The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, August 23, 1920, Page 10

“ News Notes From " " Many States ‘WASHINGTON STATE » ISGUSTED with the~ deceits and trickeries of the two old parties and’ despairing of ob- taining. any political ‘relief by 'workmg through' the machinery of either, farmers of Washington have ‘demanded a new deal and will go into the state campaign on a third ticket. Although the convention at Yakima decided twice for the Republican pri- maries, the state executive committee” found it necessary to take action to reverse this decision in response to a demand from all over’the state. It was an insistent ery for-a third ticket which could not be stifled nor ignored. It was'in deference to the policies of the League in other states' that the. state ‘convention voted to enter the Republican primaries, but even then . the third party sentiment threatened once or twice to overwhelm the meet- . ing. For four days ‘at Yakima the - spirit of this new party wrestled with the convention, which felt itself bound to follow the policies laid” down in other states, that of making use of the machinery of one of the old parties, Following the convention, however, Leaguers met in county after county and insisted on the“third party plan, candidates demurred at filing < on the Republican ticket and the execu- tive committee bowed to this demand and decided to:go into the third party. The . following ' platform. and pro- gram of legislation was adopted by all the groups at the convention in Yaki-- ma and will be the platform and pro- gram of the third'party in the gener- al election in November: ' 1. Restoration of free speech, free press and peaceable assemblage. 2. Public ownership and democratic control of public utilities, the means of transportation and distribution and of any other undertaking ‘found necess sary to prevent profiteering. J 3. Public ownership and control of all natural Tesources, including water- power sites. 4. Tndorsement of labor’s efforts to secure a just share in the management of industry; labor’s right to organize; to bargain collectively through repre- sentatives of its own choosing; labor’s - right to strike unhampered by the in- junction. 5. Recogmtxon of the justness of the claim of ex-service men for adequate compensation for their services and 3 « their right to stand for a realization of democracy for which they fought. We » oppose compulsory . military training. PROGRAM OF LEGISLATION. 1. The creation of a state labor de~ 5. Just'and equitable revision of the tax code, including exemption of farm improvements and $4,000-on all homes. 6. Home rule for cities of the first and ‘second classes. 7. Indorsement of the bone-dry law. 8. Proportional representation. 9, Necessary legislation to prohibit the renewal or extension of leases on tide lands in the harbor areas. 10. Better support. for’ . schools, particularly rural schools; and the im- partial and accurate teaching of:civics; economics, history, especially mdus- trial and social hlstory. +The#farmers of Washington now have a-platform'and a new party. Un- der the State law it will be necessary to wait until September-14, the day of the primaries, to hold . another ~state convention -and ‘there select a ticket which will represent them in the pri- mary: electlons WISCONSIN’S TICKET John J. Blaine, for governor of Wxac. - consm. partment, broadening the powers of the labor commissioner and consolidat~ ing all departments relating to. labor for the purpose of efficiency and econ- omy and extending and strengthening of laws enacted for the protectlon of workers. - 2. Equitable revision of the electlon laws, including enfranchisement of status; extension of ‘th initiative and referend plication of the recal offices; the right to am constitution. by the inif 3. Provision for state markets oper&tgd- producers and ‘consume © 4. Land and loan table hablhty ‘¢ period of servxce, the raised to pay this bonus by a levy' upon ‘surplus : wealth, - exce €exXcess profits- and untaxed property of ; WITH THE ORGANIZED FARMER MINNESOTA : , UDGE DEAN of the local county court in Jackson county, after . nearly six months’ delay, has re- fused to grant Mr. Townley and ° ~Joseph Gilbert, the latter formerly or< ganization manager of the -League, new trials in the misdemeanor cases tried under a state law last year and for which the punishment is 90 days in jail, if sustained. Messrs, Townleyand We’ll Stick and We’ll ‘Win [t T e ; loyalty, ‘but ALL the mst of the cases ‘were either dismissed afterthe Novem- ber .(1918) election, or resulted in ac- qui , ‘or were otherwise disposed ~of favorably to the League, as the present case will be when the supreme court gets a “shot” at it. Not a person connected with the League has paid " a dollar’s fine or served aday in jailon account of the trumped-up. persecu- tions during the war. In refusing to Gilbert have appealed to the state su- - grant a new trial Judge Dean fails to preme court. This is'the second case® against Mr. Townley, both brought un- der STATE laws, the first. one, orig- inating in' the adjoining ‘county of ° Martin, having béen quashed by the supreme court. Both cases were brought during the reign -of terror agamst the Nonpartisan league dur- ing the 1918 political campaign. They were two of a dozen or so. cases against League men for \alleged dxs- James Thompson, for Umted States ; sepatoh “dictment, after his y gamzatxons to'be “gdod s . -and many" ] : ~_ers are lending their assistance. #son- counties, hmxnominate_dx ; ; tata pass on the chief points urged by Mr. .~Townley’s . attorneys, .-and ' instead ~makes a bitter personal attack on the " defense lawyers and on League. publi- cations. ‘He admits that the record of < the trial is full of errors prejudicial to - the defendants, but, excuses these. by saying he was goaded ‘and. betrayed -into unfair rulings by the “insulting” conduct of Mr. Townley’s attorneys. However, he also practically admits -that the record does not show that any insulting language was used, but that the tone of voice and gestures of Mr. Townley s attorneys constitute the : “msults” which ‘caused him to make wrong' *mlmgs. . The points he fails to mention in refusmg the new trial are: Permission of Mr. Townley merely to deny the ‘specific: chargea. but denial of permission. to show by constructive evidence that his condziét and that of - the League was in fact loyal ‘and pa- ‘triotic; denial of Mr. Townley’s right = to impeach the testupony ‘of .the prose- cution’s star witness, a former League employe discharged. for wrong ‘hand- of League ‘money and under. Ain=~ , by the federal authorities for d:sloya!ty, fusal to allow Mr. Townley the right toaddressthejurymhmownbehalf a right defendants always have had. The-case is not a government case. . The government did not,molest the HE Topeka Dmly Capital admits in an editorial that-in upholding .the North Dakota farmers’ pro- gram the supreme ‘court of the United States has- sustaned ‘the bod: condemned as un-fi and. the like: and ° inth the questwns mvolv- e Kansas press slowly but surebn is begmmng to ' admit that " ‘there are at least two sides to the question, which is the natural result of ithe’ League ' gaining members' and strength by leaps and-bonnds in Kan- sas. e Governor’ Allen, unable to make his mduatrM court funetion in this state, i ‘now proposing a ‘law for the next session ‘of the legxslai:ure to create a _state constabulary, in the ‘hope: that “he will be ‘able" ) 5% ‘court 'virtually by ‘having ‘a military “adjunct to:'it ‘to intimidate workers. - The " constabulary ' 'bill, " if " 'adopted, ~ - would saddle an additional burden ‘on . the already: overburdened: taxpayers and ‘would”give the (governor a go« hold in forcing farmer and labor or '/'The farmer-labor icampaign; ‘the' direction of the State Federation -of Labor, is progreésmg ‘in fine shape farmers of the fifty—«sevenbh senatomal 3 ~digtrict, comptising’ Clay. and Dmck:‘g-; Léague membey and is running ‘on the Republican tie‘ketuv, at soonon 1s thmwmg ‘a flt beeausg : 'i’heo}d:g:mgmf