Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-12-23
(By Arthur LeSueur.).
The League Program For Mills, Ee-
yatOrs and Bank, :

v8COfS ana BANK.
In view of the fact that I was still
with the League, 1 persuaded. Mr..
Townley to submit the proposed legis-
that I might even then be of some
assistance in preventing the worst Of
the mistakes which We're proposed by
the League officials.
House Bills No. II and No. Is were
submitted to me for that purpose
and I shall now quote a considerable
part Of the opinions rendered to- him
while the bills were under scOnsidera-
tion in the legislature. will quote
from the opinions rendered two years
ago rather than to make criticisms
of the laws now, for the purpose of
convincing you If I can that 1 know
what l am talking about. / do this
not to crafty or justify myself, but
simply to prove that my judgment
Was sound on these matters 50 that
You who have the d%estines of the
people Of North Dakota in your hands
for the next two years, may be per-
of state. You will readily see that If
the things against which I warned
have come to pass that l had sound
Judgment on the subject, so I quote
from the opinions written then while
the laws were in process of making.
January "a, 1919.
"Mr. A. c. Townley, clio Mckenzie
Bismarck, N. D. - ~
Dear Mr.. Townlvy:
House Bill No. II for Creation of
Industrial Commission
Referring to House Bill No. II will
say thai all Of the objections and criti-
cisms Of this bill apply equally to
House Bill No. Is, providing for the
establishment of q bank and it will
apply equally to the mill and elevator
arrangements when they are made.
[ have no copy of this bill yet. But
the form" of that bill will not alter the
fact that these criticisms apply there
to because it is proposed to put that
under the jurisdiction Of the Indus
trial Commission. I cannot too stren-
uously urge you earnest considera-
ton of the following, for the reason
that ! have spent more time and study
on the questions involved perhaps
than all of your ADVISORS combined
and have a real conviction that I know
something of the matters Of which I
speak.
/, therefore, want to specifically
urge upon you that you take the time
and trouble to read this communities
ton over with some person wholly
disinterested except as a citizen. of
North Dakota. If o cannot or will
not do so this, I wish to askIthat you
read this to J. N. Hagen and without
your usual preliminary expression of
opinion Of it, ask him to give Q his
honest convictions with reference to
this matter.
preliminary statement for o than
one reason. In the first place, you
take the stand that Mr.. D. C.. Dor
mans letter endorses the position
taken by these:.bills. This indicates
a strong coiivict'on on your part that
the bills shouldsgo - they are written,
because il you did not have such o.
/ conviction you could never SO cor
strue Dorman's letter; as YOU c claim
that it is an endorsement Of these
/; bills. For they c~ontainF1every vice
against which he warns and not
more than one of the virtues for
which he contends. The bills squarely
contradict the Recommendations Of
Dorman's letter. I would feel better
about the prospects for success in
North Dakota, knowing that Hagen
had specifically passed upon the criti-
cisms which / make. Theslack OF ops
f'cient warning to you that there Is
! something wrong with thu. Hesitation
proposed. w yfs
Also remember that those whose
advice you are now following are not
d~isinterested, but 7 have never been
in the professional lagitator; class,
/ and 1 have no official position to
protect and no power to buttress, and
Immediately after finishing the err
rand to France as the representative
of the farm organizations, I expect
to sever my Connection with the
League and therefore feel that I nm
las nearly d~isihterested as anyone q
be who has the interests Of this mowe-
menty at heart. Il
Remember that / cannot and will
not be placed in the position Of fight
ing the League-not even In these
enough to work with and it Ii good
enough ia stand by--at least agHong
as the purposes Of It's leaders are hon
est, no matter how.mistaken they may
Be. An therefore / have no channel
3iof comm %unication except Through.
yourself. So that the responsibility
1rests entirely upon your shoulders
with reference to bringing these criti-
cisnns to- the attention to thoSe son
whom final responsibility rests for the
snccess Of the government Of North
Dakota" III 80 "a
The foregSlng2 ~ quoted to: the Bill,
iisand how earnestly j urged their con-a
Hsideration upon Mr.. ToWnley. Isquote
Inow from the specific objeCHons 10
1.-THE bill itself: J. &
Es g@ss4~N 1.eksa 8S.sTT sS&sA
ssseThe Bit q unfair Ia the governor,
the attorney geltefxi a431d the COM.
! riisstonera Of agriculture and labor,