The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1922-03-23
TOWNLEY DROPS
POWER PROJECT
Has Made Up His Mind Not TO Press
Suggestion at the State
Convention
AGREES WITH Committeeman
Boss's Statement Made After Confer.
ences With Farmers

Boss's Statement Made After Confer
ences With Farmers
A. c. Townley, president of the Ma
tional Nonpartisan league, announced
in Minneapolis Tuesday that he would
not urge his balance of power plan at
the Forthcoming state conventions in
North Dakota and Minnesota.
His statement was made upon his
return from meetings of farmers in
both states and it was expected his
plan would be the outstanding point of
contention in the state conventions.
Under the proposed plan the league
would not place its own candidates in
the field, but would endorse candidates
it deemed most favorable to its aims
and interests, regardless of their par
ty affiliations. It is Townley's con-
tention that the farmer-labor vote is
sufficient to constitute a balance Of
power as between the democratic and
republican parties, whereas it might
not be strong enough to elect inde-
pendent or league candidates.
The following is the statement sign
ed by Mr.. Townley:
II have talked to large number Of
farmer meetings and individual farm.
ers and find that where ! have full
opportunity to explain the balance Of
power idea and it is understood, there
is practically unanimous sentiment for
it. A great many who will be dele
gates to the Minnesota and North Da-
kota conventions Of the Nonpartisap
league understand the plan and are
for it. If the conventions desire to
take it up for discussion these farmer
delegates are in q position to lay tho
matter before the conventions for in.
telligent action. / will not urge 1t at
the conventions. have concluded to
take this course for several reasons.
"In the first place the balance Of
power plan cannot succeed unless the
farmers and workers and their organ
izations are unanimously back Of It.
1t would have an adverse effect on our
campaign il even small minority
was not convinced Of it's merits and
went into the campaign feeling that
wrong tactics were being pursued.
do not want the plan adopted under
such conditions. I am still convinced
that it holds out better chance for
success than any other plan, provid-.
ing we could have unanimous agree
ment upon it. But as that seems i'm
possible without more time than we
have for it's discussion between now
and the conventions, l will not urge
the plan further at this time. I am
firmly convinced that the farmer-l labor
political movement will eventually
come to it.
"What I have said to date, as l an
nounced at the outset, has been mere
ly for the purpose of having my pro-
posal freely and thoroughly discussed
by farmers and workers, and I have
never had any intention of insisting
on the plan should it appear that even
minority Of our farmers were oppos-
ed to it. Its success requires unani-
nous consent. What have said has
been everywhere misrepresented and
distorted by the opposition to the far
mer-labor movement, and the enemy
has used the discussion Of the plan in
an attempt to disrupt our forces. In
spite Of this, where I have opportun-
ity to explain the plan fully it has
been quite unanimously approved.
"But from now on my time and that
of all our active workers and boosters
must be devoted to perfecting our or
ganization for without that we could
not succeed under any plan. l expect
from now on to be in the work or or
ganization, to work under any plan
which the coming conventions decide
upon."