The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, June 14, 1917, Page 7

L T T NN et ) L7 Will Run as a Nonpartisan - John M. Baer, Farmers’ Man for Congress, Will be Placed on Ballot by Petition, as Decreed by Attorney General OHN M. Baer, farmers’ man for congress from the First district of North Dakota, is going to run as a “Nonpartisan, indorsed by the Nonpartisan league,” not as the candidate of any political party. This is the first time the League has had a candidate that has not had to be nominated through machinery of political parties and who has appeared on the ballot strictly as a Nonparti- san. In the past the farmers’ men have run as Republicans, Democrats or So- cialists and have been nominated in the direct primaries of those parties, appearing on the election ballot un- der a party name. But on July 10, when the First district of North' Da- kota chooses a congressman, Mr. Baer will run as a Nonpartisan, indorsed by the Nonpartisan league. This situation is possible because this is to be a special election to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Congressman Helgesen. Governor Frazier and Attorney General Langer of North Dakota find the legislature has failed to pass laws directly speci- fying how special elections for con- gressmen shall be held. But they find also that the old party convention plan of nominating candidates has been repealed and that, taking into consideration all _existing laws, the candidates must get on the ballot July 10 by petition of not less than 300 voters. Each candidate so nominated is entitled to be placed on the ballot under any heading he likes—Repub- lican, Democrat, Socialist, Progressive or Nonpartisan. And Baer will run as a Nonpartisan, indorsed by the Non- partisan league. 'LEAGUE WILL OBEY GOVERNOR'S MANDATE The Nonpartisan league convention that indorsed Mr. Baer, June 1, con- sisting of the same delegates that in- dorsed Frazier and the rest of the winning North Dakota state ticket last year, decided to abide strictly by the interpretation of the election laws made by the officers of the state charged with enforcing the law. The League candidate, therefore, will be placed on the ballot by petition of the voters of the state. This is in striking contrast to the action of the stalwart Republicans of the First district, who, with the support of the gang and anti- farmer .press, have declared that they will defy the ruling of Attorney Gen- eral Langer and decree of Governor Frazier and attempt to put their can- didate on the ballot through an old- time party convention—the “kind of convention the people wiped out when they passed the direct primary law. League boosters are not going to be - Cheers Great Meeting at AMESTOWN, N. D, June 9, —Thunders of applause that fairly shook the big James- town armory, filled to capae- ity with hundreds of farmers from all sections of Stutsman county, . greeted A. C. Townley this afternoon when he made an emphatic refutation of the charge that he is opposing the gale of Liberty bonds. “They say I oppose the sale of the bonds,” said Mr. Townley. “I do not. But if there is another and a better way, we have a right to propose that better way. “If a man can pay as he goes, that's . sound business and he ought to pay. “If a nation can pay, they ought to pay, today. There is a way to pay today.” Mr. Townley then went into a de- tailed explanation of “the better way,” which he proposes, and which has been twisted by his enemies into a charge that he opposes the sale of Liberty bonds. «Is this treason?’ he asked at one point in his address and there Was a thunder of “noes.” Mr. Townley’s proposal is nothing more nor less than that the United States government should do—exactly what every one of America's allies in the European war has found it neces- sary to do—viz, confiscate the excess John M. Baer, farmers’ candidate for congress in the First district of North Dakota, as he appears when drawing his famous cartons, known throughout the country, which appear in the Nonpartisan Leader. satisfied with getting only 300 names on Baer’s petitions of nomination, which is the minimum necessary un- der the law. They are going to get 8,000 to 10,000 names, and maybe more, if there is enough time before the-pe- titions have to be filed. Baer is going to be assured of election by the very size of his nomination petitions. Blank petitions are now in circulation throughout the First district among League -members and - the response is like the enthusiasm that swept the state last year when Frazier's pe- titions were signed up. RESPONSE OF PEOPLE BLOW TO OLD GANG Baer's indorsement for congress has received unanimous approval from League members. Mr. Baer, the Lea- der and League headquarters have been snowed under with letters and telegrams pledging the support of the farmers and ‘promising to put Baer over by the biggest majority a