Wisconsin Nonpartisan League Records, 1920-1924

Scope and Content Note

This group of papers, arranged chronologically, deals with the League's work in Wisconsin between 1920 and 1921, and is composed very largely of correspondence devoted to the organizational work among farmers in northwestern Wisconsin. There are many letters to and from county and area organizers, who sold memberships in the League on a commission basis. An almost unique technique for obtaining memberships involved post-dated checks given by farmers and sold by the League to banks at discount.

An examination of the correspondence reveals something of the work of the League in Wisconsin politics between 1920 and 1924. In general, the organization appealed to Progressives, and was the backbone of the Farm-Labor Party. Candidates it supported won the principal state offices in 1920, in 1923 Lt. Gov. George F. Comings was backed by the League, and in 1924 Lt. Gov. Comings was supported in the race for nomination for governor. The letters often refer to the League's interest in tax reform and reduction of taxes for farmers, opposition to big business and the railroads, and a graded auto tax.