The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, November 29, 1920, Page 8

Direct Primary Is Saved in Two States League Wins in® the “Solid South” Nebraska Vote of State Upholds League Fight to Save Direct Primary HE Nonpartisan league won its fight to save the direct primary in Nebraska by a vote of nearly three to one, defeating an attempt to give to state political conventions ' the right to nominate state 'candidates below governor. League members circulated the petitions that com- pelled submission to the people of the law passed by the last legislature. Every county in the state returned a majority against the anti-primary law, the majorities running especially high in counties where the League is strongest. The League, however, lost its fight to elect three independent. candidates for state office. Governor McKelvie, Republican, was re-elected by the nation- al landslide. Morehead, Democrat, finished second and Wray third. The estimated total vote for the three candidates is: McKelvie 140,000; Morehead, 125,000; Wray, 90,000, A pre-election storm that swept through some of the strongest League counties kept thousands of farmers from the polls and less than 50 per cent of the farm women voted. In spite of all the unfavorable condi- tions the League doubled its member- ship in the legislature as compared with two years ago, although most of its can- didates were running by petition. Two state senators and 15 state representa- tives were elected this year. : Mrs. Marie Weekes, League-candidate for congress in the third district, was defeated by the avalanche of straight Republican ballots, but will finish in sec- ond place unless the official count shows unexpected changes in the vote. . In Omaha, Wray, League candidate for governor, carried four wards, ac- cording to the unofficial returns, and was high man in 80 precincts. Wray carried 14 counties out of 93 and defeated More- head, Demoecrat, in eight other counties. ™ Sherman, Gosper and McPherson <ounties Wray received more votes than his two opponents combined. Hall coun- ty, including Grand Island, the third largest city in the state, went for Wray, glving him 400 votes more than Me- Kelvie. York county, his home, also gave Wray a nice majority over McKel- vie. Moorhead was a poor third. The League members “stuck” valiant~ ly all through the state. So-did labor, In many League precincts Wray receiv- ed three and four times as many votes as his opponents combined. Wray’s chances for election were ma- terially lessened by the last-minute tac- tics of the McKelvie managers, who employed hun- dreds of women in the larger cities to telephone women voters and tell them that Wray had no chance; that the only way to defeat Morehead, Democrat, was to vote for McKelvie. ‘Fear that Morehead would not enforce laws against bootleg- gers and vice led thousands to vote for McKelvie. Nebraska daily newspapers, notably the Omaha World-Herald, Democrat, and the Nebraska State Journal, Republican, agree that the showing made by the League was remarkable considering the con- ditions under which the organization had to work. Politicians of both parties, after election, conceded that the League as a political force had come to stay and would have to be seriously reckoned with two years from now, ( Texas League Géts Foothold in “Solid South”— Elects Six Legislators Charles Murphy, indorsed by the League and or- ganized labor, has been elected state senator from Harris,. Fort Bend and Waller counties. Harris county includes Houston, population 150,000, Several months ago Mr. Murphy was selected as League and labor candidate for senator in this dis- trict at a special election. In-spite of bitter oppo- George F. Comings, elected lien- tenant governor. NEWS OF LEAGUE STATES sition from business interests Murphy carried Har- . ris county by 400 votes, losing in the district by about 75 votes. Before the general primary more organization work was done. Murphy won the Democratic nomi- nation by 2,600. In the general election he got 16,416 votes to 5,883 for Bosley, Republican. Mr. Murphy was the only League candidate for the senate, but the League elected five representa- tives. In Lavaca county Ed Kacir, League candi- date for representative, was the only man elected on the Democratic ticket. In Hall county anti-League Democrats tried to keep the name of A. J. Bryant off the ballot but when mandamus proceedings were threatened they changed their mind, Bryant’s name went on and he was elected. In Bexar county the League and labor forces elected W. A. Black and 0. J. Black and in Dallas county J. F. Davis. Wisconsin Final Returns Add to Blaine’s Majority— Five Congressmen Win Wisconsin Leaguers claim they have won the most tremendous victory in the history of the League movement. The great accumulators of wealth and I WISCONSIN