NONPARTISAN LEAGUE, an American political and economic organization of farmers founded by Arthur C. Townley at Bismarck, N.D., in Feb. 1915. For years the farmers of the State had complained of exploitation by grain speculators, bankers and politicians. The 1915 session of the legislature, at which mem bers of the Equity Society—a farm organization—received scant attention, fanned agrarian discontent into immediate flame. The Nonpartisan League, applying modern sales methods, rapidly organized the farmers into a cohesive political body, which cap tured control of the State Republican Party and elected its candi dates for State offices and Congress. In 1916 the league began work outside North Dakota, and eventually established active organizations in 12 other Western and Middle Western States, where influence was exerted in behalf of sympathetic candidates with varying degrees of success. Though confining its own mem bership to farmers, the league regularly co-operated with urban labour in political action. During the World War the league was bitterly attacked on the ground of the socialist connection of some of its leaders and its advocacy of conscription of wealth to pay for the hostilities. In 1919 the league put its economic pro
gramme into effect in North Dakota. A State-owned bank, mill and terminal elevator, home-building association, and hail, fire and tornado insurance constituted the principal enterprises. All of these, except the home-building association, were still in operation in 1928. The league, as such, gradually disintegrated, though not before it had given birth to the Farmer-Labor Party in Minnesota and had stimulated many farmers to "non-partisan" voting.
BIBLioGRApHv.—Because of the bitter controversy over the league, little unbiased discussion exists. See H. E. Gaston, The Nonpartisan League (192o), and C. E. Russell, Story of the Nonpartisan League (192o) both sympathetic, while A. A. Bruce, The Nonpartisan League (1921) is hostile. The files of the Nonpartisan Leader (later the Na tional Leader) , which was published up to July 1923, give a running account of the league's work. (N. A. C.)