The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-03-23
National Nonpartisan League
as a Political Party Is
Issue at Convention -
THREE FACTIONS NOW
STRIVING FOR CONTROL
Townley's Hopes Said to Lie in
.Regaining Control BY
Stampeding Convention 4

Fargo, N. D., March 23-(United
Press The National Non-partisan
League as political party or balance
of power organization, is the issue ps-
fore the state convention here today
The farmers party which started
the country through its sensational
capture Of the Republican party Md
chinery in North Dakota in 1916 aha
which reached the zenith OF it's power
there in 1918 with the control of AL
state offices except one, both houses
of the legislature, all but collapsed
last fall with the recall of the adm =
|istration-the governor, attorney .gei,'
eraL. and commissioner of agriculture
and labor, the three who formed ae
commission that controlled the Indus
trial program.
Three factions are striving for su-
premacy4 For the past three moEsfs
the nonpartisans have, in their v%G
words, been cleaning house. Men VIII"
fought side by side during the ploneef
days are today turning their weapon.
on each other. "Traitor" and "czar'
were frequent missiles hurled back anu
forth in the preconvention fight. Out
of closets have been hauled old skele"
tons and the public has been cnte1-
tanned with "inside stories" Demo-
Gratis and republicans anxious to o:s
card the emergency fusion party and
| get back on peace time basis OF separ-
ate tickets, are afraid to act until sure
the old enemy is dead. =
I The founder and rational president
A. C. Townley who dominated the pay
Ity until early in 1921, when he was
supplanted by the State executive com
mittee, was preparing to leave Tor
jackson, Mimi, to serve ninety days
term for alleged seditious utterances
when the recall beat his party. He 'ic-
clared that when he got out, he We:
coming back to North Dakota and &C.
organize the party. His plan at fist
promulgated, was to have the leagao
Lmerely endorse, not nominate, car d.
dates, but Townley later modified rs
recommendations to "refrain from,
nominating candidates for governo".
attorney general and SENATOR
Townley's hope lies in regaining his
hold through his magnetic oratory,
|stampeding the convention. He ha'
been travelling over the state for
some weeks.
The second factor is William Len
Ike, vice president Of the national 'r-
ganization and for years the lc%a.
mind, elected attorney general of
North Dakota in 1920. Lemke is OPP
posed to the balance of power plan
The third party and apparently the
group in the ascendancy is the "x-
ecutive committee of the nonpartisan
league, elected by the. membership
and backed by the league organ, the
Daily Courier-News Of Fargo. The
committee has from the first fought
the balance Of power scheme and be-
lieves it means wrecking of the league
They charge Townley, in trying co
keep the league from nominating q
candidate for senatorship, is working
with p. J. McCumber, North Dakota
senator and stalwart Republican, WHO
seeks reelection.
The Democrats and Republicans
will forget their other grievances and
unite against the nonpartisans If the
latter set their house in order &c lay
and choose a ticket ~ ~" . g