The producers news., 1924-04-25

st. Paula weekly paper pub I
lished in Washington ID. c., and .
known as Labor" and owned by the |
sixteen standard railroad organiZa- /
tions is going out if its way to assail I
the Farmer-Labcr-P Progressive Con- /
vention, to be held in st. Paul, Min /
nesota, June, 18th.
In the issues of March 29th and /
April 5th, vicious attacks were made /
on the proposed national Third Party I
Convention. In an editorial in the is
sue of the latter date, a specific IN /
junction is fostered and will be con- |
trolled by Communists"
The spirit of the articles against
the June 18th Convention shows very
clearly that the author does not be-
Heve in the things he says. 1t is ev-
identity an attempt to bring failure to
the Third party Convention in order
that the July 4th Convention may
control the situation.
GENUINE FARMER
LABOR CONVENTION
The Convention on June 18th, is ex-
pressly a Farmer-Labor- Progressive
Convention for the purpose of nomi-
mating candidates for President and
Vice-P President on a national Third
party ticket. There is no contingency
nor uncertainty connected with the
purpose of the gathering.
Invitations and credentials have
been sent out to over fifty thousand
local labor unions, farmer organiZa-
tions, progressive, professional and
business organizations and to minor
ity political parties. 1t is aimed to
get representation direct from the
rank and file and to test out the SEN
timent of the people for fundamen-
tai charges in the operation of gov
ernment. 1t is planned to have the
voice of millions of voters reflected
at the Convention.
In deciding the organizations that
are eligible to send delegates no one
has been excluded which is willing to
subscribe to the five fundamental
plankS, namely:
(a) Government Ownership of
Railroads.
(b) Public Ownership of Ma
tional Resources.
(c) Control of money and Cred
its by the People through Gov
ernment and cooperative Banks.
I'D Restoration of civil rights
guaranteed by the Constitution
icy Abolition of the use of in
other judicial abuses.
A COALITION
OF PROGRESSIVES
This Convention is to be
coalition of all progressive ele-
ments which will agree to the
platform and will join in back
ing a single set of candidates
running on such platform. No
inquiry has been made into the
philOsOphic views of the groups
participating. 1t is entirely "a
question of joining whOleheart-
edly in promoting a Third party
movement in the campaign of
1924.
There will nc doubt be communists
as there will be other schools of
thought represented at the Conven-
ton but they will represent such a
small fraction that even if they so
desire, they would make no impress
sion en- the great mass of farmers
and workers who are interested in
practical legislative measures and
not in visionary doctrines.
The editor of Labor should know
that the Farmer-Labor movements of
the Northwest are the only progress
sive political movements of any con-
sequence in America. No where else
will the forces represented by this
newspaper called Labor" be able to
make an impression except in the
Northwest and particularly in Min
neSOta.
The organized political movements
OF the progressives in the Northwest
have demonstrated their ability to
accomplish things in practical politics
and they do not need any guidance
from newspapers influenced by
Washington politicians.
The June 18th Convention has been
sponsored by the Farmer-Labor
movement of Minnesota, which is not
communistic and is in charge of a
committee of arrangements which
is not controlled by the communists.
Over eighteen different organiza-
tions from all parts of the nation,
none of which are communistic have
Joined in this call for the Convention
of June nth. Already thousands OF
responses have been. received from
the call and local and state organiza-
uonS are Signifying their intention tC
send delegates. From present indi-
cations, there viii be between five and
ten thousand delegates and visitors
at the Convention. 1t viii be impos-
sible for any one group to control
these proceedings and the leaders in
Minnesota and the Northwest have
sufficient practical political exper.
ience to defeat any attempt at the
Convention by any element.
CONVENTION HAS
DEFINITE PURPOSE
Ii viii be called for a certain vel
defined purpose; to adopt a platform
and make nominations, and arrang,
to conduct a national campaign. 1
Is not intended to organize a party
This viii come as matter of cours,
with the close of a successful cam
paign which viii without doubt GO
long way if not succeed in electin,
Senator LaFollette as President
The evident urpose of this Wash
ington newspaper in assailing tn
Farmer-Labor Convention of jun
18th. is to boost the July 4th enders