Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1921-10-20
PRESTIGE OF THE LEAGUE MOVEMENT
USED BY LEADERS TO GET IMMENSE
PROFITS into Their OWN POCKETS
Revenues From Subsidiary
Obtained Membership o. Dollars Have
Changed

Whenever and wherever the pros and
cons of the Nonpartisan League move
ment are discussed, the amount of
money which has changed hands be-
cause of or in coincidence with 1t, Is
always mentioned, at least in general
terms. There Is perhaps no individual
in North Dakota or anywhere else who
has any definite figures on the subject.
A few fairly accurate calculations can
however be made. These are interest
ing to all who have kept in touch with
all developments In connection with
the League movement, and especially
to those who have helped to swell the
grand total Of money that has been
moved.
The League movement it will be con-
coded Is not limited only to the Nom
partisan League organization because,
interlocked with 1t and because of it,
numerous organizations and corpora
tions have been formed In all Of which
there has been interlocking director
ates. Later developments have shown
that either Townley or Lemke or both
together with #. B. Wood and others
have through trusteeships or otherwise
been In position to exercise absolute
control over many Of the undertakings
that came with the advent Of the
League movement. Indications are
that the League leaders have welded
controlling influence over or at least
sanctioned nearly all Of the various or.
ganizati0ns and undertakings by means
Of which money has been moved out Of
the pockets Of the farmers. Following
are some Of the enterprises over which
they had direct control and that were
used for this purpose together with
some information of the amount Of
money moved by means of each:
League Memberships az Given by
Nonpartisan Leader.
June 1, 1915, 10000 men, @.
bers at $780,. ........$ 240,OOO.OO
Dec. "a, 1917 10000
members at $500. 1,2OO,OOO.OO
Oct. 49,, 1918 - 100000
members at $500. 49,. 1,eoo,ooo.oo
Dec. 20, 1919 - 25O,OOO
members at $780,. 80. 2,25o,ooo.oo
Aug. IS, 1920 100000
members at 5000. 2,7OO,OOO.OO
1921 100000 members
at 5000. .............. 2,7oo,ooo.oo
Total dues collected
fnr s,,, voors e1o 600 ON ~
OF this staggering: sum North Da-
kota has furnished approximately
So, 165, 10000. l.
With the money thus collected was
established, first, the Nonpartisan
Leader, and then the North Dakota
Leader. The subscription price was
taken out Of the membership fees so
that the amount of money changing
hands because of these enterprises did
not increase except on account Of sub
scriptions paid for outside of member
ships and the money collected for ad-
vertising. The total of these two
items for five years amount to up
proximatelys $4,000 for the North
Dakota Leader and $326,5OO for
the National Nonpartisan Leader.
The National Nonpartisan Leader is
now the property of the Nonpartisan
Publishing company. BY organizing
this corporation and turning over to 1t
the National Nonpartisan Leader, the
leaders of the League obtained control
and ownership of the most valuable
property that the farmers money has
paid for. The National Nonpartisan
Leader now has splendid earning
power and large income from adver-
Using. It is commonly presumed that
the farmers own this paper but they
do not. They know that they have no
certificates of share in the Nonpartisan
Publishing company. 1t is owned by
a coterie Of inner-circle League leaders.
The North Dakota Leader which has
been represented to be the property OF
the farmers of North Dakota was
scheduled some time ago to be sns-
pended and everything of any value in
it to be turned over to the Courier
News Publishing company, which the
farmers do not own either. Indications
are now since the Bank of North Da-
kota borrowed $5OO,OOOOO that the
North Dakota Leader will be continued
until election day. III;
The ordinary publishing company
has to spend Of its money, either in the
way of salaries or commissions, In
order to get new or renewal subscrip-
tions. But in the case Of the Nonpar-
tisan publishing company the farmers
have paid for getting its subscriptio
which for the time that the Nonpar-
tisan Leader has existed, amounts to
approximately $s,1O0,0Oo.OO Of which
North Dakota farmers have contribut-
Led about $663, 10000. What other pub.
fishing company is there that has been
able to use a farmers organization as q