The Bismarck tribune., 1922-03-04
CHURCH WANTS
T0HEAR ABOUT
T0WNLEY PLAN
He Approves in Part and Dis
approves He Says in Let
ter on Subject
FOR NON.POLITICAL BOARD
Would Remove Industry Central
From Politics, Senator
Asserts
FOR NON.POLITICAL BOARD

<1S0V4 W
Senator w. j. Church, Of York, one
of the influential members OF the
NOnpartisan league, has taken the at
titude of approving in part and in dis
approving in part the "balance OF
power" Of A. c. Townley.
Writing in the Courier-News, pro-
testing against some actions taken by
that newspaper, Mr.. Church gives a
new view in the campaign now rag
ing between the so-called Liederbach
faction and Mr. ToWnley and his ad-
herents i'm the league on the question
of the balance Of power In this
connection Mr. Churchs views are in
.teresting to politicians Of all politi-
cal faiths in the state.
Waits To See ......
Mr.. Church, in his letter, says in
part:
Il am going to give my personal
views Of the plan after having gone
over it with Mr.. Townley, thoroughly,
and the members can take them for
what they are worth and as coming
from one at least who has always Op-
posed every move (when apparently Of
any one or body Of five men to domin-
ate the league. I can safely say that
| have been at all times squarely be-
hind the pllogram and what say say
from the standpoint of one who puts
the program first and personalities
secondary. l am willing to say
agree with Mr.. Townley's plan par
italy but differ with him as to in
dorsing men who are backed by other
parties He believes we should in
dorse men who run for offices Chat
we have no candidate up for) who
come out and commit themselves as
favorable to our program or carrying
out the same, for he believes it would
mot help us any but be detriment to
our chances of winning, to nominate
candidates for all Offices He would
leave two positions at least on the
Industrial Commission and all federal
positions alone as far as nominating
candidates, for by doing that We
would remove the cause for much of
the bitterness that prevails in a fight
that is distinctly |. V. A. and N. p. l..
l am of the personal opinion that
we cannot long exist in two bitter
camps, one. building np-the other
tearing down what the other con.
structs, and if it continues the people
will have their confidence shaken,
which is something to be guarded
against. Both sides have/got to real
ize that the people as whole will
have to be considered and not tone
faction only, which has been the at
titude Of both sides more or less in
the last two or three years. for
one ami willing to go part way and
Say by my action that mistakes, have
been made (and God deliver us from
men who never made them) on both
sides and it they think they can fill
the major positions on the Industrial
Commission better than we, why we
are willing to let them try it if they
will carry out the will of the people
and put into effect the laws, that are
in force on our statute books. We
could nominate our members on the
Commission leaving others open to
anyone. We could then as a league
nominate men for the other state Of
fees and apply ourselves to the con-
test for members OF the house and
senate, and if we can elect majority
in those positions We can protect our
program ,and make that our object
and we Gould be responsible for any
amendments that would be needed.
By doing this we could talk about
good legislation that has been put in
to effect and not put our time in de-
Tending ourselves from and contra
dieting statements made by the pppo-
sition in bitter alignment.
Wants Non-PoIiticaI Board
Il fully believe that no matter
which side is victor in this election
that laws should be passed taking the
industries out of the hands of the In
dustrial Commission and putting into
the hands of an appointed committee
covering a term of years. It would
then not be football at every elec-
tion to the detriment of the institu-
tions. Thus far can sanction A. C.
Townley's stand, but I know that no
man is big enough and no set Of men
are big enough to swing the N. P. L.
members anyway they may wish, and
he knows that also. They have only
one thing in view and that is com.
pletion Of this program and a thor
ough trying out of those industries.
So would leave the obtaining of
nominations for the Federal Offices
and two positions on the Industrial
Commission or even three, entirely to
the people Of the whole state to
choose, of which the N. P. L. farmers
and friends are the largest integral
part, without any hint or action of in
dorsement on the part of the organ
ization. Trading is abhorrent to the
minds Of the progressive men and
women of the state and the least re-
Semblance to it should be avoided
for we will not stand for it if we
know Of it being done and it can be-
avoided in this case. l am not sure
but that the antagonism that would
be raised if we would nominate men
to those positions would not be
worth the risk we would run of losing
all we have gained in the past six
years. It is for the rank and file of
the members to study this carefully
and then decide at the Fargo conven-
ton what we should do, and no mat
ter which way the decision goes, make
up our minds that there is principle
and a program at stake and that our
first duty is to protect and stand by
that principle and program, and we
must not let our forces become divid-
ed over this mans opinion or that I