The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, December 16, 1918, Page 3

In the interest of a square deal . for the farmers llonpartiséan Jeader Official Magazine of the National Nonpartisan League A ‘magazine that dares to print the truth VOL. 7, NO. 24 ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, DECEMBER 16, 1918 WHOLE NUMBER 169 Members to Pass on Choice of Leader Delegate Convention Re-Elects A. C. Townley Unanimously to National - Executive Committee, but He Insists on Vote of Whole Membership : et - NATIONAL ¢ 25 \ oELEGATE [ [/ 1 convENTION OF THE NCP. L. —— o E—— NS e R STsSSSS \ — 0N OS> — = ~ \ NaSSSSSsSs=s RN \\ NS 3 T —— e —— NS % HE first national convention of the Nonpartisan league, pro- vided for in the articles of as- December 3, 1918. Omne of the principal pieces of business to come before the convention was the filling of a vacancy on the national executive committee caused by the expiration of the term of office of - A, [C.. Townley. Under the original national articles of association of the League adopted two years ago, Mr. Townley was appointed to a two-year term be- ginning January 1, 1917, as: a member of the na- tional executive committee, and at that time he was appointed by the members of the national exec- utive, committee as its chairman and; therefore, as president of the League. o ‘Follo'wing the approval by the national cons, vention of permanent articles of association, - - Mr. Townley last week was re-elected by the convention to._ his old position as member of the national executive committee. .- Immediately he was re-elected, by a unanimous and enthusiastic - vote of the 45 delegates present, Mr. Townley announced that he would not accept the re- “election without-a referendum of League mem- " bers on the matter, which would give every sociation, met at St. Paul on . ~member of the League an opportunity to ex-- press himself either for or against Mr. Town- ley’s re-election. 4 S AR A While Mr. Townley’s re-election was in ac- cordance with the articles. of association as per- manently ‘adopted by the organization, he ‘will, nevertheless, decline to take the office unless a majority of the League members express. their willingness that he should do so. 3 Therefore, at the earliest opportunity, f¥ob- ably within a week or so, each member of the Nonpartisan league will be provided with a ballot. on which he can indicate whether he ap- proves or ‘disapproves of the re-election of Mr. Townley. X & In the event that a majority of the League members desire to continue Mr. Townley as head of the organization he will accept, but in the event that a majority- of the members re- fuse to approve his re-election by the national convention it will be necessary for the national convention to choose some other-man, therefore, for president of the League, = ; The "delegates’ present at the St. Paul conven ‘tion were surprised that Mr. Townley ‘should take this' ‘position, inasmuch as there 'was no doubt whatever in any of their minds about his being the unanimous choice of the membership for the honor. _ ‘However, due to the widespread and bitter sttacks: . on Mr, Townley peérsonally as a leader of the or- RREISY SRS ganized farmers, and to the charges of the League’s ~ enemies that he was a “dictator” and that League members had no voice in choosing him, Mr. Town- ley decided that he did not care to remain as leader of the organization without a vote ‘of the membership indicating that they' had confidence in him. 3 No other man to replace Mr. Townley as presi- dent of the League was even considered by the national convention. He was the only one con- sidered and his re-election by the convention was unanimous and accompanied by an ovation such as -has seldom been seen in League conventions. However, League members themselves, one and all, will, at Mr. Townley’s request, vote either to approve or disapprove of his re-election. . This reférendum of League members will be safeguard- ed by rules formulated by the ‘national committee and the ballots will be received and counted under the “direction of the committee. The Nonpartisan Leader next week will announce the complete de- tails concerning this referendum. - - _ The national convention was ecalled to order at 10 o’clock on the morning of December 3 and was: opened by an address by President Townley, re- viewing the past two years’ work of the organi- zdtion. ' Following his address Mr. Townley turned the ‘mestine over to the delegates, who proceeded to: the business at hand. The first question was