LEAGUERS l of state. all the powers of special privilege are better organ- ized here than in other states where the League has been battling. Wisconsin is the largest state in - which the League is working, both in point of popu- lation and wealth. In spite of the tremendous fight made against John J. Blaine, League candidate for governor, his final plurality will be more than 110,000. George F. Comings, League candidate for lieutenant gover- nor, and Elmer S. Hall, League candidate for secre- tary of state, against whom a less bitter fight was made, will have pluralities of 250,000. ; Of the seven congressional candidates indorsed by the League the following five have been elected with majorities as indicated: First district, Allen Cooper, 37,000; second dis- trict, Edward Voight, 18,000; third district, John M. Nelson, 25,000; sixth district, Florian Lampert, 25,~ 000; seventh district, J. D. Beck, 15,000. ~ It was unreasonable to expect that in the face of the Republican landslide the League could defeat Senator Lenroot, but James Thompson, running as an independent with League and labor indorsement, has polled more than 230,000 votes, a result no other independent candidate ever approached. Morgan, the anti-League candidate for attorney general, was elected on the Republican landslide, but with a majority much less than the average ma- jority of other candidates on the ticket. 3 PAGE EIGHT Elmer S. Hall, elected secretary North Dakota 1. V. A.s Admit They Have Played Best Cérd and Lost—Leaguers Celebrate EAGUERS celebrated their ‘state-wide 1| victory at a rally in Fargo which, in spite of inclement weather, was at- tended by 2,000. Governor Frazier, .| Senator-elect Ladd, Attorney General- =D elect William Lemke and Congressman John M. Baer spoke. It is apparent that the League opposition in North Dakota, in their fight to elect J. F. T. O’Con- nor governor, have played their strongest card and lost. O’Connor has a reputation throughout ‘the Northwest as an orator and proved an excellent campaigner. He had a better political record than any other man who could be put forward by the 1. V. A. faction, for although he has been counted as the leader of the opposition to the League in the legis- lature, O’Connor was wise enough to vote for many of the League measures, such as hail insurance and the exemption of farm improvements from taxation. At the'last session of the legislature when O’Con- nor’s colleague, Burtness, made his silly charges about the League attempting to circulate “free love” books in the schools, O’Connor; as a member of the investigating committee, voted with the League members of this com- mittee in refusing to sustain Burtness’ charges. With a reputation for fairness thus attained O’Connor made a whirl- wind campaign. That he was able to get thousands of votes that could have been secured by no other I. V. A. is shown by the fact that the majority of Governor Frazier has been held to about 5,000, while other League candidates, such as William Lemke, John N. Hagan and A. S. Olsness, will have majorities ranging from 10,000 to 20,000. - That the I. V. A.s in North Dakota realize they have lost their fight is shown by the fact that the Fargo Forum and Grand Forks Herald are now. pleading for “co-operation” ber tween the League and the 1. V. A. Idaho Last-Hour Canard Hurts League, but Gains Are Shown. Sherman D. Fairchild, League candi- date, polled 25,000 votes for governor, Governor Davis, Republican, being elect- ed. This compares with a vote of 17,000 polled by the League two years ago in the Democratic primaries for Samuels, candidate for governor. Idaho had woman suffrage both in 1918 and 1920. Fairchild lost thousands of votes by a false eleventh-hour report, circulated throughout the state, that he had withdrawn in favor of the Democratic candidate. ' SEE Leaguers and Democrats combined in supporting United States Senator John F. Nugent for re-elec- tion. Senator Nugent polled approximately 70,000 votes, losing by 10,000 to Gboding, Republican. This was a much larger vote than Nugent received two yedrs ago when he also had both League and Democratic backing, but while he won two years ago this year the Republican landslide was too much for him. < ; In the legislative fight the Republican landslide again carried everything before it. One new Lea- guer was elected to the state senate in addition to holdover senators. Democrats elected only one sen- ator and one representative. - Montana Attempt of Copper Trust to Kill Direct Pri- mary Foiled by League ‘. The League’s fight to save the direct primary against two attacks made by the last legislature was won at the last election. It will be remem- bered that at the regular session of the legislature 2 bill was passed to go back to the old convention ‘system, The League immediately circulated refer- ; i ...