Evening star., 1924-06-16
Will Give Wisconsin Senator
First Refusal of Platform
and Leadership.
COMMUNISTS READY
TO ABIDE BY RESULT
Willing to Accept Decisions of
More Conservative Northwest
Progressives.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

ST. PAUL. June Ex-senator Rob-
ert NJ. La Toilette, of Wisconsin will
be given another opportunity to run
for the presidency on the Farmer-La-
bor-Progressive ticket. His repudia-
ton of the communists who are as
scmbled here for conference has led
to bitter feeling, but the extreme
radicals in the Farmer-Labor move
ment are willing to abide by the
strategy of their more conservative
comrades and present the platform of
this convention to the Wisconsin SEN
ator for his Endorsement. If he ac-
cepts he must agree to run on the
platform adopted here.
The platform will not be communis-
tie according TO c. Z. Ruthenberg,
secretary of the Workers Party of
American and an avowed communist.
He recognizes that his group is in
the minority here and simply says
that if La Toilette is to receive the
nomination of the delegates here, he
must agree to take the platform.
Interested in Principles.
We are not interested in individuals, -
said Mr.. Ruthenberg, but in principles
and parties Out of this conference we
hope will grow third party. If Sena-
tor La Toilette doesn't accept, we shall
probably nominate Duncan Macdonald
of Illinois, former head of the United
Mine Workers of that state, and William
Bouck of the state of Washington for
President and Vice President, respec-
lively. We expect to put ticket in the
field in at least forty states in the COM
ing election. We have already been or
ganized and have considerable strength
in Minnesota. North and South Dakota,
Nebraska, Montana and Washington and
this year we have organizations in
Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut,
Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, California,
Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, Kan
sas, Oklahoma and Colorado"
The platform to be adopted will be
along the lines of the Farmer-Labor
party program, part of which demands
social legislation for the farmer and
worker.
To understand the situation here, it
is necessary to appreciate that in the
Minnesota primaries this week the
Communists, who are really the left
wing or radicals of the Farmer-La-
Dor Party, have entered complete
ticket and even man to oppose
Senator Magnus Johnson, who, in the
eyes of the Communists, is conServa-
tive The Communists realize they
are in the minority and, of course, if
their ticket loses they will support
Magnus Johnson and any other can
didates who win the Farmer-Labor
party nominations.
Is Dominant Party.
1t so happens that the Farmer
Labor party is the dominant political
body in this state, as the Democratic
party has been virtually obliterated,
while large numbers of Republicans
have joined the Farmer-Labor party.
Under such circumstances 1t is in
evitable that the Labor party
should in turn develop a radical and
conservative faction.
Mr.. Ruthenberg explains that
while the ultimate aim of the Commu-
nists. which he represents, ''iS the die
tation of the government by the pro-
letariat and the introduction of the
soviet system such a goal is not
readily reached and that it is wiser
10 follow the methods of political
action through the regular constitu-
tiona1 processes until such times, of
course, as the Communists gain suf-
ficient strength to overcome consti-
tutional barriers.
The writer asked Mr.. Ruthenberg
how he defined the essential difference
between Senator La Toilette and the
communists.
We'll" he said, "to our way of
thinking Senator La Toilette is not a
radical He believes in the capitalistic
system but we believe in the soviet
system. He has always been a Re-
publican. He. did not even bolt the
Republican party in 1912"
This convention holds itself. more or
less, aloof from the conference for
progressive political action, which is to
take place in Cleveland on July 4, and
which is expected to indorse Senator
La Toilette Some of the leaders here
are doubtful whether the Cleveland
conference will make any progress.
They have the idea that william
Gibbs McAdoo, through his friend
ship with the heads of the railway
following in that convention and that
if by chance he has been nominated
by the Democrats in New York there
will be a determined effort made by
his friends to secure an endorse
ment for him at Cleveland. in which
case Senator La Toilette might not
wish to run for he is represented
here as believing he ought not make
the race unless he has the united
support of all the elements at the
Cleveland conference.
Comments on Republicans.
Asked for his comments on the Re-
publican ticket, Mr.. Ruthenberi said
Most Of us feel that with a strike
breaker at the head of the ticket
(referrfng TO Mr.. Coolidge's part in
the Boston police strike) and a
F>asr.isti for Vice Presidetn. the Re-
publicans have done exactly what
might have been expected of them
and made it all the more necessary
that labor should be thoroughly or
ganized."