The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, November 25, 1918, Page 11

W . the League, which never ‘work by any. means. The | Push OrganizationWithRenewed Vigor Results Achieved and the Great Need for Protection Through Organization Make for Success—League Plan Now Well ITH the elections out of the way, national headquarters of thé Nonpartisan leagne announces that organization work will be carried forward with renewed vigor in all states where the League is working. The cam- did not cause even a pause in the work of building up the organization, but many conditions, local and otherwise, which have made organizing difficult, are rapidly being removed. The result is that the League is entering upon an organization campaign more intensive and far- reaching than it has yet put on. - The war, of course, made great inroads into the League’s organizing staff. Large numbers of organizers are in the army or navy or other war work. In a number of states officials and de- fense councils, in con- trol of -politicians who are afraid of the farmers when they are organized, have declared League or- ganizers “nonessential” and they have been com- pelled to get into other work. Added to this is the fact that the false cry of ‘“disloyalty,” the plots of anti-League forces and mob activity prevented organization in many districts, even if organizers had been available. These conditions are rapidly clearing up. The disloyalty charge against had any basis anyway, is largely. dropped, and mobbists have been made to feel the lash of pub- lic opinion. On the other hand, there is every prospect. of the war be- ing over in a very short time, which will enable the League to get back its old organizers and build up the staff to its old strength. Conditions that have existed did not complete- ly. stop organization League has been putting on hundreds of new mem- bers weekly for months, and in Minnesota - and some other states old members have been re- enrolling for some time in large numbers. One Minnesota organizer alone in two months re- cently put on over 400 ; members, 80 of whom were new members and the balance renewals. Typical townships being re- ported to League headquarters at the present_time - show a re-enrollment of all but one or two of the old members and from 10 to 25 and more new members, thus materially increasing League strength even in well-ox‘-ganizgd territory. It must be remembered that only one state —North Dakota—has been completely covered by League organizers toidate. North Dakota. is: ORGANIZED, with the résult that it is in '“control of the people. No other state that the League is working 'in is' more than' partially organized. Minnesota is abont-one-third or- ganized, South Dakota and Montana perhaps a half, and many of the other states where the League is working even less organized than sithat, wie : > A s ‘two:years, but to reach the great unorgan- paign and election, of course, - vork of the League, therefore, from merely to re-enroll old members for as almost. without exception old members desire to continue with the organization, and they re- enroll as rapidly as organizers can see them, some of them not waiting for an organizer but sending in their dues voluntarily as their memberships expire. The organization work in new districts is neces- sarily difficult because of the almost superhuman efforts of the politicians, the big interests and their kept press to poison the minds of the people in advance. But it is difficult only in this sense, that it takes TIME. The League and its principles have to be carefully explained to prospective mem- bers and organizers can not see many in a day. Almost universally when they are explained to men who never before have heard anything but | STOCKYARDS AND CATTLE SUFFERING FROM TICKS - These stockyards, which should be a public market, are owned by the buyers and are used by them in many ways to take advantage of the farmer sellers. The yards and all that goes to make up the market for cattle can not be freed from packing trust domination except by farmer organization. Whatever the federal government has done or will do depends on how well the farmers are organized and how wizely they vote in their own interests. By organization the farmers can have something to say about their markets. More than this, they can get effective aid for their industry, especially in times of drouth and in fighting plagues which cause losses such as that shown in the above picture. It cost the farmer about as much to raise these miserable cattle from the tick-infested area of Texas as it would have cost to raise top-notch sellers. the other side, they are ready to join and assist the organizers in carrying the message to their friends and neighbors. League and its program is that it is merely a matter of getting to the people with it. = p The organization drive which the League is now putting on in all states where it has a start will increase in vigor-and intensiveness as more and - more men can spare time to help in the work, and as the close of the war begins to release the men formerly in this work, who were called and who went as a patriotic duty. A great majority of the League’s . organization force is and always has been composed of actual farmers, who were suc- cessful, when they first heard of the League, in organizing their' own townships or counties and who were often sent to other districts or states to carry on the work. Nearly all of these farmer organizers were, of course, called.back to their ble for organizers on re-enrollment. AGE BLEVEN 59, The big thing about the farms on account of the war, as’it was their duty ‘: to produce food durinz the emergency. “Old members of the League can’kelp: in: the organization work by making it as easy as pos-: : The Jess.. Advertised « work the organizers have to de in re-enrolling old members for another two years, the more time they will have and the more money the League will have to carry on the important work of get- ting new members and building up the orgapiza- - tion to a stage where it will be invincible in the 1920 elections. : In the first two years.of its life, during which it was merely a North Dakota organization, the League obtained about 50,000 members. In the next two years, operating in 13 states, the League grew to a total-membership of over 200,000. This is progressing by gigantic strides. If the second period of two years gave the League three times the number of new members as were obtained in the first two years, the third period of two years ought to increase the membership at the same ratio, and that means 650,000 members before 1920. But even should the League do no better in the third period than in the second, it would mean 400,000, and cer- tain victory in several states. It is merely a ques- tion of every one putting his shoulder to the wheel and boosting, and the wagon of democracy will move out of the mire. The next two years will have an important if not determining bearing on ‘the next two decades of American history. These next two years will be ones of after-the-war ad- justments and recon- struction. The old par- ties and political organi- zations will not be able to meet the issues and fulfill the demands of the people. The people will look to new, progressive leaders, and the leader- ship must be supplied, and will be supplied, by the. organized farmers and labor groups. CLEAN CAUSE WINS If there is anything in my career that is sug- gestive, that may be of use to those who may hereafter come into con- flict with great and co- ‘lossal wrong, it will be that, by not compromis- ing with the wrong, by speaking the truth and applying it boldly to the there is no need of de- spairing of the final re- sult. Nobody is justified in despairing if he has a righteous cause to uphold. It may not be given to him to see it triumph, but that is only a ques- tion of time. None can eyer defeat it in the end. God himself is pledged to its final victory.—~WIL- “LIAM LLOYD GARRISON in 1878, MEN OF REMARKABLE INDUSTRY. : A native of California who died the other day left behind him an estate of over $40,000,000, and the farmer who has to work hard to make about: $500 a year, can easily imagine what a glutten for work this gentleman must have been. Knowing, of course, that America is a land of equal opportunity and that wealth comes to men here only through honesty, industry and sobriety, we must admire - this man for so outshining the vast majority of his fellows. Assuming that he was working 40 years, ~making a million a year, we find that he must have - been 2,000 times as honest, industrious, intelligent and sober as the average farmer. But if we are surprised by what this Californian has done, what ‘times ‘as much? - 438 shall we think of John D., who is worth ever 25 \ conscience of the people, -