Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-04-19
.DRAYTON HEARS
!. . BOTH. ! Q! ! ! ! 'SDEIS.0F y
I STATE; ! BATTLE
Ralph Stewart Made Strong
Case Against Nonparti-
san League.
.(Bv. staf Cofrespondent. :,

Drayton, II. d., April 1s.-Ralph
Stewart, sprincipal Of the Drayton'
high school made out a strong case.
against the Nonpartisan league in his
debate here Monday night with Felix
Stenquist, league organizer. =
The subject of. the debate as agreed
upon was resolved that the .. Nom
Partisan league program should re.
ceive the support Of every citizen OF
North Dakota" MIR. Stenquist up-t
holding the affirmative. and MT.
Stewart the negative. "a
The debate was held in Columbia
hall with some 500 people present.
I. Steenson. mayor Of Drayton pre-
sided. and music was furnished by
the Drayton high school, orchestra
and girls quarttette. The proceeds Of
the affair went to the Drayton, base
ball team. Each speaker was allow
ed 35 minutes for his main address,
and 10 minutes for rebuttal. ,'r
Lacquer Opens Debate.
Mr.. stenquist who spoke. first ad-
mitted that the league~prografn up to
date had not been as great success
as had been hoped, "but we claim
that il it had not been for opposition
within the state financed by outside
capital it would have been more than
100 per cent successful" he said.
He cited the forty-two taxpayers
suit as an example of such opposition.
He also pointed to terminal eleva-
by the city of New Orleans and the
state Of New York as showing that
the program Of the league was prac-
teal. = ut
In, taking up the present status OF
the league in North Dakota. Mr.. STEM
Quist declared that all efforts by. the
opposition to the league to make out
a ,case against league leaders had
failed. Brinton, Waters. Box and
Hastings he said had been driven out
by the league and we're now aligned
with the Independents. M y
Mr.. Stenquist spent some time in
discussing the causes which he said
had led to; the formation of the Non
partisan leagueI taking MP such mat
tiers ;as etFesq Dr. wh6sx, etc. Es.
stewart's: Adatess. AAd4st d.
dss'I,.s rs esaEt . Il & SRsn'MSE M a,s rsgl,
that tie Nonpartisan' Nom league was rs,
entitled.to support for three, reasons
I These wore:
/ i. The league program had not
been q success. 49, ~
! 2. Much+of the legislation passed
by, the league has been of vicious
and corrupt character. s.
8. The le6gue hadsintroduced poll
tics into the institutions Of learning
/, of the state. 1 .. s{ !.
brought out the evidence regarding
the condition Of the Bank Of North
Dakota which had been introduced in
the recent investigattone held at Bis
| mo Spn1r nd oo a nv mr. nj
this contention he produced check
/ for $42 made out by the city Of Dray-
ton and turned down by the Bank OF
North Dakota on account OF lack OF
,hfunds although as matter. Of fact
! the city had a large balance there
The affairs of the Home Building as.
ISOLATION. and the losses Of the Drake
mill were also gone, into at some
length.
| Vicious Legislation.
To prove the character Of the legis~
lation passed by the league the
speaker pointed to the anti-injunction
law for the benefit of the l.. W. W.,
the Newspaper graft law, and other
similar measures passed by the
league majority.
In conclusion he dealt with the at
tempts Of the Nonpartisan league to
introduce. politics into the state school
system. with especial reference to the
attempt made little more than a
jyear ago to remove President Thomas
F. Kane of the state university. Mr..
Stewart was. student at the uni
versity at that time and was thor
oughly familiar with all the circum-
stances Of the case.
The rebuttal period was spent by
both speakers in attacking the argu-
ments made by their. opponents.