The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, October 11, 1917, Page 13

\ [ The in the Public Eye | Century Magazine Recognizes Strength and Justice of Farmers’ Movement —Sees it as Ally of a New Liberal Party in the United States e ECOGNITION of the fact that the National Nonpartisan league is a power to be reck- oned with in national politics is given in the October issue of the Century magazine, just out. Un- der the heading, “A New Liberal Party,” Harold Xellock names the many elements that could, he thinks, form a new party on modern issues, abandoning both the old parties and the Socialist party. Repeated reference is made by him to what the ILeague has accomplished, and how fully it em- bodies the progressive thought of to- day. The writer believes that the rem- nants of the Progressive party, the Prohibition party, the portion of the Socialist party that seceded from the old Socialist party because of the lat- ter’s lack of sympathy with the United States in the war; and other progres- sive elements are ready to come’ to- gether to form a new party, but above all he places the League. “The Farmers’ Nonpartisan league, th'at lusty political youngster born in the Northwest, would naturally gravi- tate toward a new party with a strong agrarian and public ownership pro- gram,” says Mr., Kellock. However, whatever sympathy . the Nonpartisan league members might have for a new party along these lines, they would never abandon their organ- - ization or enter into any entangling alliance—a point Mr. Kellock over- looks. “The political thought of the people west of the Mississippi has apparently advanced ‘far beyond the vision of the Republican party, and the result has been a. startling political transforma- tion, which is of the greatest signifi- ° cance,” says Mr. Kellock. Continuing at some length elsewhere in the.article, Mr, Kellock gives his idea of the causes that gave-rise to the League. He says: SEES THE LEAGUE AS REMARKABLE PHENOMENON “One of the best arguments of the need for a new liberal party is the significant upgrowth of the Farmers' Nonpartisan league, one of the most remarkable phenomena of American politics. Because of its absorption in the war, the eastern part of the coun- try has paid comparatively little at- tention to the League. Its rise has been swift and sudden, but it is the result of a long period of political unrest. 2 “The League was born in North Da- kota three years ago. In that state the farmers borrow $100,000,000 a year on which they have been paying an average interest rate of 8.7 per cent, about twice the rate paid under the rural credit systems in European coun- tries. According to their estimate, they have been losing $55,000,000 every year through unfair grading rules for grain. The grading regulations are made in Minneapolis and Chicago. For a long time the farmers have felt that they have been deprived unfairly of a large share of legitimate prosperity. They were growing ripe for direct po- litical action. : “The idea of the League was con- ceived in the minds of two men, A. C. Townley and F. B. Wood. They bor- rowed money to purchase a motor car and set out on a tour of organization. To every farmer that they visited, they spoke of the formation of a League, and outlined a political program em- bracing state ownership of flour mills, grain = elevators, terminal marketing facilities of all kinds, cold storage and packing plants, as well as rural credit banks, operated at cost, and exemption from taxation of all improvements on farm lands. “1f a farmer was interested in the fdea, he was asked to pay $§9 a year dues. Every one of the first 100 farmers visited put up his $9 and then Messrs Townley and Wood prgcured three more motor cars and additional organizers. Pretty soon 100 little cars were carrying propaganda to all parts of the state, and the League-idea was spreacing to adjoining states. TELLS THE EAST ABOUT LEAGUE VICTORY «In a few months League candidates captured the Republican state primar- jes,” continues the Century Magazine article “and at the mnext election it placed its officers in the ‘state capitol and obtained a majority in the assem- . bly. “Until recently tpe League has em- The Nonpartisan Leader takes no responsibility for the views in regard to the Nonpartisan league expressed by Mr. Kellock in the Century magazine, a summary of which is given here. Mr. Kel- lock’s observations are reprinted because they are interesting comment on the great farmers’ movement sweeping the West. ‘While some League members would naturally look with sympathy on a new liberal political party in the United States, it must be remembered that the League movement is strictly nonpartisan. That is, it works through existing parties and comprises in its membership MEMBERS OF ALL PARTIES. The League, there- fore, could hardly become a part of or ally itself with any partie- ular party. Least of all would the League give up its identity or organization or compromise on one single plank of its platform. —THE EDITOR. phasized its nonpartisan character; it showed no desire to enter the national political field. Now the League has far outgrown its original state organi- zation. It has extended its member- ship eastward into Ohio and as far west as the Pacific coast. Demands were made for a solid bloc .of farmers’ rep- resentatives in ‘congress .to . aid -the League in accomplishing: its purposes. - Last spring it was stated to be the intention of the League to put up can- didates for congress in 15 states at the next election in 1918. In July the League definitely entered the national political field by putting up a straight League candidate in a congressional election to fill a vacancy from North Dakota. The League man won by a vote nearly equal to that of his Demo- THE OSTRICH Wealth in the United States is an ostrich, according to Chaney, who drew this cartoon. The