The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, November 18, 1918, Page 4

Democratic ticket. However, Davis, Re- publican, seems to have beaten Samuels on the face of incomplete returns. . In Montana there was no governor- ship contest, the governor and other state officers being elected every four years and not coming up for election until 1920. However, the League backed Jeannette Rankin, present congresswoman from Mon- tana, for the United States senate, and she has apparently lost, the present incumbent, alsh, Democrat, winning. Miss Rankin ran for the Republican nomination for senator in September and was defeated by only 2,000 votes by,Lanstrum. She got the nomination of the National party, how- ever, although not a candidate for it, be- cause her supporters wrote her name in on the ballot. Hampered by the nomination of a party hopelessly in the minority, she was defeated, but polled a big vote that has been a surprise to the copper-water- power ring in Montana. SOUTH DAKOTA ADOPTS IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS South Dakota adopted a set of con- stitutional amendments which were sup- ported by League members but which were proposed by the politicians when the League first started to organize in the state, after the League victory two years ago in North Dakota. The South Dakota politicians saw the League coming and the last legislature proposed amendments to the constitution -permitting the carrying out of most of the League program. This was an attempt to head off the League by showing there was no need for it. The politicians never intended to carry out the League program, but the carrying of the amendments brings about a remarkable James H. Sinelair, who will situation. under which the Republican" political gang can carry out the or- ganized farmers’ wishes if they want to. ; A late telegram from Nebraska to the Leader states that the League elected seven representatives and two senators to the legis- lature of that state in the few counties where the League is or- ganized. The League in Nebraska has just started to organize and did not take part in the contest for state offices except in- formally to support Senator Norris and oppose the present gov- ernor. Later dispatches say that Governor Neville, hitherto re- ported beaten, is now leading by a slight margin and may- win. : The League victory in North Dakota appears more sweeping as additional returns come in. Congressman Baer, the League’s first congressman, has made big gains in his district since the pri- mary election last June. His dis-. Forks and Fargo, the two larg- est cities of the state and the tion. - However, he appears to_ have carried every county in hi§ district with the exception Qf one, in which Fargo ‘is located. His majority will be over 8,000, whereas in the primary it was considerably under that. Governor Frazier has car- ried practically every county in the state, including Ramsey county, which he lost in the June primaries. Frazier’'s majority will be great, but it would have beefi much greater had the in- fluenza epidemic not cut down the country vote. North Dakota was hard hit by influenza and thousands of voters did not go to the polls. ; AMENDMENTS NOT DEFINITELY DECIDED The League candidate for the supreme court in North Da- kota went over big. There was only one supreme court vacancy to fi]l this election. Two years , ’ supreme court justices and in- George M. Young, elected to congress the recent election one, giving by the Nonpartisan lea; voting -last: week. - The Leagie now. : supreme bench of four out of thas three congressmen instead of one. tional seats in congress won by the Non- partisan league November 5. trict includes the cities of Grand . centers of the League opposi- ago the League elected three a League membership! on the five judges. Bronson, just elect- ed to the supreme court, has been assist- ant attorney general under the League in- cumbent, Langer. 2 g A dispatch received by the Leader at the hour of going to press says that the North Dakota constitutional amendments proposed by the League have probably won, but their success is not guaranteed on the incomplete returns so far in. The amendments have received a big majority of the votes cast on them, but the North Dakota constitution can not be amended without a majority is obtained of all those who voted at the polls. In other words, all those who go to the polls and do not vote are counted as voting -against the amendments. As many voters did not vote on the amendments it will not be known definitely for several days whether the constitutional changes received big enough majorities to overcome the handi- cap of those who did not vote. Howaver, League headquarters at Fargo seems con- fident that the new constitution has been successful. INFLUENZA STOPS - FARMERS’ MEETINGS Throughout the stateg where the League participated in the elections the League vote was cut down by -two condi- tions that could not have been avoided. First, thousands of League members and sympathizers have gone into the army; second, influenza was widespread and kept thousands of voters from the polls, and also the epidemic prevented League meet- ings during the two weeks before the vote. Because the League had no newspaper support, its hope was to carry its message to the people at meetings, and as these had to be abandoned during the last weeks of the campaign there is no doubt but that thousands of votes were lost in every state. : The election returns the Leader is able to give you in this issue are necessarily meager. It may even be im- possible to report next week exactly the number of legislators the farmers have elected in the various states, although we hope by then to give definite figures for a number of states. Everywhere the re- turns on legislative fights, in which the League has won its great- “est victories outside of North Dakota, are the last to come in, The daily press of all regions where the League is active is al- most unanimously opposed to the movement of the farmers for jus- occupy one of the two addi- tice and democracy and will, of course, fail to report the tremendous League gains in the election as shown by its success in electing majorities, near-majorities or strong minorities in the state law- making bodies of some seven states. So it will remain for the Leader to cover this ground, and we will do so in detail as soon as our corre- .spondents in various states can obtain and report to us &n‘al returns. ; You have doubtless read that the League has ‘been beaten everywhere and has lost ground in North Dakota. The League has gained in North Dakota. This was its first election in all other states. "Everything the League has won-—every member it has put into the legislature in these other states—is a pure gain. League Election Gains at a Glance Two more congressmen in North Dakota. : - Two United States senators in Idaho. s One state office and a near-majority of both houses of the legislature in Minnesota. . B R A judge of the supreme court, another state officer and a strong minority in both houses of the legislature in Montana. Solid blocks of League senators and representatives in the legislatures of South Dakota, Idaho, Nebraska and’ Colorado. A new state constitution carried at the polls in North Dakota. R ' S ' Defeat of the Democratic party by big pluralities in South Dakota and Minnesota, and the entrenchment of the League as the chief opposition in those states to the dominant Republi- can party. ‘ St M . . All of the above is clear gain in the election just held. It is in addition to holding all the gains made in North Dakota at . the first electjon the League ever participated in.. - In two vears, after its first victory in North Dakota, the League has become a leading and important political factor in - six a(l)lther states, with organization work going on in 13 states The 1918 gains assure complete and sweeping victories in a dozen western states in 1920, b e TSR T -~ We'll Stick! We’ll Win? Vi ES