Turbulent Times & the Nonpartisan League (NPL)
The decade of the 1910s was tumultuous and a time of great change. There was World War I (also known as the Great War), the influenza pandemic (often referred to by the "Spanish Flu" misnomer), the rise of progressivism, and the women's suffrage movement.
For the state of North Dakota, it was a fluctuating time politically. In 1915, the Nonpartisan League (NPL), led by the charismatic A. C. Townley, was formed. The NPL had a progressive platform calling for many reforms, including state-run programs and institutions, which would directly challenge the "Big Business" stranglehold on banking, mills and elevators, railroads, etc. The NPL was not a political party. It was a political organization, and both Republicans and Democrats were members and sought the NPL's endorsement.
The NPL had great appeal to many residents of North Dakota, especially farmers, and its membership and influence grew quickly.
In 1916, the NPL began sweeping into state office. Lynn J. Frazier, a farmer from Hoople and a political unknown, was elected Governor of North Dakota in a landslide on the endorsement of the NPL. The NPL also gained majority control of the state's House of Representatives.
In 1916, other candidates elected or re-elected to state offices on the NPL's endorsement included:
Between 1916 and 1918, the NPL's influence grew stronger, even expanding to surrounding states. In North Dakota, where the NPL's influence was strongest, the NPL was poised to take complete control of the state's government.
After the 1918 election, the NPL gained control of the North Dakota Senate and widened its majority in the House. The NPL now had majority control over all three branches of state government. In 1918, candidates elected or re-elected to state offices on the NPL's endorsement included:
However, as the NPL's influence grew, so did its opposition. A political battle was brewing in the state between the NPL and its opposition. Various organizations had formed to stand against the NPL and its expansion, such as the Anti-Socialist League. The most successful organization to oppose the NPL was the Independent Voters Association (IVA). The IVA was formed in May 1918 and would later, in December, be chartered and incorporated. The IVA had an uphill battle to challenge the NPL, but it would not take long for its influence to grow.
The Red Scare
Adding to the turbulence of this time was the Red Scare.
Following the Russian Revolution and the conclusion of World War I, a "Red Scare" gripped the United States, which reached its height in 1919 and into 1920. There was widespread fear of far-left political movements, such as:
Increased labor strikes, a series of anarchist bombings, law enforcement raids, and racial riots added more unease to the country and created a period known as the "Red Summer."
In North Dakota, many members of the NPL had previously belonged to the Socialist Party, including leaders like:
So, as the NPL's influence grew, accusations of socialism hurled at the NPL also increased. The Red Scare only compounded these accusations.
A political cartoon published in the January 6, 1919, issue of the "Nonpartisan Leader" (vol. 8, no. 1). The cartoon depicts a woman (labeled as "Democracy") pointing to North Dakota on a large map. A seated man (presumably "Uncle Sam") looks at the map. The caption reads "Don't become discouraged - There is one bright spot where the people rule and we have real democracy in America - Your day is coming!"
A pro-NPL cartoon depicting a man painting a sign. The top sign reads, "To Better Farmer Legislation." This sign points down a road. At the end of the road are obstacles (rocks, wire, etc.). The obstacles are labeled "Placed here by 28 old senators" and "Legal barbwire entanglements." The bottom sign by the man reads, "This road will be opened by the people in 1918." In the background is a farm and sunrise. The words "Prosperity for city and country" accompany the sunrise.
An anti-NPL cartoon depicting several of its members as socialists. A.C. Townley stands at the center and waves "The Red Flag" in one hand, and in the other, he holds "The Farmers' Money." The cartoon appeared on the front cover of the booklet "Sovietians: Wreckers of Americanism" published by Jerry D. Bacon (owner of the "Grand Forks Herald") in 1920.
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