Socialist Party of North Dakota facts for kids
The Socialist Party of North Dakota was a political group in North Dakota. It was connected to the Socialist Party of America. This group started in 1902. Its roots were in a socialist club in Fargo. This club was founded by Norwegian immigrants in 1900.
A key organizer for the party was Arthur C. Townley. He was a former farmer. In 1915, Townley left the party. He started a new group called the Non-Partisan League. This new group grew very fast. Its quick growth led to the end of the official Socialist Party in North Dakota.
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How the Party Started and Grew
Early Socialist Groups in North Dakota
The very first organized socialist group in North Dakota was in Fargo. It was a club started by Arthur Basset. Many people from Scandinavia, like Norway, had moved to the Upper Midwest. They often brought ideas of working together from their home countries. This was especially true for Norwegians in the Red River Valley. This Fargo club became the first part of the Socialist Party in North Dakota.
Forming the Socialist Party of North Dakota
The Socialist Party of America was created in August 1901. This happened at a meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana. Its first main office was in Omaha, Nebraska. It had a strong presence in the Midwest.
Two leaders from the Fargo socialist club, Arthur Basset and lawyer Arthur LeSeuer, decided to form a state group. They wanted to create a North Dakota branch of the new political party. This group officially began in 1902.
After a slow start, the Socialist Party of North Dakota began to grow. This growth happened around 1910. In 1911, Arthur LeSeuer was elected. He became the president of the City Commission in Minot. This win made LeSeuer well-known. It also made Minot the main center for the party's activities. By 1912, the North Dakota Socialist Party had grown a lot. It had 175 local groups and branches.
The Socialist Party of North Dakota also had its own newspaper. It was called The Iconoclast. It was published weekly in Minot starting in 1912. The party also ran many candidates for elections. In 1912, the party's best year, they received about 8 percent of the votes across the state.
Arthur C. Townley and His New Ideas
A group that wanted to win elections controlled the Socialist Party of North Dakota. They wanted to get farmers in the state to support them. They created a plan that would appeal to farmers. They avoided very radical socialist ideas. For example, they did not push for the government to take over all land.
Instead, they suggested more practical changes. These included state-owned grain elevators and flour mills. They also wanted state-sponsored insurance for farmers. This insurance would protect farmers from bad weather or other natural problems.
In 1913, Henry G. Teigan became the State Secretary. He wanted to make the party much bigger. He planned to recruit new members in the rural western part of the state. Teigan hired Arthur C. Townley for this job. Townley was a former flax farmer. He had lost his farm in 1912 due to bad weather and low prices.
Townley started his organizing work in late 1913. But farmers were not eager to join the Socialist Party. They liked the party's economic ideas. However, they did not want to join the party itself.
The next year, Townley greatly expanded his efforts. He called his new group the "Organization Department." Townley bought a cheap Ford car from friends. He drove around to meet with farmers. He charged them high dues of $1 a month to join his "Organization Department." He did not mention the Socialist Party when he asked them to join.
Townley's efforts were very successful. Soon, he made enough money to buy three more cars. He also hired his own organizers.
The Party's Decline
Townley's group grew and made money. But the Socialist Party of North Dakota, which was supposed to be his employer, was not happy. The state party was part of a national group. This national group only charged 25 cents a month for dues. The state party had much less money to work with. They did not like Townley's independent political work.
The Socialist Party of North Dakota disagreed with Townley's actions. On December 15, 1914, Townley and his three organizers refused to stop their activities. Because of this, Townley was removed from the Socialist Party.
The rapid growth of Townley's new organization, the Non-Partisan League, led to the decline of the official Socialist Party in North Dakota. Many members and supporters moved to Townley's new group.
Images for kids
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North Dakota was the 39th state of the United States, gaining admission in November 1889.
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The Socialist Party of North Dakota was a semi-autonomous state affiliate of the Socialist Party of America, established in 1901.
