Grand Forks herald., 1922-03-04
INDEPENDENT VOTERS ASSOCIATION

I A committee of the l. " A. has been in confer
ence with the members of the Democratic state com-
ttee at ITS session in Fargo and suggestions have
been made looking toward cooperation in the can-
paign of this summer along lines similar to those
toho"ed IN the past. Similar suggestions will be
made to the Republican committee when that body
meets in Grand Forks
l. ! he independent Voters association was organ
Hea several years ago for the purpose of removing
las tar as possible the obstructons which the pres
ent system OF party organization places in the way
OF the tree expression of the sentiment Of the yot-
e1s OF the state state issues onsidered strictly on
tneir merits There is no such thing. and there can
pc no such thing Republican policy or Dem
ocratic policy with reference to the issues peculiar
to North Dakota which mast be determined by the
voters ne two great political parties are national
organizations, and they deal with national issues.
l ne nat1onal issues which those parties divide
not related m the remotest degree to the issues
winch are involved in the enactment of laws and
the election OF officials in the state of North Dako-
ta yet our laws regulating the activities of poti-
cal parties such that whether the votcrsdesire
1t or not party primaries must be held and party af-
fii1atsos must be recognized in all the forms rclat-
ing to our state elections. ~
The Independent Voters association was or
canned as an agency whereby contact might be
maintained between the voters in the two great par
ty groups who in general accord on matters of
state poi'cy. The organization has been useful
one III the past, and the conditions cali for some
agency OF this character in order to prevent conf-
sion among those who would otherwise operate in
harmony.
The strength of the radical movement in this
state has been in the thcroughness of its organiza-
ton 1t has not needed the recent declarations Of
members of the Nonpartisan league state committee
through the Fargo Courier News-the official Or
gan OF the 1eague-to convince observant people
that III the management of the league there has been
no such thing democracy. nothing resembling the
and spontaneous expression OF the sentiment of
the members themselves. There has been general
knowledge of the fact that the Nonpartisan league
has been managed by few men who directed it ac-
cordng to their IDEAS and not as the represent
atives OF any existing sentiment among the mem
bers While that fact has been known, it has been
denied by league speakers and leaders. But now
the same declaration from within the league
itself, and told that the league has been man
aged as military machine, with orders issued by
the general in command those orders to be carried
out unqueston1ngly by the members.
That condition. utterly inconsistent with the
fundamental principles Of popular government, has
made the league exceedingly effective body with
in the field in which it operated Nowhere else has
there been possible the unity OF control which such
system provides, and nowhere else has there been
anything to compare with the obedience to orders
which has been given by league members.
That condition has not been paraleled else
where and it will not be paralleed. The elements
which have opposed the efforts Of the league to sub
vert the principles which the security of the state
rests stand first and last for political action as the
result of independent thought and independent udg
ment. There can be operation of their campaign,
through the issuance of and obedience to orders
Hence it is essential that somewhere there ex-
st an organization which will, in manner which
makes it's appeal to Individual thought and ntelli-
gence, operate for the clarifying of issues and the
formation of sentiment along constructive lines
Such organization the |. Y. A. has been and its
work must be continued