The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, December 16, 1918, Page 4

consideration of the national articles of associa- tion as they have existed and under which the League has been operating since it commenced its activities in states outside of North Dakota two years ago. 4 Every section of these articles was taken up and discussed. The delegates desired to proceed with care in this matter, because the unanimous opinion was that such final and permanent ar- ticles of association as were adopted should in every respect protect the organization from the attacks and plots of its enemies. The. history of past farmers’ and people’s organizations is well known. They have uni- Articles of Association Are Adopted. | versally been made ineffective or broken up ‘through eutside influences, which have created factional strife inside the organization and ultimately obtained power in the organization, which they used to defeat its purposes. The success of the Nonpartisan league to date has been largely in the fact that it was an organi- zation of farmers with a single purpose and that, despite the tremendous efforts of out- side forces and the expenditure of vast sums - of money, the organization has remained in- corruptible and steadfast in its purpese. At various times outside influences have at- tempted to create factional strife inside the organization and in some cas‘s secured: co- operation of self-seeking, :week-kneed. or eor- rupt individuals within the organization. How- ever, these attempts to make the League in- efficient and to divert it from its purpose to date have failed, and the delegates to the na- tional convention felt that whatever final. form of organization was adopted, it should be a form that would protect the organization from its powerful enemies without, and from poli. ticians and self-seekers who might gain a foot- hold within the organization. The final articles of association adepted as a (Continued on page 14) Delegates From Thirteen States Approve Basis for National Nonpartisan League Organization and Control—Full Power Vested in the Membership E permanent articles of associa- tion adopted by the national delegate convention of the Non- partisan league, in session at St. Paul last week, provide the most democratic form of organ- ization possible consistent with protection to the membership of the League against seizure of power or influence in the organization by outside hostile influences or forces. 3 The desire of the farmer delegates representing 13 states was to place all power in the hands of the membership, but at the same time provide a form of organization that would prevent foes “of the League from promoting factional strife within the organization and placing in power men who would * sell out or betray the cause of the organized farm- S B SN ML LY it i all power of indorsement of’candidates or indorse- - ment of measures. rests solely in the hands of the ers. The articles as finally adopted unanimously by the delegates from the 13 states meet these two re- quirements. ¢ The management of the League in each state is placed in the hands of a state committee of farmer members, elected annually by a state - convention of the League. The state convention which elects the state committee is composed of delegates selected by the League members themselves in precinct or township meetings, as L:ague state conventions in the past have been chosen,’ PRECINCT MEETINGS THE FOUNDATION Each state committee of from three to five farm- crs selects a chairman, and this chairman of the state committee is a member of the NATIONAL COMMITTEE of the League. The national commit- tee, therefore, has as many members as there are states in which the League is organized. The NA- TIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE of three men is selected with the approval of the NATIONAL / COMMITTEE. The NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE chooses from among its members one man as _chairman, and. this chairman of the NA- TIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE is president and chief executive officer of the Nonpartisan league. In order for a man to become a member of the NATIONAL COMMITTEE of the League, he must first have been chosen by his friends and neighbors in his own township as a delegate to a League district convention. He must then be chosen by the League district convention as a delegate to the League state convention. Then he must be chosen as a member of the state committee by the state convention. Finally he must be chosen CHAIRMAN OF THE STATE COMMITTEE. He is then a memher of the NATIONAL COMMITTEE, having been three times chosen by members of the League, and, therefore, presumably in full accord with the program and purposes of the organization. This will make it difficult, if not impossible, for self-seekers within the organization, like Max- well, or for outside hostile interests, to become members of the NATIONAL COMMITTEE and ~have a hand in choosing the national executive committee and the president of the erganiza- tion, . . It will be seen that under the articles of asso- ciation all power in the League is derived in the first instance from the members themselves in township or precinet caucuses assembled. The arti- cles in section 3 reserve all POLITICAL POWER to the members of the League themselves—that is, e e C I I N R AUITS P, membership in membership conventions, chosen as League political conventions 'in the past have been chosen. To the members and members only is re- served all power to indorse or ‘support, or oppose and defeat, any candidate for office. Another feature of the articies of association is that they can be changed or amended by a mere majority vote of the NATIONAL COM- MITTEE—that is, the committee composed of the chairmen of the various state committees of the League. Most associations require a two- thirds vote to change their articles of associa- tion or constitution. In order to assure that the three members of the NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE are in harmony with each other and can work together without friction, the articles provide that when a vacancy occurs on the national executive commit- tee, the remaining members of the national execu- tive committee shall NOMINATE a man for the vacant position. However, this man can not be placed on the NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COM- “MITTEE without the CONSENT OF A MAJOR- . ITY OF THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE, com- posed of the chairmen of the various state com- mittees. The delegates at St. Paul last week believed that it was of the utmost importance to provide a form of organization which would assure har- mony on the national executive committee, the supreme administrative body of the League, and, in order to attain that result, they felt that nominations for vacancies on the national "executive committee should be made by the re- maining members of thé national executive committee. However, they further provided that before a man so nominated can become a member of the national executive