192 THE GREEN RISING 



political program. This convention brought together 

 a number of groups, some of which had very little 

 in common. Differences arose with reference to pro- 

 cedure as well as to details in a program of action. 

 But the predominant group consisted of the Farm 

 Labor Party of North Dakota, which was a new 

 movement designed to supersede the Nonpartisan 

 League, and the Farm Labor Party officials of South 

 Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Montana, Washing- 

 ton, and Illinois. 



There were two rival programs submitted for 

 the consideration of the delegates. The Minnesota 

 Farm Labor representatives favored the postpone- 

 ment of the organization of a national party until 

 the presidential campaign of 1924 was over. Other 

 groups favored the immediate formation of a 

 national party. 



As the views of these two conflicting groups 

 could not be harmonized, it was necessary for the 

 committee on organization to arrange a compromise 

 which provided for the appointment of a national 

 committee to serve through the campaign of 1924. 

 This committee was given power to replace or 

 withdraw candidates and to cooperate with other 

 progressive groups in promoting the purposes of the 

 Farm Labor element. 



It is rather interesting to observe that in the 

 formulation of the Third Party program of 1924 the 

 farmers, on the whole, presented a more radical 

 aspect than many of the labor groups. The reason 



