Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-02-22
AND STILL THE WONDER GROWS.

AND STILL THE WONDER GROWS.
1t is a matter Of regret to The Herald that it is
unable to reproduce in their entirety the political
articles now running in the Fargo Courier-News
They are decidedly interesting, and to many read
ers they must be illuminating. Many of the state
rnents made Ill them are not new. The Herald and
other independent papers have been making similar
statements during the past six years. For instance,
in its editorial on Tuesday morning the Courier
News said:
The Nonpartisan lcagu was begun and
operated for years on the plan of an army, en-
gagged in war. 1t was purely militaristic in the
design of its government. The commander-in-
ehiet issued his orders, which his aides carried
to the officers, and were carried out with the
precision and e~xactness that marks the army.
The will OF the commander was the law of the
army. He was absolute master of the strategy,
and tactics OF the vast group under him. Fail =
ure alone, and a very great failure, could un-
seat him, for he had-as Napoleon did in italy
set the iron crown upon his own head with
his own hands.
Things of that sort have been uttered bv The
Herald a great many times. But The Herald has
at no time approved of Mr.. Townley or the com
u,ttnistic movement in which he was engaged.
Therefore this paper was charged with bias and
talsehood. The members of the league were assur-
Su Wy Gal wiz WCtE All authority over them that the
league was in reality a great democratic BODY whose
leaders were chosen by the members themselves
and weSe striving ~strenuously to carry out the will
of the members themselves. 1t will therefore shoek
those who have received this assurance-nd swal-
lowed ito learn from the columns of their own
paper that they have merely been privates in a mil
itaristic organization whose conan1ander-in-chicf
had ssct the iron crown upon his own head with his
own hands,"
All Of these things are interesting, and even
though space is limited we cannot refrain from CIV
ing lew OF them. The paragraph quoted above is
goes into a number of features of the inside history
OF the league management, and which charges that
Iownley is seeking to regain his former absolute
control, and as one means toward that end, is trying
to d'scredit the committee management and to Gre
ate the impression that it has failed.
The first page of the Courier News contains an
extended account OF the manner in which the recent
conferences. held by Hagan, Frazier and Paddock
were inaugurated. There is published a fac smile
OF an invitation to one of these meetings signed by
J. N. Hagan and dated at Minneapolis, and the en-
tire tone of the news article is in keeping with the
spirit OF the quotations already made. In this con-
neet1on the Courier-News propounds the following
questions IN large type on its front page:
Why did Mr.. Townley, when he was in
Fargo, fail to call upon or visit at Nonpartisan
league headquarters?
Why did he ignore the State Executive
committee and, when conferring and consult
ing with others, neglect to call in a representa-
tive OF the committee that was elected by the
vote OF the league members?
When were state headquarters of the Non
partisan league moved to Minneapolis? If
they were not noved-how came it that the
letters inviting league members to attend meet
ings over this state, were dated and mailed at
Minneapolis?
Who sent Mr.. Frazier and Mr. Hagan out
on the present statewide campaign? Who pays
the expenses Of Attorney Paddock of Minneap-
Oils and the expenses of the trip
How will the balance of power nav the
leagues debts?
Why, when these gentlemen were in Far.
go, did they not confer with representatives of
the State Committee as to the series of pro-
posed meetings, as to the ~profered balancesof
power plan, or offer or request corporation OF
any sort? Might it not have been better to
have talked matters over, first?
Why are the meetings which are now be-
ing held, made secret? What is there to hide?
If two Of the speakers urge the balance Of
nounce the State Committee and the Courier
News, why is It not made unanimous? Or is
like the Iownley-Langer debates?
Us It All not a scheme to overturn the re-
Gently gained democratic form of government
S8tqf the Nonpartisan league in North Dakota
md the restoration Of the old riiitaristic sys-
tenn
IS the purpose Of the old autocrats-.
RULE 81 RUINl
The above selection IS introduced and en-
sbeJlished by 4 cartoon entitled T Balance of
HpWer' Plan in which there is shown on one sidea
representative Of The money interestssn on
other Al innumerable body Of North Dakota
t11pant pfswhich is represented by j question mark,
M vic is Offering to swap these farmers for 4
81 thpse sacks The Interrogation mark has
sg6ssieeslty been used by irsyefent cafteonisy q