committee, he must be approved by a MAJORITY OF THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE, composed of the chairmen of the various state committees. PROVIDES STRONG EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE In this way the articles prevent placing on the national executive committee men who could not work together in harmony, and at the same time they "place the membership of the NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE in full control of the - NATIONAL COMMITTEE, consisting of one dele- gate from each state. Following the adoption of the permanent articles of association, they were signed. by the delegates from the 13 states present at the meeting which makes them binding on all state organizations of ‘ the League and establishes them as the funda- mentalelaw of the organization, national and state. The articles of association as finally adopted fol- Jow in full. - In regard to article 6, it should be ex- plained that this article refers to the appointment of the ORIGINAL NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE of the organization, before the League had enough members or a solid enough or- ganization to permit autonomous action by the various state organizations in the choosing of a -national committee. It will be noted from this - article that the original term of President Townley as a member of the national executive committee and as president of the League expires January 1, 1919. The national convention, called the “national ‘committee” under the articles, which has just finish- «ed its work at St. Paul, has re-elected Mr. Townley to this position, and, as explained in another article in this issue, President Townley has requested a referendum of the League membership, either ap- proving or disapproving his re-election. The orig- inal national executive committee of the League PAGE--FOUR had to be appointed before there was any League organization which could regularly elect delegates and elect a national committee, and, therefore, the membership on the original national executive com- mittee of the League had to be provided for in the original articles of association. From now on, how- ever, the national executive committee will be elect- ed in the manner described in the articles which follow. . The articles of association which follow have been duly approved and personally signed by the farmer delegates (the state committeemen) of the Nonpartisan league from the 13 states in which the League now has an organization. _Following are the final permanent articles of association: ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION OF THE NATIONAL NONPARTISAN LEAGUE SECTION 1 The name of this association is the National Nonpartisan league. SECTION 2 The purposes for which this association is formed are: (A) Making government responsive to the will of the people l—gc()vernment OF the people; B) Eradicating special privilege; purifying government; g:llprovmz' ; the general welfare of the people—government FOR e people; ..(C) Raising the standard of citizenship; disseminating knowledge of the rights, powers and duties of citizens in rela. tion to government—government BY the people. TR SECTION 3 o The management and control of this association is hereby vested in a state committee of each affiliated state, and in a national committee and national executive committee. While the government and control of this association is so vested that those placed in ¢ e may build the orgamnization and main- tain and protect it against enemies from without and within, yet the members reserve to themselves all political power. And a majority of the members of this association may indorse and support, or oppose and defeat, any candidate for national of- fice, and may propose and carry out any national legislation ; and a majority of the members of this association in any state, may indorse and support, or oppose and defeat, any candidate {:x; state office, and may propose and carry out any state legis. tion. SECTION 4 The state committee of each affiliated state, shall consist of three or five resident members. ‘The first state committee shall be appointed by the national executive committee, and they shall hold office until the next state convention and until their succesgors are elected and qualified. SECTION The national committee tive committee, and of the chairman the state committee of each affiliated state, who shall hold office by virtae of their position as chairmen. - SECTION, 6 The national executive committee shall consist of three members, one of whom shall be the chairman . The first national executive co ' shall consist of: A. C. Townley, who shall be chairman of the national executive com- mittee and president of the National Nonpartisan league, and he shall hold his office for & period of two years from January 1, 1917 ; William Lemke, who shall hold his office for a period of four years from said date; and F. B. Wood, who shall hold his office for a period of six years from said date. 3 Thereafter, at the end of each two-year period, the national executive committee shall nominate one person as a eandidate to succeed the member of the committee whose term expires. ngle:omination subject to the approval of the mational com- mi Th tional t‘SEeom%flL hall -wd-t state e nal executive -8 a executive secretary and manager for each -affiliated lh.t‘. who shall maintain an office within the state and executive officer of the association for such sta! of the state committee. He shall be subject to directions, in- structions and removal by the national executive committee. SECTION 8 The state committee shall co-operate in carrying out. the purpose of this association. They shall assist in making the necessary investigations to find persens qualified and wo of receiving the indorsement of this association for state ofl They shall assist in formulating a state legislative program, and they shall co-operate with the national executive commit- tee and the national committee. SECTION 9 . The national committee shall hold its annual meeting on the first Tuesday of December in each year, and may hold such other meetings as shall be called by the-chairman of tional executive committee, or two members of said committee, these meetings to be held at the national quarters. A majority of the national committee shall have authority to remove any member of any committee or any of- ficer acting for or in behalf of this association. f o S e tistQ‘;’l'I()N 10 i ; 5 national executive committee shall be executive an managing board of this association and, except as limited by these articles, shall have full and complete power and anthority toflx.eolleetmddhb&netbem fees and other funds association ; ‘ s specifically, the organization work in the several states; to or &ufllhfiofi. of other Do.l:fa ; and shall have power and all acts that a private individual may . it shall have no authority to bind the mem- bers of this association ‘tor any- financial obligation in excess : (Continued on page 11); : prepare ruies and regulations fe 5 . shall consist of the national execu- and | Len