Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1919-12-24
WORKING PEOPLE
Are 0RGAN ING
Enthusiastic Meetings Are Being
Held at Many Places IN State.

Enthusiastic Meetings Are Being
Held at Many Place. n State. .
II The buniest week since its organise
zation of meetings and general activi-
ty has just been passed by the Minnie
sofa Working Peoples Nonpartisan
Political league. - 1. . =. =
Speakers addressed gatherings in
nearly every part of the state and
were enthusiastically received. A
large addition has been made to the
membership. The larger meetings
were at Albert Lea, Mankato, Moor
head, Fergus Falls, Alexandria and
Glenwood.
Amongs the speakers were William
Mahoney, St. Paul, state president of
the league and also president of St.
Paul Trades and Labor assembly;
Thomas Van Lear, farmer mayor Of
Minneapolis and secretary Of the
state league, and George W. Law
son, St. Paul. secretary of the Mime
sofa State Federation of Labor.
All these labor leaders have more
invitations to address meetings and
explain the work and purpose of the
political league than it is possible for
them to fill.
Two other speakers spent all of the
past week in northwestern Minnesota
addressing large meetings.
Branch state headquarters now are
open on the fourth floor of the Dakota
building in St. Paul. Rooms formerly
occupied by the legislative bureau of
the railway shopmen have been turn
ed over to the league for the trans
action of it's growing business.
State headquarters in the Security
Bank building, Minneapolis, are one
of the businest centers in the state.
Hundreds Of inquiries daily are receiv-
ed about the league and it's work.
Many of these comes from outside
states.
Encouraged by the overwhelming
victory won in the Minneapolis street
railway franchise fight, the league
officials now are concentrating their
main attention on the coming munic-
ipal campaign in st. Paul, when a
mayor, city comptroller and six coun-
cilmen we'll be elected. The primary
election to nominate two candidates
for each office will be held in March.
The final election will be in May.
The filing of nominating petitions
will begin January 2. Any citizen
then can file petition proposing his
choice of a candidate for any of the
positions to be filed. When candi-
date receives SO petitions his name
goes on the ballot at the primary cleo
ton, unless he declines to run. From
all those on the ballot at the primary
election the two receiving the highest
vote for each office will continue in the
campaign until the final election in
May.
The St. Paul branch of the political
league intends to have ticket in the
field of candidates for all offices. A
nominating committee now is at work
and will report at meeting next
Saturday night of the 200 delegates
representing all unions and railroad
brotherhoods in the city affiliated with
the league. The action of the conven'
ton then will be referred to the unions
and brotherhoods for approval by the
membership.
It is planned to have four candidates
for councilmen chosen from the ranks
of organized labor. J. M. Clancy
present councilman and former presi
dent of the St. Paul Trades and Labor
assembly, will be one of the four on
the labor ticket A. E. Smith, mem.
Der of the state executive committee
of the league. likely will be another
H. G. Wenzel, secretary of the St.
Paul Trades and Labor assembly, is
strongly favored for one of the places
Mr.. Smith was a candidate on the
labor ticket in 1918 for councilman
being defeated by close vote. After
election he brought contest on the
ground that there were frauds and
votes were improperly counted. The
! frauds were proven and three men
now are serving prison sentences at
Saltwater for ballOt-bOx stuffing
while another is at liberty on bail
awaiting the supreme courts decision
| on his appeal from a conviction in dis
trict court.
There is little doubt but that Mr.
Smith was elected and would now be
| one of the councilmen in St. Paul il
| there had been an honest campaign
and fair election. The fact that he
was cheated out of election last veal
has made the labor forces more deter
mined than ever to see that he gets q
square deal in the coming campaign
The league already is making ar
rangements to see that the ballot-bo1
stuffing of 1918 to prevent the election
of labor men to Office will not be re
peated.
| In addition to placing four unior
men in the field as candidates fol-
councilmen the league also proposes
| To ind ct nut
| side the labor ranks for mayor anC
the council who are not affiliated with
organized labor.
| Action along this line will not BIZ
been presented.
| The league also will be active in the
Minneapolis city campaign, which will
not come until the fall of next year
The strength Of the league in that city
was shown by the vote on the pro
posed street car franchise, which was
| opposed by the league and defeated by
a majority of nearly 1000 votes.
Further, the league is to take par
in the state, congressional and legis
lative campaigns.
Organization work now is we'll I'm
der way in all parts of the state an(
officials of the league are devoting ;:
considerable part of their time to for
mulating campaign plans and other
! wise getting ready for some of tn,
liveliest political fights ever seen i,
Minnesota.
sister, Mrs. Carl Steen.
Mrs. August Wenzel went to Will