The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-05-28
SENATOR MAY
RUN, BUT NOT
AS COMMUNIST
Outlines Views in Letter To
Wisconsin Man, Condemn
ing st. Paul Gathering
COMMUNISTS ACTIVE
Seek Control of Farmer-LabOr
MOvement-Attitude on
Presidency Told

washington, May 2S (By the A.
Ex-senator LaFollette today vir-
| tually announced that he will run
for President on an independent
ticket unless the approaching DEM
ocratic and Republican conventions
demonstrate whether either of those
parties can and will purge itself Of
the evil influences which have long
dominated them
IF this is not DONE Senator
LaFollette wrote to Attorney Cen
eral Eckern of Wisconsin, a long
suffering and righteously indignant
people will find in the coming cam
palgn effective means. independent
of both these old parties, to take
control of their government and
make 1t truly representative"
AT the same time Senator LaFol-
Iette denounced the communists and
openly charged that they were
seeking to take control of the
Farmer-Labor progressive conven-
tion called to meet in st. Paul June
II.
Convention Not Representative
In my Judgment, he wrote, the
convention will not command the
support of the farmers, workers or
other progressives because those
who have had charge of the arrange
ments for this convention have com.
mitted the fatal error of making
the communists an integral part Of
thelr organization. The Communists
have admittedly entered into the po-
ltical movement not for the purpose
OF curing by means of the ballot
the evil which afflicts the Amer
lean people but only to divide and
confuse the progressive movement
and create condition of chaos fav-
orable TO their ultimate aims. Their
real purpose is to establish by rev.
olutlonary action a dictatorship Of
the proletariat, which is absolute-
~ repugnant to democratic ideals
ana TO all American aspirations"
Russian Aid
In his letter Senator LaFollette
quoted an official statement of the
Central executive committee of the
Workers Party of America and
cablegram from the Communist in
ternatlonal at Moscow respecting
plans for the st. Paul convention
which he declared show clearly
that they are seeking to use the
Farmer-Labor party of Minnesota
ana other progressive organizations
who have lent their name to this
convention as means of advancing
their own ends"
His Attitude
Il have devoted many years of my
Life to an effort TO solve the prob
lens which confronted the American
people by the ballot and not by
fcIce", wrote the Wisconsin enator.
Il believe that the people through
the ballot can completely control
their government in every branch
and compel 1t to serve them effec-
lively. l have fought steadfastly to
achieve this end and ! shall not
abandon this fight as long as / live.
Il believe, therefore, that all pro-
gressives should refuse to partici-
pate in any movement which makes
common cause with any Communist
GrganiZation''
Senator LaFollette's letter closed
with his declaration respecting the
Republican and Democratic conven-
tons which was acknowledged bv
his close friends as an announcement
Of his candidacy should the action
and platform of the two major part
les fail to accomplish changes he
regards as necessary.