The Washington times., 1922-07-23

A WEEKS. travel through
N North Dakota, with oppor-
4 n tunity to talk to editors.
public officials, leaders of the Nom
Partisan League and prime movers
In the Independent Voters Asso-
citation, and plain Republicans and
Democrats of whom there are a
few left, leaves one in more or less
OF q daze as to what really caused
the defeat Of Senator McCumber.,
II is rare that Senatorial leader.
with twenty-four years service.
who IL the chairman Of the most
important committee in that body,
is denied denomination by his party.
Called to North Dakota for a week,
visiting all parts of the State. I
have made It my business to try to
sift out the wheat from the chaff
, and let the country know, IL I could
ascertain It, what was the meaning
of the defeat of McCumber. To he
sure, the defeat Of the head of the
Finance Committee In any State
would cause inquiry, but because
North Dakota has been a storm
center Of a new movement, the in
terest is deep in all parts Of the
republic.
find in the East generally, and
particularly in Washington. an &C.
ceptance that It means a return to
power Of the Non-Partisan League
In North Dakota. That Is q natural
conclusion from q distance, seeing
that two years ago Senator Gronna
was displaced by a Non.Partisan
League man as United States Sem
s ator.
VINDICATION OF FRAZIER?
In the first place, let me say that
the successful nominee of the Re-
publican party in North Dakota is
, the leader of the Non.Partisan
League in so far as a public Of
ficial is the leader. It is stronger
among its sincere adherents than
any leader or organizer. Nobody
could have defeated Mr.. McCum-
ber who did not have behind him
the organized and determined u.s.
900 voters who supported Governor
Frazier. One year ago, when in
the first six months Of his term,
Governor Frazier was recalled by
. majority of 1000. I believe he is
the first governor who has suffer
cd retirement to private life from
the office Of chief magistrate by
the recall. That campaign was one
Of exceptional bitterness and its
success was due to the coming into
existence of q new organized poll
tical force In North Dakota. For
several years the Non-Partisau
League had been going on from
victory to victory. eliminating in
the election Of Or. Laid. head OF
the Agricultural College. to the
Senate. They had passed legisls-
ton regarded by many as social.
istic. such as building, q flour mill
and elevator by a State issue OF
bonds, organizing a State bank In
which all public funds were de-
posted, State hail insurance, in
surance by the State Of all public
buildings, the freeing from taxa
ton of improvements on farm
lands and other like legislation.
Many people in the State opposed
Il as socialistic and all bankers and
insurance men and elevator and
mill men because II successful II
would reduce their profits. More
over, Republican and Democratic
old.timo leaders. or many Of them,
tisan League.
HAD NOT BORNE FRUIT.
There was dissatisfaction by
some farmers because all the new
enterprises had not worked out
well. Governor Frazier said the
so-caIled failure was due to the
fact that the litigation to prevent
the carrying out Of the new State
enterprises had prevented early
success. but that since the Supreme
Court Of the United States had up
held all the contentious Of the
league as TO the constitutionality
Of the State issuing bonds to build
f1our mills and grain elevators and
the like, II required only time to
demonstrate their success.
Nineteen hundred and twenty
one was the crucial time. I'VE
must down the Socialists" was the
slogan of the Independent Voters
League, composed of men and
women Of both parties. They made
. furious fight "at q time" said a
league man, when We were the
. weakest" and elected Governor
Nestos by 1000 majority, who dis
placed Governor Frazier. The In
dependent Voters declared that un-
less Frazier was recalled the Non
Partisan League would go on in
their socialistic schemes and bank