FARMERS' PARTIES IN THE PAST 303 



Farmers' Nonpartisan Political League or Nonpartisan League, 

 as it was called for short. 



Political Background. Financial, industrial, and railroad inter- 

 ests had long had control of the State government, the farmer mem- 

 bers of the State Legislature being unable to cope with such forces. 

 The feeling had taken root that even the State governors were 

 nominated from time to time by a small group of friends in a 

 secret meeting in a St. Paul hotel. 



Hence the canvassers for the new party found the farmer's 

 mind prepared for insurrection, both political and economic. And 

 since the canvassers themselves were receiving a liberal commission 

 on each membership sold, they developed some skill in salesman- 

 ship. Membership dues were raised to $9 a year, and later to 

 $16 for two years. Soon 40,000 farmers in North Dakota were 

 enrolled. This was enough to control both nominations and elec- 

 tions of candidates. The North Dakota Legislature in 1919 

 enacted into law the complete League program with a $17,000,000 

 bond issue back of it, the major part of which program was as fol- 

 lows: (1) State-owned flour mills and terminal elevators, financed 

 by $5,000,000 of State credit; (2) State loans to home builders, 

 land purchasers, and others, financed by $10,000,000 of State 

 credit; (3) a state-owned and operated bank, financed by $2,000,000 

 of State credit: (4) control of education transferred to board of 

 five persons, three of whom to be appointed by the Governor; 

 (5) a State printing bill, having to do chiefly with the country 

 press, and providing that one paper only in each county receive 

 official public printing; (6) an Industrial Commission of three 

 members the Governor, Attorney General, and Commissioner of 

 Agriculture and Labor to have charge of the State Bank, the 

 State Elevators, the State Flour Mills, and all other State 

 business enterprises. 



The League spread into fifteen States during its first four years. 

 In 1919 it had three members of Congress from North Dakota. 

 It also maintained a complete propaganda machinery, consisting 

 of three daily papers, some forty or fifty weeklies, and an able 

 corps of paid speakers. With its income of several millions of 

 dollars it was able to carry on an organized campaign such as few 

 other political parties were ever able to do. Its wealth and its 

 success drew to it the usual army of camp followers seeking only 

 the loaves and fishes. Its decline began in 1920. 



Fanners' Parties in the Past. (1) The National Farmers' 

 League, in the year 1891, was active in twenty-eight States. This 



