The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-07-13

can primary IN 1916. The recent
ers of the Flickertail state hav
Lynn j. Frazier. It shows that
even without dues-paying organiza-
ton the North Dakota farmers have
remained loyal to the movement
which first brought Mr.. Frazier into
prominence and which literally took
him from the pillow and made him
governor of the state.
Frazier Enjoys Revenge
1t must have given Senator Fra
zier a good deal of satisfaction to
win denomination over the man who
defeated him for governor in the re-
call election in October 1921. 1t will
be remembered that r. A. Nestos of
Minot was the man who defeated him
in the recall election. 1t was the
same X. A. Nestos who went down
to defeat by majority of approx
mately 10000 votes on June 81 last.
But not all Nonpartisan League en-
dorsed candidates were successful in
the recent North Dakota primary.
Nearly half of them were defeated.
This is not surprising when one con-
slders the circumstances.
Leaguers Still NOnpartisan
In North Dakota the Nonpartisan
Leaguers are still pursuing a "non-
partisan" policy. That is to say they
go into the Republican primary with
a full slate of candidates and attempt
to grab off the republican nomina-
tons. The contention is of course
that after they have succeeded in
nominating their candidates it is al
most cinch to elect them at the gen
eral election. And in this view they
are quite right.
In the primary, however, victory is
not so easily achieved. And this is
true even though the Leaguers, as is
unquestionably now the case, in the
state possess a majority of the votes.
There is no designation on the pri-
mary election ballot to indicate which
of the candidates are League endors-
ed and which carry the support of the
l. V. AS (anti-leaguers). The voter
must possess information as to who's
who on the ticket or he may be vot-
ing for an enemy candidate.
Strange Result-Fraizier Wins
ThOresOn Loses
Senator Frazier as was stated be-
fore defeated Nestos by approximate
ly 10000 majority in the contest for
senator. The Nonpartisan League
endorsee for governor, T. H. Thore-
son, on the other hand, was defeated
by margin of about 5000 votes. 1t
is quite evident that the Frazier ma
iority represented quite correctly the
Leagues strength in the primary.
Why then did Thoreson fail of cleo
ton? Simply because his opponent
Geo. j. Schafer, was much better
known to the average voter in the
state than was Mr.. Thoreson. MANY
thousand Leaguers voted for Schafe1
because they did not know who wa!
the endorsee of their faction.
And what was true on the cover.
norsh1p was true on several offices
The Leaguers won several nomi-
nations, it is true, but these were won
by candidates who are either now
holding office or were as we'll known
among the voters as were those SUD-
ported by the I. V. A.
League Had Organization in 1916
In 1916 when Mr.. Frazier and the
other Nonpartisan League endorses
won the Republican nominations, the
League possessed a remarkable orga-
hii on. There were at that time
nearly 10000 dues-peying members
o. TIE League. Win such an orga-
millarlze a majority of the voters
nlzatlon it was not difficult to IA
miliarize majority of the voters
with the names of its candidates. But
the situation is different today. The
Nonpartisan League no longer pos.
Sess a dues-paying membership anC
the newspapers supporting the Lea.
que faction are outnumbered 5 20
ny the opposition.
Il is apparent that if the LeaQuers
of North ho<ta were conuuctino
their fights as Farmer. I.abt rites th,.y
would have no difficulty in making :
clean sweep of the offices. While
there would undoubtedly be a differ.
ence In the vote received by the sew.
eral candidates endorsed bv the
League, no voter would go astray as
to the candidates to be SUPPORTED
The party designation on the ballot
would be perfect guide to the voter
on that point.
Bad Policy Gives |. V. A. Control
Through its failure to adopt a bet
ter and wiser policy the League ha.
turned over to the enemy complete
control fthe states industries, sucl
as the bank of North Dakota, tn,
state flour mill and state elevator
Unless the |. V. A. endorses for Gov
ernor, Attorney General and Com
missioner of Agriculture and Labor
who constitute the industrial com
mission, should be defeated at thu
polls next November, the enemies O.
these industrials will have complete
charge of them.
The remarkable thing about tn,
North Dakota Nonpartisan Leagu,
movement is how the farmers hay,
continued to stick to it. This can b,
seen In the way the rural vote, which
is invariably reported last, overcome
the early leads established by tht
anti-league candidates. This YEA
that fact was illustrated by the lea,
Mr. Nestos established in the earl,
returns which came from the cite
and villages, but which was later ov
CrcOme by the returns from the rura
precincts. Nestos led Frazier by 6,5S
votes in the first 424 precincts re
ported. The vote was then, Nesto
2s,156; Frazier 21,576. When 1,49
precincts had reported, Senator Fra
zier had established a lead of an
proxinlately $500 votes, and whel
1,749 precincts had reported Mr.. Fra
zier bad established a lead of 1l,90C
N. ID. Leaguers Need FL Party
The regrettable thing about tn
situation is that with such a majorit
OF the actual vote the Lacquer
should pursue a policy which prevent