Evening star., 1923-07-11
Politics at Large
BY N. o. MESSENGER

THIS far-nung western trip Is TO SOunt
the political sentiment of a number
of states as we'll as Industrial ant
economics conditions from q neutra
and non-partisan standpoint, to giv'
the reader who may be interested
glimpse of the way the world wagi
in the bounding west. The repor
must be Of gossipy nature as wei
as seriously Informative. SO we will
jog along in an easy-going fashion ant
talk about things as we find them.
The most outstanding feature o.
conditions around st. Paul and Min
neapolis. from which this chapter II
written. is the general indifference
to politics and to the administrator
now in power Outside Of rock-ribbet
republican politicians it cannot bt
said that there is much enthusiasm
for the administration.
Men talk as IL they visioned Wash
ington as afar of. The big things
President Harding has been talking
about do not seem to find echo II
the minds OF the masses. The worle
court proposition and the league of ma
tions do not excite much interest
Other questions upon which he has
touched appear to be regarded a.
largely academic. When 1t comes tt
freight rates. however. everybod,
sits up and takes notice.
What Is mostly in the minds of the
people is the situation of the farmers
and the reflex action upon financial
and industrial conditions. That
thought furnishes the topic for dis
oussion OF the pending political cam
paign in Minnesota. which Is to cui-
inmate next Monday in the election
of a United States senator who Will
be either a conservative republican or
radical Of the type of Senator
La Toilette. and a proud follower OF
the Wisconsin statesman school OF
political philosophy and Legislative
policy. This man Is Mangus Johnson,
Of the farmer-labor party.
an organization which has grown by
leaps and bounds in the past two
years and which last November elect
ed a United States misunderstanding
Shipstead IF 1t succeeds, the next
move will be to capture the governor
ship next year-a feat which they
came within $4,000 votes Of accom- :
plishIng last November-and then
thev Will control the state.
What were the conditions which
contributed 10 this new organization
that cast 900 votes in the last
electiono Let the answer be in the
words Of F. A. Pike, chairman of the
state central committee. man who
is far removed from the extremt
radical and who is sincere anc
thoughtful. He says:
The farmer-Iabor party Of Mime
sofa is the outgrowth of series o.
movements that began many years
alliance party developed political ac
ton Organized protests agains
predator control in the older par
ties. such as occurred under leader
shin Of men like Bryan and Roose
Welt. fostered the growth OF reform
Ideas that Rave come to be knowi
a- progressive The orraniza ton o
the BRYAN volunteers within the dem
ocratic party in 1908 and the work o
the progressive party in 1912 aided
the tendency to get away from con
servative and reactionary leadership
~ y
Then In 1918 the National Non
Partisan League entered the field o
Minnesota politics. 1t was an organ
ization of farmers. But In the pri
mary campaign of 1918 there wal
shown Willingness on the part OF
organized laNor. as well as on ths
al elements, to support the new move
ment. When Lindenbergh. the league
candidate for governor, failed to viii
in the republican primaries the League
decided to nominate candidates fo'
the November election. Then th'
IN pannIa'S Nnn-partican Pn
litical League was formed, which CO
operated with the Farmers League.
partial ticket. headed by David n
Evans for governor, was nominated b.
petition.
There was much thought and dis
cussion as to the name to be uset
in designating on the ballot the can
didates who were thus to be nomi
mated. Nons was suggested tina
finally decided that the term. farmer
labor should be used. This name wa
unsatisfactory In this. that 1t Nigh
seem exclusive. not appealing to tn
universal citizenship OF the state AM
giving too restricted aspect TO tn
program of the new government. Blu
IL had the advantage of indicatini
the two great groups OF voters WI,
enterprise. and SO the designation
farmer-labor' came to be used upol
the ballot.
"Mr. Evans received 1885 vote
for governor. He was defeated b,
Gov. Rurnauist by $4,000 majority
a.. 900 votes. Other farmer-lahor can
didates ran almost equally we'll. TIL,
result gave party standing to the sup
porters OF the farmer-labor ticket an,
entitled the new party so created t,
second place on the ballet in subse
nln
I'm 1920 the farmers and working
men again decided to attempt nom
ination OF candidates of their choie,
ss republicans in the primary eiec
tion. DIR. Shipstead being candidate
for governor. AS in 1918. this at
had supported the farmer-labor ticke
decided to go into the Novembel
election with a partial state ticket
headed bv a candidate for governo
nominated by petition.
Meanwhile. some of the progressive
forces had arranged to hold tn,
farmer-lahor party in line for futur
use by fling complete state tieke
under that name, There was no con
test for those nominations and tn,
persons VIM filed became the part,
nominees. The ticket SO constituted
- tne iNrHeS-idooT stntc ticKet wa
headed by Cyrus NJ. King Of Dee
River. for governor. when n was de-
cided. In the summer of 1920. to fl,
A. partial state ticket by petition
1t was also decided that such canii
dates should be nominated as fnde
nendents,' and DR.. Shipstead heada,
the ticket that was so nominated
Thereupon. Mr.. King and othe'
farmer-labor candidates who hat
fled for offices not covered by tn,
'indeDendent petftion, remained ri
candidates and were voted for at tn,
November election. Their votes ex
ceeded 100000. so that aEain tn.
farmer-labor partv stood second ~
the list of the total state vote, tn,
democrats remaining third. Ths re
publican ticket was again victorious