The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-06-22
Lelke Abe, Ha917- Working Pe1yStent ZS O Radical Farm Leader OMt Of Io1gsey by tAe Yale Lag0 School
By NEA Service


 Washington, June 22.-The cloth cap, wrinkied trousers, and fre- quensIy unshaved face of William Lemke, who has chosen to run for the presidency on Q new Union Party ticket, have been familiar In the congressional cloakroonls since 1883.
 They do not suggest the Yale and Georgetown doctor of law, nor the devotee of Chihuahua toy dogs and fancy gladiolas, nor even the former North Dakota University football cAptain-yet Lemke is all of these.
 Persistence Personliied
 For the last 20 years, the unsmil- ing and dogged congressnian-a -at- large from Fargo, N. D., has worked and plugged for his version of the welfare of the "under-dog." For the last two years, he has done almost nothing but buttonhole colleagues, urging them to sign his petition to bring to Q vote the Frazier-Lemke bill to lift the farm debt by infia- ton.
 Those colleagues who have been repeatedly buttonholed by the ear- nest Lemke to talk by the hour about his bill call him "the most persistent man ever saw"
 Lemke is never seen in Washing tons social world. He lives quietly in Q suite in Q first-class apartment hotel, but doesn't own Q dress suit. Even White House receptions fail to draw him from the work or study which occupy his time outside con- gresslonal sessions. He abstains from drinking, chewing and smoking.
 Lifelong Team Play
 The nominee of the brand-new party was born in Albany, Minn., Aug. l3, 1873. He had the usual common -school education, and then went on to the University of North Dakota, where he was graduated in 1902.
 But before he left, there was formed Q partnership which con- tinues to this day. It was with Lynn Frazier, co-author of the law which has been Lemke'S sleeping and waking ambition for two years
 Lemke was captain of the uni- versity football team one year, Frazier another. Lemke is still Q fan.
 They went into politics together in the days when the Non-Partl- san League was sweeping the north- west during and after the World War. When Frazier was governor, Lemke was his attorney-general. Now Frazier is senator, Lenlke con. gressman, and together they made their fight for the farm-debt bill.
 Close to Townley
 Lemke had gone on and studied law at Georgetown university in Washington, graduating later with his doctorate from Yale. He was Q member of Phi Delta Theta.
 He returned, then, to Fargo, to practice law, and five years later married Elizabeth Mcintyre.
 It was during this law practice, often as representative of farm organizations, that he met A. O.. Townley, the autocratic leader of the rising Non-Partisan League. Townley swept across the Da. kotas, Minnesota, and invaded Kansas, in Q widespread farm revolt" which caused many . litter in the conservative east.
 Soon Lemke was Q member of the leagues executive committee, holding the republican state cen- tral committee chairmanship much of the same time. He was elect- ed to his present term on the re- publican ticket, but this was Inere- ly Q designation of convenience. He has voted for most of the New Deal measures, ana campaigned for Roosevelt in 1882.
 Drafted Radical Laws
 As attorney general of North Dakota in 1921, 1t fell to Lemke to draft the most radical program of legislation Q state had put in operation up to that time. It was Q program establishing state bank, state insurance on its own public buildings, state bonding of It's own officials, state grain ele- vators and flour mills.
 It was the answer of the North Dakota farmers to what they con- sidered exploitation by millers, traders, and middlemen, their ex- precision of general discontent Nand unrest. The program was bitterly attacked within the state and viewed with alarm in others.
 Claims Results
 Lemke says the state bank is still in operation, has retired its bonded debt, and has saved vast sums to farmers in interest charges. The Mill and Elevator Association buys the farmers grain, and turns out 5000 barrels of flour Q day. The public in-