J 7 2 AGRICULTURAL DISCONTENT 



ciary, livestock, public lands, railroads, rules, taxes and tax laws, and ways 

 and means, were packed with holdover senators. 



A new constitution was embodied in house bill 44, called the farmers* 

 bill of rights, and a special election was "to give the voters an opportunity 

 to pass upon a modernized code of government." 84 The provisions of the 

 constitution were far-reaching, and included authorizations other than 

 those permitting state-owned utilities, state hail insurance, and the ex- 

 emption of farm improvements from taxation. 80 Among other things, the 

 proposed constitution included the following provisions : state-wide prohi- 

 bition; the election of state and county officers every four years rather than 

 biennially in order to economize and also to prevent state issues from being 

 influenced by national affairs; the short ballot, permitting the election of 

 the governor and one or two other executive officers the rest to be ap- 

 pointed by the legislature; the meeting of the legislature every two years 

 so that there would be no holdover senators ; the investment of state funds 

 within the commonwealth in order to make possible . extensive loans to 

 farmers at reasonable interest rates; an increase in the bonded-debt limit 

 of the state to $500,000 to permit the construction of state-owned projects; 

 a four-fifths vote by the supreme court to declare laws unconstitutional; 

 petitions for the recall of public officials to require the signature of 10 per 

 cent of the voters; and the adoption of the Torrens system of land regis- 

 tration, "one of the up-to-date things in government." 8 



It was no secret that the defeat of house bill 44 would be considered a 

 mortal blow to the League, for it embodied the chief features of the in- 

 dustrial program. As expected, the opposition to the bill was strong. It 

 was assailed as unconstitutional, socialistic, "sudden, revolutionary, un- 

 precedented"; it was charged that its enactment would encourage irre- 



84. Charles Merz, "Political Revolt in the Northwest," New Republic, XIII 

 (November 10, 1917), pp. 44-45. 



85. Non-partisan Leader, January 18, 1917, pp. 5, 20. 



86. Ibid., p. 5. There was already precedent for the establishment of state-owned 

 enterprises in North Dakota. State bonds previously had been issued to build and 

 equip the state bindery plant. In fifteen years, according to League officials, the 

 principal and interest were paid out of the net earnings. A tax was not levied to 

 finance the plant, which was paid for in fifteen years. Furthermore, North Dakota 

 farmers were reportedly saved about a cent on each pound of twine. Ibid., January 

 25, 1917, p. 5. 



