The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, July 15, 1918, Page 6

F*Steen, state treasurer, the only remnant of the old gang ’V/"""’% ;/’// ‘) 7 RTA } E‘ Y% % 78 {//’% ,/,,,,/ HE people of North Dszlota have again spoken in regard to Nonpartisan league candidates and principles. They have returned to power for an- other two years a farmers’ state administration made possible by the Nonpartisan league. They have re-elected the members of the farmer house of representatives and cleaned out the hold-over majority in'the senate, which blocked part of the farmers’ legislation after the first victory of the League two years ago. They have given big majorities to the three candidates mdorsed by the League for the United States congress, and this will increase. the {Jea%lue s representation in congress from North Dakota from one 0 three. This action by the people of North Dakota at the state-wide primaries on June 26 is by far the most important event in the history of the Nonpartisan league, which now numbers. 200,000 members and is actively at work in 13 states. The new, complete and sweeping victory in North Dakotas MEANS THAT AFTER TWO YEARS’ TRIAL OF A LEAGUE FARMERS’ ADMINISTRA- TION, AND EXPERIENCE WITH A REGULAR AND SPECIAL SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE IN WHICH THE FARMERS HAD A MAJORITY IN THE LOWER HOUSE AND A NEAR- MAJORITY IN THE SENATE, THE PEOPLE ARE ANXIOUS TO HAVE ANOTHER TWO YEARS OF THE SAME KIND OF STATE ADMINISTRATION, AND ANOTHER FARMERS’ LEG- ISLATURE, THIS TIME WITH A FARMER MAJORITY, IN BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE. make good. It is the first expression by the people at ‘the 4 I VHIS is the first test of whether the Nonpartisan league can polls on whether the Nonpartisan league, in administering state affairs and in making state laws, can satisfy the people to an . extent where they prefer Nonpartisan administration, after try- ing it, in place of what they have had in the past. The test of the worth of the League and the value of farmer rule is What the %eo]fle think of it after trying it. They tried it two years in North akota. What the overwhelming majority of North Dakotans think of it was expressed in no uncertain terms in tihe primary vote. The League has made £00 As a result of the primaries, North Dakota will send to Washington three congressmen who stand on the League program, in place of the one sent last year. In the first- district, Congressman Baéer won the Republican nomi- nation for another term by a substantial ma- jority. Congressman Norton of the third dis- trict - is retired to private life. When the League started in North Dakota he came out against it and his position on the League since the League victories two years ago has been ambiguous. In his place, the people of the third district will send to Washington James H. Sinclair, a member of the farmer legislature indorsed by the League. In the second dlstnct Congress- man Young will be returned. He won by a sweeping majority in the primaries, with the League indorsement. He has been actively in favor of the League program, but this will be his first election with the formal indorsement of the League. F THE three congressional victories, that of Congressman Baer is the most striking, although Baer did not get as big a majority in the primaries as the other two. Baer was elected to congress last year in the first district at a special elec- tion in a three-cornered fight, in which he ran as a nonpartisan against the Republican and Democratic party candidates. ' This ' time he sought the Republican nomination and was opposed by one other candidate, making it a stralght contest instead of a three- cornered one. His district contains the cities of Fargo and Grand Forks, the two largest cities of the state and the chief strongholds of League opposition. Whether Baer could win the Republican nomination in the only congressional district in the state where ‘the League members are in the minority was a question, and Baer’s - friends advised him to run in the fall as an independent instead of seeking the Republican nomination in the primaries.” In the fall he would have had a three-cornered contest and would have won easily, as he did before. However, he stood for the Republican nomination and won in a hard contest, Adue to the fact that, besides the League vote, he received a large mdependent vote on the strength of his splendid record in congress. ~ - Lynn J. Frazier, the farmer. governor, is contmued i in power by a majority that will