The Washington herald., 1921-01-29
BILL TO SOVIETIzE
: MINNESOTA GETS
BEFORE SOLONS
Nonpartisan League Must
Support Bill or Break
With Radicals.

ST. PAUL, MINI, Jan. 2S.-The
= first bill ever presented to any
American legislature calling for
present State political system is be-
fore the Minnesota legislature. 1t
was presented by Frank Z. Miner.
Minneapolis Socialist, member of a
group which also introduced in the
House Of Representatives a resolu-
tion calling upon Congress to es-
tablish commercial relations with
soviet Russia and to determine IL
% any American money has been spent
in spreading antibolshevist propa-
Eanda by the Russian Embassy
in Washington.
Radical bills are to be expected
from Socialist members of any legis-
ls:ive body. but these two bills will
have much greater Importance than
the usual measures which come up
in a legislature via the Socialist
route.
Must Go on Record.
They may have national impor-
tanCe. They mean that the Nom
partisan League must play clever
politics II it is to avoid going on
record as favorable to a soviet form
- of government.
II is not conceivable that the
Nonpartisan League cares to chalk
up such a record for itself. but it
has combined in Minnesota with So
cialists and labor legislators in or
der to make as good a showing as
possible. The league. with Social
90 lists and laborites, can muster a to-
tai vote OF forty-seven in the lower
Nd
sometimes to hold the balance Of
power.
The league must hold that ball
ance. It must do everything pOssi-
Bile to avoid split in the Comhina-
tion. But the league is not wholly
SoCialistiC. despite its alliance with
radicals. In a sense II is capital
istic. as il would oppose any meas
ures to make land ownership an
aEair of the State. The farmers
don't like the Russian idea OF TAX
ing land from the present owners
and giving il to persons without
property. Nor is there any desire
among them to give the workers in
the city the lead in economic pow
er. such as a soviet would give.
The farmers'-therefore the leagues
idea OF Socialism is simply that
,
State, except the land.
Between TIVE Fires.
Then the league has been fight
ing with all it's power propaganda
TO the effect that it seeks to over
turn American Institutions. Let its
legislators go on record as favor
ing a Soviet form OF government
for Minnesota and the leagues ad-
Sersaries need only say their argu-
ment is clipched Let its legisla-
tors vote against the measure and
it cannot hope to hold in line the
radical Socialists. And Socialists in
this State are all radical.
Trouble between the Socialists and
the leaguers has been brewing for
some time, but only within the last
week did anything tangible crop
up. 1t cropped up at a meeting of
the Peoples NOnpartisan Political
League Of Minneapolis. identihed,
but not affiliated, with the Nom
partisan (FarmersD League. At that
meeting Thomas Van Lear, twice
elected mayor of Minneapolis on the
Socialist ticket, was named to lead
the working Peoples League again
in the msyoralty fight next spring
Van Lear has been a strong booster
OF the NOnpartisan (FarmersD
League. He is a machinist by trade.
but radical Socialists assert he is
now more farmer than working man
and they refused to support his
mayoralty candidacy. They will put
a ticket Of their own in the field
for the primaries.
AboIIskes senate.
Miners bill. calling for a consti-
tutional amendment to reorganize
the legislative department OF the
State government, abolishes the SEN
a te. 1t provides for a house made
up OF members from various oCCu-
pations. There would be one rep
resentative for each 1000 voters
engaged in agriculture. mining, me-
chanical, transportation, trade. pro-
fessional. domestic and clerical serv-
ices, each member to receive a COM
pensation not in excess OF that he
received in civilian life.
The proposed legislature would
meet four times a year for ses-
sions not to exceed forty days each.
It would make its own rules, be
the Judge OF its own members and
elect it's own officers. Members
would be immune from arrest dur
ing sessions, except for treason, fell
ony or breach Of the peace
That is the thing from which the
Nonpartisan League must shy away
as IL il were a hornet. But. some
times the hornet gets in its sting