The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-03-11

will be held in Minneapolis fol
plan of a farmer-labor fedora
ton evolved last September.
This is an attempt to found an
organized, dues-paying party
Of the real producers controlled
by the rank and file and COM
posed of constituent economic
and political groups.
Climax Reached.
On March 10, the Farmers Non
Partisan League will convene IN
Minneapolis for the purpose Of de-
Gliding its stand in relation to present
and proposed movements. 1t will de-
eide the momentous question of its
attitude toward the proposed fedora
ton. The Federation convention in
connection with the League conven-
ton intends to name and indorse
candidates.
On March IA, the framework of
Farmer-Labor Party imposed upon
the workers by a hostile and reac-
tionary Legislature for the purpose of
destroying the class character of the
party, will meet at st. Cloud, MINI.
The promoters of this convention
will attempt to supplant the Farmer
Labor organization of the party with
the legalized form which is identical
with that provided for the Republi-
cans and Democrats and would result
in party controlled by a legailzed
machine.
These three conventions are the
climax of the most vital political
struggles going on in America at this
moment. The outcome will have a
most important bearing upon the way
the whole Farmer-Labor movement
Of America will swing this critical and
promising year. Minnesota is one of
the few states where the industrial
and rural workers in great numbers
have developed a tendency toward
political class action. This develop
ment has reached the point where a
well organized statewide party based
clearly on the interests of the workers
has become possible. If such a party
results from these conventions, Min
nesota will go into the national Farm
er-Labor convention this year as a
force calculated to produce historic
results.
On the other hand, the elements
opposed to a real Farmer-Labor Party
were never more conscious, or more
vocal or better prepared to achieve
ing into the convention at st. Cloud,
as the legally recognized Farmer
Labor Party, and with the law behind
them to back up their decisions.
Legal Hindranees.
The law in question as amended up
to date by the last legislature pro-
vides that the state cQatral committee
the various political parties shall be
appointed by the winning candidates
in the primary election. The princi-
pal candidates appoint one state COM
mitteeman each. The appointee of
the candidate for governor becomes
tate chairman. These appointees re-
main in Office full term altho the
candidates appointing them may be
defeated in the general election. They
cannot be removed by the rank and
file of the party. The only way they
can be removed is by death or volun-
tary resignation. The party has no
control over them. They have full
control of party affairs. They are
the party. They have full power to
organize the party or not as they see
fit.
Prior to the passage Of this law the
city and country workers had been
satisfied to function politically thru
wo leagues-the Farmers Non-Parti-
san League and the Working Peoples
Non-Partisan League. Reactionary
laws, however, made it necessary a
few years ago to construct a bridge
between these two constituent work.
ers' organizations called the Farmer
Labor Party. This Farmer-Labor
Party was nothing more than a
bridge, but that bridge was controlled
by the leagues Of the workers. Then
came the vicious piece of legislation
aimed like a dagger at the farm-labor
movement-the law imposing the
framework of organization on the
various political parties. This law
suited the Republican and Democratic
standard bearers splendidly. 1t in
creased their facilities for perfecting
machines. But it imposed the funda-
mentals of machine upon the work
ers against their will.
Confronted with this menace, the
the real farmer-labor leaders called a
convention for the purpose of welding
together the two leagues into single
dues-paying rank and file organization
of the farmers and city workers and
their allies. The federation plan
was the result.
Obstacles Placed In Path.
In the meantime, this vicious law
had saddled upon the party a verit-
able white elephant in the shape Of a
state chairman entirely at variance
with the farmer-labor idea and deter
mined to shift the party from it's class
basis. That chairman was F. A. Pike,