The Sauk Centre herald., 1924-11-13
ST. PAUL LETTER


Minnesota received a body blow Nov.
a. from which it may rever fully re-
cover, when the electorate by vote
never before equalled gave the states
twelve electoral votes to Calvin Cool
idg, named Theodore Christianson of
Dawson the next chief executive and
sent United States Senator Magnus
johnson, the white hope of the Farm
er-labor forces, to the junk heap. His
Republican successor is Thomas D.
Schall, the blind congressman from
the Tenth district. 1t was the most
sweeping Republican victory in many
years. The turnover came during the
last six days of the campaign and
was so complete that even at this late
date it has the victors wondering how
it all happened and the vanquished
still gasping' for breath over it's inn
mensity. All that the Farmer-Labor
forces saved from the wreck was the
reelection of Congressman o. j..
Kale and Knud Wefald in the Seventh
and Ninth districts, both of whose
chances were never very much in
doubt, and the election of w.
l.. Carss over Victor l.. Power,
the Republican candidate in the
Eighth district. The Farmer-Labor
state ticket was literally annihilated
and this condition even featured many
of their legislative contests. The Re-
publican pluralities range all the way
from $4,000 for Governor Christian
son to 10000 for president Coolidge.
The top notcher is as usual, Mike
Holm, who has probably bested his
Farmer-Labor opponent, Mrs. Susie
w. Stageberg, of Red Wing, by bet
ter than 10000. Yes, it was some
election.
Probably no general election ever
held in Minnesota approached the one
just closed in point of early indiffer-
ence on the part of the voterse of in
ability by those in charge of the Re
publican end of the game to galvanize
the faithful into action. For the first
six weeks of the campaign the Farm
er-Labor forces held the ball, and it
was only when civic and business in
terests, sensing the danger jumped
into the fray that the tide was
stemmed. Summed up at that period
by one of the most astute politicians
in the state, the radicals were in the
saddle and Republican supremacy in
Minnesota was in imminent danger of
taking the air. There was no ques-
tion that the liberal forces were IA
vorable to LaFollette and Olson and
with the German vote treking in the
same direction the finish for Repub-
licans was not any too bright. To
Minneapolis and Hennepin county be.
longs the credit of wrestling the state
from the radical grip as out of the
record vote cast by the two came over
one-half of the 10000 plurality Civ
en- President Coolidge, it saved the
day for Tom Schall and sent Theo-
dore Christensen out into the rural
districts with enough of lead to
prevent possible disaster in that di-
rection. In Minneapolis and Henne-
pin county the magnificent Republi-
can lead piled up by the voters was
due to the untiring efforts of F. A.
Dickey, Republican chairman, w. F..
Brooks, national committeeman, and
A. A. D. Rain who handled the in
dependent campaign conducted in be-
half of Tom Schall. To chairman
Dickey, however the idea of assign
ing a worker to every ten voters and
to use his best efforts in urging each
to "vote 'er straight" That the plan
was a success is indicated in the fl
nails. AS to the German and liberal
forces, men of their own nationality
and mind busted themselves in the
matter of the LaFollette menace and
the day was saved.
o.
In the election of Theodore Christ
ianson, as Governor the voters of
Minnesota have placed the chief ex-
ecutiveship in the hands of a citizen
whose qualifications for the highest
office in the gift of the people cannot
be questioned. They also builded
well when they named w. /. Nolan as
his next in office Both bring to their
respective offices a knowledge and an
experience gained from a long legis-
lative career and an insight into gov
ernmental affairs that will aid mater
tally IN their conduct of the ship of
state. They are also orators Of abil-
lty. AS to campaign promises out
side of a pledge to give to the state
the best that is in. him it is of
knowledge that Ted Christianson is
unencumbered as to who will consti-
tute his official family and in this
connection it might be said that quite
a few who acknowledge the state cap
itol as their meal ticket are wonder
ing what their status will be when the
Dawson man assumes the reins of gov
ernment. Ito speak plainly, the early
attitude of many at the state capitol
was one of indifference and this con-
dition it was said was due largely to
the failure of the new executive to
fraternize in state capitol way: The
assumption was that the candidate
for governor did not want to tie
himself up. What Governor Christ
hanson has in mind as to his official
family is something that he is keep
ing to himself, but it can be said that
whatever he does in the way Of ap-
pointments viii be for the best in
terests Of the state. His legislative