The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, November 18, 1918, Page 3

In the interest of a square deal for the farmers onpartigan Rader A magazine that dares to print the truth Official Migazine of the National Nonpartisan League VOL. 7, NO. 20 _ ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, NOVEMBER 18, 1918. WHOLE NUMBER 165 " IMPORTANT GAINS BY LEAGUE Nonpartisan Farmers Increase Representation in Congress, Recarry North Dakota by Larger Majorities, Elect Large Blocks of Legislators in Seven States HE election just held is the_second in which the Nonpartisan league has participated. Whether the organized farmers have gained or lost can best be determined by stating what was won by them two years ago, in the first election in which they participated, and what was won at the election last week. The comparison follows: 5 : In thé 1916 election the League elected a set of .state officers for North Dakota and a majority in the lower house " of the legislature. In a special election shortly after this the League in the first district of North Dakota elected a congressman. % In the 1918 election just -held, the League re-elected by in- creased majorities all the North Dakota state officers, re-elected its majority in the North Dakota lower house and re-elected its con- gressman from the first North Dakota district. All in addition to this, won in the election just held, is therefore pure gain for the League. The following has been won by the League in addition to the victories of 1916: : - : GAINS IN THE ELECTION ow IN SIX MORE STATES . - =i - Two more congressmen from North Dakota, elected by the League in the second and third districts. R Election of a majority in the North Dakota state senate, which hitherto has been dominated by.the old political regime. : -In Montana, Charles H. Cooper, candidate for the supreme court, brought out and indorsed by the Nonpar- " tisan league, has won. The League also indorsed J. H. Hall, present railroad commissioner, for re-election, and he was successful. These were the only state offices to be filled this year in Montana and the result is a substantial victory for the organized farmers. In two states, Minnesota and South Dakota, the Nonpartisan iy league has displaced the Democratic party as the leading opposition to the Republican party. In both these states the Republican party. - is firmly intrenched, but until this election the Democratic party has been its chief opponent. As a result of the balloting November 5,.the independent League candidates for governor in these two states badly beat the Democratic candidates, and the League has - become intrenched as thechief opposition to-the Republican party, threatening it more than the Democratic party has in the last few elections. ; Passage, by a vote of the people of North Dakota, of ‘. a mew state constitution, permitting the carrying out of the program of the organized farmers and paving the way for other progressive reforms.” : “ Election in both the house and senate of Minnesota of a solid block of Nonpartisan league senators and representatives, who will " hold the balance of pewer and, with the labor representatives ‘elected in the cities, will enable the passage of much of the League program and other progressive reforms. The League’s participa- - ‘tion in the Minnesota election has given the farmers a bigger rep- . resentation in the legislature than they ever before had. .~ - - Election of the clerk of the supreme court in Minnesota. LEAGUE LEGISLATORS ELECTED IN FIVE OTHER STATES - 1 *Strong League delegations have been elected to the legislatures of South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Colorado and Nebraska, which e assures the introduction in the legislatures of those states of bills carrying out the farmers’ program and a number of other pro- gressive measures. Many of these bills will pass, as the big League vote recorded in these states with less than two years qf organiza- tion work by the farmers can not be ignored. - Just how strong numerically these League groups of legis- ‘lators are in these six states will be Teported in the Leader as soon as the figures are available. .>Retbums_‘ are s_l_oyv_ coming in, especia]ly : in legislative contests. =~ . " ' 'The League farmers in Idaho have elected their can- didate:“for state treasurer and superintendent of public =~ ALY United StateS'Senators Borah and Nugent, running with the League indorsement in Idaho, have been elected. In brief, therefore, in the two years since the last election the Nonpartisan league has made important and far-reaching gains. From one state it has spread to 13, and in six states in addition to its home state, North Dakota, it has become a leading political fac- tor, with substantial representation in legislatures and with every prospect of sweeping a dozen states in the elections of 1920. BITTER LEAGUE ENEMIES GO DOWN TO DEFEAT 'Aside from the gains of the League above reported, the League was directly interested in several election contests which have been concluded to the utmost satisfaction of League members. Con- gressman C..B. Miller of Minnesota, Republican, who has been one of the most unreasonable and bitter opponents of the organized farmers, has been defeated by Carss, a labor candidate, who had the support of League publications in Minnesota. In Nebraska, Governor Neville, whose state council of defense attempted to interfere with the organization work of the League, has been defeated by Samuel R. McKelvie, who was supported by League members although the League state convention did not formally indorse any candidates. for state offices in Nebraska. Senator George W. Norris of Nebraska has been re-elected. He ‘was supported by League farmers and an attempt was made to dis- credit him because the League was swinging him its support. - Besides in North Dakota, the League took part in campaigns for the election of governors and state officers in Minnesota, South Dakota and Idaho. In all these governorship contests, except North < Dakota, the organized farmers, on returns as yet incomplete, seem to have lost. : : LEAGUE LOSES GOVERNORSHIP : IN THREE STATES NOVEMBER 5 - 'In Minnesota there was a three-cornered fight for governor, with the Minnesota State Federation of Labor and the League backing David H. Evans, who was nominated by petition. Governor Burnquist, Republican, and F. E. Wheaton, Democrat, opposed the farmer-labor candidate. Burnquist was successful. With half the vote counted at this writing Burnquist has 100,000 votes, Evans . (League) 80,000, and Wheaton, Democrat, 50,000. Burnquist was elected governor two years ago by a three to one vote, but he is re-elected by a minority vote of the people, the combined vote of his opponents being much greater than his vote. Thus considerable progress has been-made by the farmer-labor forces against the in trenched Republican party in Minnesota. : Not a daily newspaper in: Minnesota supported the farmer- labor cause or candidates and all but one daily paper ‘supported the successful Republican candidate for governor. League organiza- tion work has been stopped in many Minnesota counties since last fall and hampered in some 20 or 30. others by illegal action of Gov- ernor Burnquist’s supporters” on county councils of defense, and by mob action and intimidation. Considering these facts, the show- - ing of the League candidate in the Minnesota gubernatorial race ‘was surprising. The farmer-labor forces have probably -polled 150,000 to 160,000 votes, the League membership in the state be- ing only 50,000 . ; = In South Dakota the League also participated in a three-éo‘r— o nered fight for the governorship, backing Mark P. Bates, farmer, who filed as an independent against the regular Republican and Democratic nominees. ~Governor Norbeck, Republican, seems to - e e e be elected on the face of partial returns, but by only a narrow . | - margin, considering past Republican majorities in the state, As = ‘in Minnesota, the League candidate for governor beat_ the Demo- | cratic Acan(_lid'ate badly. i MISS RANKIN DEFEATED S BY MONTANA VOTERS G gt » g s September, placing its candidate: for governor, Samuels; -on th | | In Idaho, the League ca; tured the Democratic primaries m%