The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1921-11-17
THE REASON FOR CONTEST

If the politicians who are directing
the affairs of the Nonpartisan league
were seeking some means of solldlty-
inc the independent forces of the
state and disgusting all fairminded
voters with league campaign tactics
they could adopt no better course
than to contest in the courts the re-
cent recall election on the ground that
the petitions were insufficient.
1t did, not seem possible that the
threats of contest would really be
carried out: for ordinarily the league
leaders show political acumen.
If the petitions were insufficient or
f there were any indications of fraud
II securing signatures, the time to
make protest was before the election
was held. Undoubtedly there were
some Implications in signatures, but
nearly every instance that has been
cited has been satisfactorily explain
ed, and in many cases the league had
to withdraw the charges and apollo
gize. The petitions contained several
thousand surplus names, more
than enough to allow for all the dupli-
cations, and the independent forces
held in reserve several thousand more
names which could have been filed if
they had been needed.
But whatever the facts were in re-
gard to the petitions, the vote at the
election was the determining factor
and not the signatures. The majority
of the voters who went to the polls
voted for the recall Of the three chief
officials of the state. There are no
charges of fraud in regard to the
election itself. 1t is not even claimed
that there were any Irregularities in
the voting, and the fact that there
were so percent more voters who fav-
ored the recall than there were sign
ers of the petitions is the best evil
dence possible that the fraud charges
could not have very serious founda-
! ton.
There can be but two reasons for
starting contest at this time based
on the insufficiency of the petitions.
One reason is that the league leaders
don't know where their salaries are
| coming from now that the Victory
fund is closed. The salaries and ex-
penses of the headquarters gang, and
the expenses of the leagues daily pro-
paganda organ call for several hun
dred dollars a day. It costs a neat
sum to keep alive the weekly I. V. A.
organ, but the league is attempting
to publish such an organ daily and
that costs money. 1t is also neces-
sary to keep "the boys' around head
quarters eating regularly, and there
must be some excuse for passing the
collection plate again. The contest
furnishes that excuse. The boys
around headquarters can go out
through the state with the story that
the election was "stolen by Wall
street" and collect few more cream
checks to keep the wolf from the door
during the winter months.
The other reason is the fear of an
investigation of the states affairs and
what that investigation may disclose
! Arthur LeSueur. who was one of the
gang long enough to learn some of the
secrets, said that some league leaders
were no longer fighting simply to re-
tain office, but to keep out of the pen
itentiary. If Mr.. LeSueur had the
situation sized up properly, it is not
hard to understand why an effort is
being made to stir up sentiment for a
contest. Any man who sees the
shadow of the penitentiary looming
ahead is not thinking much about the
political welfare Of any party. He
wouldn't care how Disguised he might
make the voters of the state if he
could save his own hide.-Forum.