The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-02-10

LlOIl lIlStcaO VI VAC OlO 0U3I0 Uuy
none of them so far have bden -
to explain just why they were called
in at this particular time when the
Old Guard needed their help.
We would like to hear from the sig,
natory editors as to why they acted
at this particular time and why their
statement" went to the Old Guard
of the east instead Of to the repre-
sentatives Of their local communities,
Very truly yours,
JAMES M. WITHEROW.
SOME TOWNLEY HISTORY
Raub, N. Oak.
Editor, Tribune:
It is my conviction that A. G.
Townley expects support from the
vets Of the L. v. AS in his campaign
for member Of Congress from this, the
third district of North Dakota; and
also from dry Nonpartisans, because
OF the popular belief that he origi-
mated the Nonpartisan League idea,
planned and launched the League
after the delegation of farmers met
up at the legislative session in 1915,
and asked the legislature to build q
state elevator, but were told by q
member to go home and slop the
hogs. Although it remains to be
seen how many of his former political
opponents. and Nonpartisans as well
will forget the various schemes he
promoted or aided to promote where
by trustful people lost q part or all
OF their hard earned savings. For
many of them trusted him with their
money because they believed in the
myth that MI. Townley planned the
League; that he was their most UNI
selfish friend-which myth he per-
sistently kept alive in the League
publications controlled by him). and
repeated by the opposition press.
Therefore the people believed this
myth.
I wrote in the Courier News. in the
spring Of 1922 that it was not Mr..
Townley who planned the. Nonparti-
san League; that I planned it, after
the fall election and before Thanks
giving 1914. In reply to this letter q
writer from Alexandria, Mimi, re-
piled that E. A. Bowen planned the
League: that he told him that it took
him a week in December 1914 to or
ganize Townley for the league idea.
Therefore I wish to give you a bit Of
North Dakota political ~history-since
I planned the League myself. The
Nonpartisan League idea was the re-
suit of a question I asked q Socialist
book agent, H. p. Richardson, at the
supper table in q restaurant in Mo-
hall-but I was not q Socialist. I
asked him-"Why don't you try out
government ownership Of industries
in this state, and prove that 1t is a
good thing? We have the grain but
no mills; stock but no packing houses.
and not enough coal mines. The
state has credit therefore the bonds
will sell. And I said that a state bank,
The Bank of North Dakota should be
established to finance these industries
and to provide long time farm loans"
I told Mr. Richardson that the
people of this state were well posted
on n state owned enterprise, the
terminal elevator. Since 1t was pro-
vided for in the constitution. Fur
thermore that the Scandinavian ele-
ment was acquainted with the state
bank and railroads Of the Scandi-
navian countries; and that the state
as a whole could be convinced to try
out this program for North Dakota
but not by the Socialist party. There
upon I suggested a nonpartisan or
ganization of the voters to control the
Republican party; and to indorse leg
islative and state candidates. to CEN
tralize the votes. And I suggested
that membership fees should pay for
the organization work and for a news
paper for its members; also that the
organization work should begin i'm
mediately after the adjournment of
the legislature: that this campaign
should be preceded by speeches OF
Socialist speakers during the winter.
And I suggested to him that he inter-
est E. A. Bowen and Mr.. LeSeur Of
Minot. and others, that I did not
know. I suggested. also, the latter
for supreme court judge, and he sug-
gested Lawyer Grace of Mohall. This
may also explain why MI. Bowen
wrote the League platform copied he
might have said) on the typewriter
in his office, which the writer from
Alexandria informed us in his reply
to me in the Courier News.
Furthermore I suggested that the
organization should be named Farm
ers' Nonpartisan League, taking the
word nonpartisan from the opposition
to the Socialists in Milwaukee,; and
that the League should have a farmer
for its president. Mr.. Richardson
mentioned MI. Townley for this, after
I had asked him II he knew q suit
able farmer. He told me Of Nj.
Townley's big farming, and ! asked
him If he was the Flax King. down at
Beach.
I never talked about this organiza-
ton to him at anv other time. AL
though son after that Mr.. Richardson
came and asked me for the use Of the
church I was preaching in, for MI.
Bowen, for what ! presumed was a
Socialist speech, but 1t was a Nom
partisan speech in reality. He had
already begun to organize the League
after my plan. Then when some
church people objected to the use Of
the church for a Socialist speech I
rescinded by promise for the use of
the church but I promised. in q letter
to MI. Richardson, that I would pay,
myself, for the use of the hall. This
letter he published in the Socialist
paper The Iconoclast under the head
ing Church Ethics. We did not meet
after that, as far as I remember. Nor
did I know Of the League organization
! until the paper came out Il had then