The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1921-11-04
NORTH o LESSON

candidates in the recent North Dakota
election this paper believes that the
Nonpartisans, as a party, have been
completely and absolutely eliminated
from the political field. With Town
ley in Jail, the league officers recalled
and a long winter ahead there is little
for the league propaganda and pro-
fessional windjammer to look forward
to for the coming months.
However, the result Of Fridays cleo
ton in North Dakota does not mean
that all of the things that the nov
ment stood for have been done away
with. 1t is a will known fact that be-
fore the advent of the league and it's
spectacular leader in North Dakota,
that state was n of the most boss
ridden commonwealth in the union.
The farmers of that state were not
getting a fair deal and they knew it.
Therefore they grasped at the first
opportunity to throw off the yoke,
which happened to be Townley's Nom
partisan league.
At the start the league gave prom
Use of doing much good for the voters
of North Dakota for it proceeded to
clean out, from roof to garnet, the
corrupt political machine that had hold
Of the state machine at that time. But
there the good work ceased and a
bunch of self-appointed leaders, in
stead Of carrying out the program of
the league as outlined, proceeded to
organize plans for looting the good
old state in the good old way, which
they did.
The recent election was a protest
against these leaders and their ilk and
while the Nonpartisan league is vir-
tually dead much good has been done
by the developing of a type Of farmer
who does his own thinking, knows that
the government belongs to the people
and makes it a point to see that he
has a hand and a voice in the hand.
ling of it. From now on when a public
official SO far forgets that he is thu
servant of the people who elected hin
that he tells the farmer voters to "g
home and slop the hogs" this type o
farmer will know what to do and hov
to do it .
Commenting on the situation, one
editor says:
"The League could not have been
unseated had all it's original sup
porters stood by it. 1t was defeat
ed not because it's original support
ers had deserted but because the
political clique which had come to
pose as the League and to assume
to control it had ITSELF deserted.
Having taught North Dakota voters
how to smash a machine, the League
itself was smashed when it became a
machine; it laid the foundation for
it's own undoing.
mo backward step was taken by
North Dakota on Friday. Nobody
need worry that the state will now
r~etrograde into a state of sub-ser-
vice to political bossism. That is
IMOSSIBLE. If the old gang tries
to come back, it will find that the
atmosphere has changed to a start
ling degree. The mere name Mon
partisan League may have ceased
to carry weight but the political
conscience of the state has been
aroused and it will stay on the job
regardless of names. That is the
important thing.
considering the ~degeneracy of
the latter days of it's dominance,
North Dakota will be better off
WITHOUT the League.
"But the state will be better off
BECAUSE of, the League. 1t pre-
pared the seed-bed which it's own
political corpse will now fertilize.'
n