Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-07-12
OF
N. LEAGUE
EAT STAKE
Lernke May be Forced to
Break Attitude of Neutral
ity in Fargo Rurnpus.
tBy staff Correspondent. J

Bismarck, N. D.. July 11.-Although
members OF the state administration
are officially remaining neutral in the
row In the state executive committee
of the Nonpartisan League which
reached its climax early last Wednes-
day in the raid on the Office of the
Fargo Courier News there Is reason
to believe that son.e of them are not
as disinterested in the matter as they
seek to appear.
In the first place there is Attorney
General Bill Lemke who had care
fully kept away from Fargo since
the rumpus broke loose and until to-
night when he is reported to have
arrived in Fargo. Both George
Totten. Jr., and c. K. Gummerson,
the ousted members of the Courier
News staff, have always been close to
Lemke, and his sympathies would
naturally be with them.
League Leadership Prize.
Then there is the question of the
leadership of the league in North Da-
kota. which Bill Lemke has held in
fact since he ousted Townley from
the dictatorship, but which is now
threatened by the rise of A. A. Lieder-
bach. Lemke is mot likely to relin-
quish his dictatorship without a
struggle, and under the present con-
ditions in the state, control Of the
Courier-NeWs comes pretty close to
carrying with it the hegemony of the
league. It Is hardly likely that Lem
Ike will wish this control to pass into
the hands of the ambitious Mr.. Lied
erbach. ~ ~
Lemke was conferring with R. H.
Wallace of Yucca. one of the two
ndnority members of the state COM
nittee the day following Liederbachs e
raid, but what the outcome of the
conference may have been is not
known.
1t is known. however, that since
the raid, which put the Liederbach
forces in the saddle at Fargo Lemke
has carefully kept away from that
the conferences.
So it is possible that Lemke may
have been one of the state officials
who were said by Gummerson to be
on the side of himself and Totten.
Watch Mr.. Totten.
Now what about George Totten
Sr.? No one who knows. him figures
that he is going to remain quietly on
the reservation while his son is kick
ed out of the Courier News and is
charged with criminal libel, embezzle-
ment, transport Of liquor. and a few
other little things like that by Mr.
Iederbach and his friends.
1t is significant that the last issue
Of the Farmer-Labor State Record
which came out on the side of Gum
merson and young Totten contained
ortS So1a
at the state university which was
very evidently inspired from the Of
fees of the board of administration
going so far even as to carry part of
the transcript of the proceedings OF
the board during its last visit to
Grand Forks. 1t is a pretty safe bet
that Totten knew of, and at least ap-
proved of both articles.
Governor For Peace.
AS for Governor Frazier it is pretty
apparent that he, wants peace at any
price. The governor has never had
much of anything to say regarding
the actual leadership Of the league
and probably doesn't care much who
is boss so long as he can get both
factions together to support him in the
recall election.
AACoSCAdAI 1OSeI r1O"dTu SNOOO
appears as a member Of the commit
tee which has been auditing the ac-
counts of the leagues campaign fund
so apparently he is allied with the
Liederbach forces.
J. N. Hagen. commissioner of aEri-
culture and labor is one of the best
little fixers in the league ranks but
SO far during the present mix up he
raS remained silent.
D. c. Poindexter. the state auditor
has also been automatically silent
but it will be remembered that he
was the man to whom Totten and
Gunxnerson wished future contribu-
tions to the leagues campaign funds
to be sent.
"A Deuce of Time.''
Young Gummerson who was here in
Bismarck a few days ago sized the
situation UP in a few words as far
as he himself was concerned:
Between Twitchell and Liederbach
/ certainly do have deuce of a
time" he remarked.
t ------~--------l ~ =, lF{s
INSTANTLY KILLED.
Ashland. Wis, July IL. - John p
Tarasewicz was instantly killed yes
terday afternoon when lightning
struck hay barn near the city. Ta-
rasewicz had gone lnto the barn to
escape an electric storm.