The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-06-04
Socialist Party Must Not Use
Its Name in the Coming Elec-
ton. According to Ruling
of Court It Is Barred From
Placing It's Candidate Before
the People in Regular Way.
Secretary Nash of the Socialist
Party Issues a. Circular to
Socialists. Referendum
Vote Is Being Taken on Pro-
Position to Change Name for
Election Purposes. Will Not
Change Principles.

MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi, June 2-Ac-
cording to a ruling of the supreme
court of this state the Socialist party
Will not be permitted to go upon the
official ballot. The Socialist labor par
ty is given precedence, and for that
reason the Socialist party will be OBJ
liged to change it's name in this, state
Secretary J. E. Nash is attempting to
put the matter squarely before the
voters. He has issued the following
circular to the members of his party:
In accordance with a recent decision
or the supreme court Of this state, an
opinion has been handed down to the
effect that the Socialist party of Min
nesota has no right to the word $50
cialist' as a party designation on the
official ballot. The decision was the
result Of q contest in the city election
at st. Paul held May 3rd. In order
+ that comrades may become familiar
? with the situation we give short his
. tory of party struggle to maintain it's
; rghts. There is law in this state
that no political party can take the
name or part of the name of another
previously existing party, but previous
/ to the last session of the state legis-
lature there was no law defining what
a political party was in the eyes Of
the law
The last session of the legislature,
however, passed law which specifi-
cally states that ap olitical party shall
be recognized as such if it has polled
: over one per cent of the total vote at
the last general election.
At the state election of 1902 the So
cialists polled over three per cent OF
the total vote of the state for it's high
est candidate, but otWithstan ling this
! fact-the supreme court agaif1sk
us in the ST. Paul case, basing it's de-
cision on the ground that we were
! not legally on the ballot in the elec-
tion Of 1902. While this decision only
refers to the local election in St. Paul,
it will no doubt be used as a precedent
for further decisions should the mat
ter again be brought up for litigation.
1t therefore became necessary for
! the party to at once proceed to the
selection Of a new name under which
T. to enter the campaign Of 1904.
This selection is now being made by
the means Of a referendum vote of
the party membership, and the new
!signation on the ballot, without in any
way changing the aims and intentions
lof the party, and it is to be hoped
that the working class will soon be
wise enough to all unite under one
banner, whatever the party designa-
!tion may be, and through it's over
lwheming majority proceed to organize
a government in it's own interests.
Remember and advise all parties who
are intending to vote the Socialist tic
iket, that a vote cast for Eugene V.
.Debs for presidential candidate, and
ifor J. E. Nash for governor, no matter
what party designation their names
may appear under, will be vote cast
for Socialism, for the Socialist party
lof Minnesota, for the Socialist party
of America, and for the Socialist party
Of the world.