ostrich has a habit of hiding its head in the sand when pursued, thinking thus to escape. The ostrich pictured (wealth) thinks it has escaped, because congress so far has refused to pass a law for conscription of wealth. But you can not escape, Mr. Ostrich! Your plumes are needed to make the world safe for democracy! Old Gang Advises Farmers “Raise More Corn and Hogs and Less H-1” is Plea of Standpatters (From the Lincoln, Neb., Herald) The little old Lincoln Star in a re- cent issue took a shot at the Non- partisan league now organizing the state for a political house cleaning and proceeded to tell the farmers something. It tells them there is no need to organize and vote for their own interests. That they are fool- ish, or swinish, or both to even think of bettering their own condition, and ‘the conditions of their struggling fellows, and to get together and vote for better conditions! The farmers should let the wise guys, the statesmen and political pluggers fix up the medi- cine for them. The Star hands farmers of Nebraska cheering and consoling information that they are capitalists; plutocrats, if you please. Gosh, how the farmers swell up with satisfaction, pride and contentment when they read from that wise head how wealthy they are. But it would be difficult for the aforesaid farmers to swell up larger or become more chesty than the brainy individual who is handing them out so much free advice and unreliable infor- mation. He probably got his cue from a former prominent Nebraskan, who, when the farmers several years ago rebelled against unbearable conditions told them to “raise more corn and hogs and less hell” Go way back and sit down, politically, and let “us’” wise ones manage things, and work harder and produce more for the pilferers to pilfer. The farmers have been suckers enough to do that very thing for many years but the wise heads made such a mess of things that Mr. Farmer and the workers are going to try their hands at running the machine awhile. PAGE THIRTEEN cratic and Republican opponeunts to« gether. LEAGUE 1S DIFFERENT AND PRINCIPLES SOUND “1t will bé noted that, unlike former political movements that have arisen among the western farmers, the League's program is based on definite and logical economic changes to meet certain conditions that bear unfairly upon the farming population. Time- honored, wildcat schemes to solve the farmers’ problems by inflating the currency are happily missing from the schedule. Their absence indicates that the West has at- tained to political maturity. Its people are studying their affairs carefully, and seeking better con- ditions through the application of sound economic ideas.” It should be remembered that this magazine article is seeking to show how the condition of the country calls for the formation of a new party, but any such party would have to arise in the West, says the writer, and he fur- ther ,analyzes the West like this: “A really liberal party can no longer be controlled almost wholly by a small group of men from the Atlantic coast. The West is essentially the forward- looking region of the country’ It has no fixed traditions of conservatism. To it would seem to belong the political future. It is time that a president of the United States was chosen from be- yond the Mississippi.” Farmers Patriotic (From the Atlanta, Ga., Journal) There has been'a disposition in some quarters to criticise the farmers of the Northwest for an alleged lack of pa- " triotism in that they are unwilling to accord their full support to the, war through the medium of food conserva- tion and production. It has been open- ly_charged. that these .farmers have been holding back wheat and generally resisting. the food admipistration be- . cause the price fixed by the govern- ment for wheat was less than expected. Replying to these allegations Wednes- day, A. C. Townley, president of the National Nonpartisan league, said that the “farmers and wage-earners are willing to and ready to support any law that makes for the success of this war for liberty and democracy.” The farmer of the Northwest is like his brother of the South or any other section - of - this great commonwealth, ready and willing to make any sacri- fice that might be demanded of him as an American citizen. He has done so many times before this war and he will continue to do it after it is ended. Incidentally, yet a very pertinent part of his reply to those who have criticised the big planters of the North- west, Mr. Townley said: “The farmer’s patriotism is big enough to make up for the war prof- iteer’s lack of patriotism and manhood, ang, if necessary, the farmer will go on producing food for less than cost and even with profit vultures clutching at his throat he will feed the world and its armies of freedom to make the victory sure.” Mr. Townley has very happily phras- ed the sentiment that dominates every farmer in the South, for upon him ab- solutely depends democracy’s success or failure,and there will be none of the latter. TOUGH FOR OLD GANG The utterances of President Town- ley of the Nonpartisan league, dur- ing the recent ‘conference of the pro- ducers and consumers in St. Paul, stamp him more than ever as a man of the people and give the lie to the claims of the old gang politicians and their subsidized newspapers that he is not a thoroughly patriotic American. It must be very annoying to the afore- said old gang and their mouthpieces to have the temple of their hopes and desires pulled down about their ears —the way this man Townley persists in doing—THE PALLADIUM, Bis- marck, N. D, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT A people who have gone through what Dakota farmers have for two years, and still have the courage to go ahead, just as if nothing had happened, doing their part to keep business going, aid- ing the war—are real patriots— DEVILS LAKE (N. D.) JOURNAL: i ] ] 0 A [ 1] f