endeavor
to get the farmers once more to come
across with the $18.
We did not hear who all the dis
t-ict managers are but understand
!, that Jo1 elias, CT Winona, is to be in
charge Of tie work in the Fifth Dis
trict
To the average league member and
to the public, that word "booster"
hasn't any particular significance.
However, in league circles there is
wheel within a wheel. There is the
general run of league members. Then.
IN each community, there are con-
la~ agents listed in headouarters
as boosters. These latter fellows
are kept keyed up to high pitch of
enthusiasm by the fact that they re-
Give condolences from the big fellows
not common to the ordinary member.
At the various county meetings called
by the, league, it is significant that
usually about the same faces are to
be seen. They are boosters, commit
teemen and candidates, with a few
personal friends of those persons.
} If the socialists in the state could
be prevented from getting into tie re-
publican party, and the vast army of
league employees and state officials
could be done away with, Townley
couldn't elect single candidate to
any state office. Even with those ad-
vantages, he had rough Shedding in
the recent primaries.
The Townley buccaneers have done
plenty of damage to the farmers and
business men of this state already,
but their wings have been considerably
clipped in the recent camapign.
No wonder the big fellow and his
airplane were needed in Linton last
week to try to repair some of the dam
age.
But Emrnons county has definitely
repudiated the Townley machine.
They can never count on majorities
from here again. 1918 was their last
successful campaign in thrs county.
The referendum wens against them,
and the presidential and June primar-
les this year.
But, while the Townley boosters,
both on and off the payroll are active,
it behooves the Independents to keep
awake. Let's finish the job this fall.
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