reach about 20,000. He . \‘ had one opponent for the Republican nomination, John h % /// 2 //» o, '///m 7 III% ' W //II// W é Uéfl ‘What the North Dakota Victory-Means ,,‘ /”/’% in North Dakota left in office after the farmer victory of 1916. In 1916 Frazier won the Republican nomination in a four-cornered fight. He had a plurality that year of 10,000, and he had a majority over all votes cast agamst hlm of only about 5,000. This year he wins by a 20,000 majority, four tlmes his former majority. After two years of farmer administration the people of North Dakota voted for the farmer governor in immensely larger numbers than before, an indorsement of League principles and the League admmlstratlon——after a thor- ough trial—that is most significant. HE organized farmers will win sweeping victories in sev- eral other states this year, havmg already made the start by the great legislative victories in the Minnesota primaries, but, while this fall’'s gains for the Nonpartisan league in other states will be important, the return of the League to power in North Dakota by greater majorities than ever will remam the most important achievement of the year. The acid test is whether Non- partisanship can succeed—whether it gives the people a better deal than they have had and whether they want to continue it in power after trying it.” That test has been made in North Dakota. The permanency, continued growth and final _triumph of the move-. ment of the organized farmers in all states is thus assured. BURNQUIST AND NORBECK oT the least interesting feature of the complete and sweep- ing victory of the Nonpartisan league in the state-wide primary election just held in North Dakota was the aid and comfort given the enemies of the farmers of North Dakota dur- ing the campaign by Governor Burnquist of Minnesota and Gov- ernor Norbeck of South Dakota, the governors.of states which _adjoin North Dakota. Governor Norbeck personally contributed $200 to the cam- paign fund of John Steen, Frazier’s opponent and the candidate of the North Dakota political gang, who was snowed under in the voting June 26. The South Dakota governor accompamed this- contribution to the campaign against the North Dakota farmers with a grossly insulting letter | in which he said Frazier was bidding for sup- port from'the disloyal, pro-German elements of the state. This insult to North Dakota, to the farm- ers of North Dakota and to a man whose loy- alty and patriotism can not be questioned, will - be rebuked later by the farmers of South Da- kota. Frazier’s war record as governor of North Dakota is absolutely unassailable. He has led North Dakota in its splendid activities on behalf of wmmng the~ war, and under his leadership the state has made a war record which outclasses almost every other state in the Union, and equals: the best any state has done. FOR THIS INSULT, GOVERNOR NORBECK WILL BE RE- BUKED IN THE FALL ELECTION BY THE FARMERS AND HONEST CITIZENS OF HIS OWN STATE. The farmers of North Dakota already have answered him by snowing under John Steen, - in whose behalf one of the most contemptible campaigns ever made was conducted by the hate-filled and ruthless mmonty in North - Dakota. The interference in the North Dakota campaign by Governor, Burnquist was even more contemptible. Ever since a farmer be- came governor of Minnesota’s neighbor state, Burnquist has openly slighted and insulted him. He even issued a formal statement in: which he lied about Governor Frazier’s actlon in the case of ‘the proposed meeting of the People’s council in North Dakota. Burn- - o quist went into North Dakota and stumped the state in the inter- ests of John Steen, Frazier’s opponent. Steen is the man who, as the state treasurer’s office.- - The North Dakota farmers would only have been pay- v ings. Governor Fraz1er, however, immediately issued an - official statement in which he demanded a fair hearing for ~ . Meddler Burng and d ' that any disord state treasurer, in violation of the law, attempted to keep $1,200 5 interest money earned on a trust fund which was handled through T . Trouble might have occurred for Bumqulst in some of the: rural 2 commumtles in North Dakota where he spoke, for the North Da- ; ‘kota farmers indignantly resented the campaign against - them made by a man who has permitted the town gangs of Minnesota to intimidate-and mob Minnesota farmers - almost at will during the last six months, declining to- .enforce the law and laughing at farmers who.protested. ¥ | ing: Burnquist in kind had they hooted him at his meet-