THE STORY OF THE NONPARTISAN LEAGUE 



the opponents of the League program, old and 

 new, easily secured a referendum election, fixed 

 to take place on June 26, 1919, at which seven 

 of the representative measures passed by the 

 Sixteenth General Assembly should be put to 

 the test of a popular vote. 



In the judgment of all observers the League 

 was now confronted with the crisis of its his- 

 tory. The attorney-general, the secretary of 

 state, and the state auditor undeniably gen- 

 eraled a considerable following; how large no 

 man could tell. The incessant assaults upon 

 Townley and the League management, the 

 charges of autocracy and bossism, the fabri- 

 cated stories about disloyalty, the adroit in- 

 sinuations against character, were certain to 

 have effect. The opposition would naturally 

 amalgamate with the entire resources of the 

 reactionaries all the discontent among the 

 radicals; and being supplied with unlimited 

 means, having the vast preponderance of 

 press influence, having, too, far greater ad- 

 vantages of political experience and skill, it 

 was felt that the League was in imminent 

 danger. If it should be beaten in the refer- 

 endum it would vanish as a possible factor 

 in the political affairs, not only of North 

 Dakota, but of every other state into which 

 it had entered; for to be repudiated at that 

 critical time by the community in which it 

 had started would be its death-blow. 



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