con- gressman ever received in the First district. The old gang has been com- pletely disconcerted by this outburst of enthusiasm over Baer's candidacy. They have set up a dismal howl in the anti-farmer press. The response of the people to Baer's candidacy has been a severe blow to the gang and the Big Interests and their hired press. It bas shown the League stronger than ever. It has shown that the dishonest cry of “So- cialism” raised at the famous Grand Forks meeting of politicians this spring has had no effect. It has shown that the acquirement of a new daily paper by the anti-farmer intergsts. the Fargo Forum, and the renewed line of attack in the other kept press has not helped them. They hoped against hope that the farmers would keep cut of this congressional election. When the name of Baer was announced as the farmers’ candidate they hoped that they could defeat him and deliver a body blow to the farmers’ movement, not only in this state, but throughout the Northwest, where the League is making progress by leaps and bounds. But they now see that Baer is going to be elected and that his election will be another nail in the coffins of the old gang, the Big Interests and the kept press. Greet l.eague’s Stand Jamestown Hears Townley Defy Those Who [Calsely Accuse Him of Treason and Sedition . war profits, made by the munition makers and other great corporate or- ganizations, as a result of war busi- ness, to-finance the war, And if this is not engugh, Mr. Town- ley would go a step farther. He ex- plained that he would take excess profits made before the war. In other words, .he would conscript wealth, ex- actly as the nation has conscripted the young manhood of the country. And he would go exactly to the same length with wealth as the country has gone with the lives of the young men, and’ no further. “We demand,” said Mr. Townley, “and we will continue to demand from those who are using this war to mul- tiply their millions of profits, we say, you must make this arrangement, that when we give our lives,-all that we have, this nation must take first of your profits, and then of the property you have got, if the profit is not enough, and after the war is over we will give back, as you give back of our -lives—as much as is left and no more.” ANOTHER GREAT RALLY OF NONPARTISAN FARMERS It was another great day for the Nonpartisan League. Before noon the streets of the city were lined with automobiles of the farmers who came from all that part of the state to hear SEVEN Governor Frazier, Mr. Townley, O. M. Thomason and A. E. Bowen. The crowd gave a remarkable dem- onstration of their “we’ll stick” quali- ties during the afternoon when one of the worst fires that has visited James- ~ town in years broke out soon after the meeting opened just a block from the auditorium where the meeting was be- ing held. It became so bad in a few minutes that it was decided to empty the hall, to avoid any possible chance of a catastrophe, and the crowd left the building and then, as soon as the fire was under control, returned and once more packed the hall, without the least effort to call them back. WOMEN WITH BABIES PLENTIFUL AT MEETING While there was a fair sprinkling of business men and citizens of James- town in the audience, it was a typical farmers’ gathering and g feature of the meeting was the large attendance of women with happy, healthy young- sters, many of them babes in arms. One active little-toddler in the front of the hall sat down in front of the speakers’ stand, on the floor of the ar- mory and took off his shoes. Later during the long afternoon some of the little folks grew tired and restless, but their noise did not seem to bother the speakers in the least, apparently they were used to it and took it entirely as’ a matter of course. Crowing, or cry- ing, babies are evidently welcomed at Nonpartisan League meetings. ‘When Governor Lynn J. Frazier was - Introduced to the audience he was giv- en an ovation. His demand for a good, workable recall law, which would give the people truly representative govern- ment made a hit. CROWD APPROVES GOVERNOR’S WORDS “If the government is not represen- tative, it's our fault,” said the gover- nor. “It is the natural born right of every American citizen to have a say in the way his government is run. It is our right and we are going to have a say. But we cannot have our say when we elect men to office and then find out that we made a mistake. We need a good workable recall law, so that we can remove the man who does not represent us.” This brought out a storm of applause. The governor told of his recent con- ference with the National Defense council, “Many of the big men of the east are fair to the farmers,” said the gov- ernor, “they admitted that the farmers were not to blame for the high cost of living because they had sfudied the matter and knew that the farmers had (Continued on page 17)