The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, February 18, 1918, Page 12

= ROOST o istrict conventions will - ] disrict TRIM THE SHIP, CAPTAIN! Waltord City, N.D. & ¥ Tghe m'an who is elect: ' S EgitOl‘ it Nor;partisan 3 - eader: 'S ind" of X ¥ ed delegate must have LeREBALIL 6 Sand anior 5 .}l the -majority vote of the fake “North Dakota R | 1 those taking part in the league” meeting at Ome- ,-‘—fi%‘ ! caucus. G e zizie T A T i | - Preci | § HERE is published herewith the official call issued by President A. C. Townley for North Da- kota precinct caucuses to be held in all country voting precincts on Washington’s birthday, Friday, Febru- ary 22, at 2 o'clock p. m. This will be the only official notice given of the calling of the caucuses. North Dakota farmers need no further notice. They have been through the mill before and they know what the proceedings are. But the 1918 precinct caucuses should be much larger affairs than the historic precinct caucuses of 1916. Then only about 30,000 farmers were entitled to take part in the selection of delegates. ‘Thousands and thousands of others have joined since that day and this year should see nearly twice as large an attendance at the caucuses as there was in 1916. These new mem- bers of the League should read care- fully every line of the official call is- sued by President Townley. Every member of the League in North Dakota should go to his _usual polling place at 2 o’clock on February 22. Enemies of the farmers will be watching the caucuses.: If there should be a small attendance at any point they would be quick to announce this fact through the Grand Forks Herald, the Fargo Forum or the Bismarck Tribune. % Farmers who have not renewed their membership for 1917-1918 may pay their membership fee to the credentials committee at the precinct meeting and take part in the caucus. Non-members of the League, who are actual farmers, may also be admitted to membership, by vote of the League members gath- ered at the precinct meeting, and upon payment of the membership fee. ONLY ONE DELEGATE FROM EACH PRECINCT Only one delegate is to be elected from each precinct. This delegate must be a bona fide farmer. He will represent his precinct at the legisla- tive district convention which will] fol- low shortly after the precinct caucuses. Due notice of the time of holding the legislative . A full report of pro- ceedings of each precinct meeting must be made promptly to North Da- kota headquarters of the and Repeat Successes of 1916 home precincts in selecting candidates for the legislature. They will select the men, at the legislative district con- ventions, who will choose the next of- ficials of the state of North Dakota. Self seekers, hack politicians, and men too friendly with bankers, lawyers and political bosses, no matter how anxious they may be to be sent to the League conventions, should be left NOTICE TO NORTH DAKOTA.LEAGUE MEMBERS Washington’s birthday. League members are hereby called to meet at the voting place in each country voting precinect at 2:00 p. m., February 22 to elect precinet delegates. Each precinct will elect one delegate to the legislative distriet conven- tion, Observe the following rules: Each member must attend the meeting in the voting precinet in which he lives, unless he lives in an incorporated village or city. No precinct meetings are to be held in'eities or incorporated vil- lages. Retired farmer members wlo.live in cities or incorporated villages may, by vote of resident members, he admitted and take part in nearest country precinet meeting. No delegates to district conventions will be recognized from cities or incorporated villages, None but League members shall take part in precinet meetings: Each member must bring credentials—membership ecertificate and organizer’s receipt (both if possible). : Elect a chairman and secretary of the meeting. Elect a credentials committee of three men, League members ,PRECINCT meetings will be held Friday, February 22, .who have not paid membership fee for 1917-1918 may pay mem- bership fee to credential committee and take part in meeting. Credential committee will report to chairman. Chairman will read aloud the names of members entitled to take part in meeting. By vote of members present, new members may pay $16 membership fee and be admitted. Nominate, by ballot, candidates for precinct delegate, , Vote upon the three highest until one has a majority of all votes. Precict delegate must be bona fide farmer. Chairman and secretary will report at once by registered mail to National Nonpartisan league, Box 919, Fargo, N. D. ' Attend this meeting. Rout the enemy! You did it onee—you can sure do it again—and he knows it! Y Fraternally, ; A. C. TOWNLEY, Presiden’t~ National Nonpartisan League. nct Meetings on February 22\nd North Dakota Farmers Will Start on Washington’s Birthday strictly at home. The men who are not anxious to go to the district con- ventions will make the best delegates. PRECINCT CAUCUSES AN IMPORTANT STEP. The precinet caucuses of Washing- ton’s birthday, 1916, were the first step to the most impressive political victory gained by American farmers in a generation. They proved-one of the most important steps. The delegates who were selected on February 22, 1916, chose three-fourths of the new state legislators that were elected that year. The delegates to the state con- vention selected all but one of the state officers of North Dakota for the " next two years. Farmers of North Dakota have even a greater victory in sight this year. They can capture the state senate, the last citadel of special privilege in North Dakota. They can make a clean sweep of every state office, instead of having to say “all but one.” MEMBERS MUST PUT FORTH EVERY EFFORT The farmers can do this because their organization is stronger this year than it was two years ago. But they must not be too confident. The oppo- sition is stronger, too. Two years ago the gang politicians of North Dakota merely laughed when the Nonpartisan league was mentioned. They do not laugh now. They realize how serious is the menace to their greed and graft. They are ready to use any trick, fair or foul, to beat the farmers. Members of the League must be on the watch every moment. They must watch for traitors and paid spies of Big Business at their precinct cau- cuses. Above all they must show, by an impressive turn-out of members on Washington’s birthday, that they are just as alive to their needs as they were two years ago, when the forces of Big Business and corrupt politics were first put to rout in North Dakota. WOULD RULE THE mee. Some papers said they had 300 members, but I understand they had only 13. No wonder they had poor luck. Mr. Bill once told the Ger- Teigen and his bunch, I “:Fa National Nonpartisan think, started something e league. they can’t finish: Kaiser ARG Members of the League % who live in incorporated cities or villages should not attempt to hold pre- cinct meetings in their. ‘home precincts. NO DELEGATES WILL BE RECOGNIZED AT THE man people that he would make them the greatest people in the world through the army. In other words, he meant to rule the world. Well, he hasn’t gone DISTRICT CONVEN- very far yet and he never TIONS ELECTED FROM will. If he keeps on fight- SUCH PRECINCTS. Members of the League living in such precincts are to go to the nearest country precincts and will be entitled to take part in these meetings. . North Dakota farmers hardly need to be warned to be careful of the kind of men they elect as pre- cinct - delegates. These men will represent their The ship of state Is a little unevenly loaded,: lawyers and bankers, constitute three-fourths of the population of the country, ~“trim the ship” and distribute the load a little more evenly, of state might capsize. In:the state legislatures the . same Lawyers and bankers are well- represented, but th positions where ‘they ‘can do their fellow men good. have too many representatives at Washington, have only a few representatives. ! PAGE TWELVE A N “— N N e A —Drawn expressly for the Leader by Congressman John M. Baer says Congressman Baer, in sending this cartoon. the farmers and laboring men, who » otherwise if a storm should come condition prevails as at Washington, D. C. ere are nat many real farmers and wor ing much longer he will lose his army and every- thing else, : . it will turn out with Mr. Teigen and his army. Here is hoping they will See their mistake and get off - the track before 50,000 or more organiz- ed farmers come along and run them down. Big Biz, the It is time to up, ‘the ship. king men in R e This is about the way 3 ARNT IVERSON. s S e e e S e S e S R S R G S