Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1920-03-24
BIG BUSINESS
CONTROL COMPLETE
Republican State Convention Raw
Deal. The Common
People | gnored
BY the Cornfield PHILOSOPHER

BY the COrnfeld Philosopher
The Republican State Convention
which met in St. Paul Saturday to
elect delegates to the National Con-
Vention was remarkable in many par
ticulars. Composed almost entirely
OF former supporters of the Cover
nor, Burnquist was fatty ignored and
his desire to go to Chicago as a dele
gate received no consideration what
ever. He was not even invited to
address the gathering. OF the elev-
en- hundred delegates present the
great majority were corporation law
yers and professional politicians and
they dominated everything. There
were few retired capitalists in the
men and here and there a farmer not
to exceed fifty in all. The generals
and colonies who remained at home
during the world war and kept safe
distance from the firing line and who
came to St. Paul to endorse General
Wood and help fasten militarism up
on the nation were very active and
CONSPICUOUS. But there was not a sin
gle soldier from the trenches among
the numbers. Big Business interests
were in evidence at all times with an
axe in hand for the head of any man
who might be even suspicioned with
being tinctured with "Townleyism."
christenson's Shabby Treatment
One of the features of the conven-
ton was the shabby treatment of
Hon. TheO. Christensen of Lac Qui
Parle county, one of the very biggest
of MissestOta's big men. Christensen
believes in a Tonnage Tax and sup
ported the measure in the last legis-
lature and is therefore "personan-
crate" to big business and especially
to the steel interests. He was a cand-
idate for delegate, the only one, by the
way, from the Western and North
western part of the state and there
| fore should have received the solid
| support from these Sections.
But Christensen is not a militarist
| at heart and was doomed to defeat.
Even some of the counties in his own
Congressional District refused to give
| his support and few none at ALL
How Labor Was Treated
The big Hennepin county delegation
a safe and sane laboring man from
CAoI NOuuCy LII IuS pcISOu u L.. L..
| Williams as one of the delegates. 1t
so happened that Williams was pitted
against Milo Burnell, editor of a Du-
luth newspaper said to be owned by
the Steel Trust, at any rate strongly
opposed to Tonnge Tax on iron ore
and hostile to organized labor. The
issue was squarely joined as to wheth-
er Labor Of the Steel Trust should
have a representative. On this roll
call increditable as it may seem, the
delegates from the purely agricul-
tural counties like, Meeker, Renville,
1santi, Kennebec, Todd, Mcleod, Mile
Laos, Wadena, Becker, Pine and Of
tertail lined up for the Steel Trust
candidate and against the working
man.
| Stearns county divided it's vote Civ
ing majority to Williams. Labor
not only lost its candidate but the
resolutions it submitted to the Con
vention were promptly voted down.
These included resolutions favorable
to an eight hour day and opposed to
universal military training. The one
real farmer, a Mr.. Holmberg of Chisa.
go, nominated for delegate Just got
30 votes and out of more than eleven
hundred. Aside of milk and water
resolutions were adopted mainly find,
ing fault with the Democrats and
commencing the U. S. Senators for
what they have done or failed to do
Other planks commended the Bah.
cock Road Amendment and warned
the country against the dangers OF
Socialism. The four delegates chos
en- are Mrs. Murrley Fosseen, club
woman of Minneapolis; R. NJ Bach, a
banker of Owatonna; Milo Burnell OF
Duluth and Alvah Eastman of St.
Cloud. The last two named are edi
tors. Among all of the twenty-four
delegates from Minnesota who will
take part in framing the National
platform and in nominating it's cand.
idates there is not one working man
or bona fide farmer and yet these
classes will be expected to cast more
than four-fifths of the votes to put
them over on election day.
One of the features of the primary
or elleged primary that was held is
the big vote Herbert Hoover received
in the Twin Cities. The result of this
primary was largely suppressed by
the Wood supporters for various rea.
sons. But in one big Ward in St.
Paul where the militarists by the most
painstaking exertions and the liberal
use of money secured seventeen hund.
red votes. Hoover whose name had
to be written or pasted on the ticket
received over twelve hundred
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