Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1930-01-09
OPPOSITION PARTY
is VERY HELPFUL
Writer Points Out That Progress is
Always Made by Con-
flict Of Ideas.
By H. G. TEIGAN

The Farmer-Labor party idea is
spreading
In its Dec rs issue The Federation
News, official organ of the Chicago
Federation of Labor, comes out strong
ly for national Farmer-Labor party.
"A political awakening is coming"
says the Federation News mo dis
enlargement of the past should blind
us to the fact that the Republican
Democratic alliance can never endure.
An opposition party must arise. The
building of this new party will de-
mand great sacrifice and probably
years of labor but it must be done"
Those who are familiar with the de-
velopment of the Farmer-Labor party
cago Federation of Labor were among
the warmest supporters of the third
party cause ten years ago. In fact
the Chicago Federation of Labor was
then committed to independent politi-
cal action and it was largely through
movement that Farley P. Christensen
was made the nominee fer president
of the Farmer-Labor party in 1920.
John Fitzpatrick and E. ~ Nockels
were president and secretary of the
Chicago Federation of Labor at that
time. They are still the heads of
the Chicago movement.
Opposition Party Needed.
Commenting further upon the need
for a national third party the Fedora
tfon News says:
Critical constructive opposition is
our greatest political need. Progress
is always made by conflict of ideas.
Today in the United States there is
no vital political party of opposition.
Democrats in the election of 1923
revealed the fact that they had not
one fundamental economic issue to
distinguish them from Republicans.
There never have been great differ
ences between them, but with the
Democratic abandonment of a low
tariff policy, all distinctions have vir-
tually faded away. Both parties have
become the political expressions of
the great business groups"
The editor of the Federation News
suggests that the Farmer-Labor party
of Minnesota which lin six years has
elected two United States senators and
three congressman and which has to-
day approximately one-third of the
members of each house of the IegisIa-
ture affiliated with the party" must
lead the national party movement.
He also suggests that the Socialists
unite with other groups to help form
the party.
1t goes without saying that to have
the support of such a powerful body
as the Chicago Federation of Labor
in the building of a new national
is all the more remarkable too in
view Of the fact that the present head
of the Illinois Federation of Labor,
is a bitter opponent of third party ac-
ton and was for several years part
and parcel of the Len Small Repub-
lican machine.
st. Paul Labor on job.
As usual the st. Paul labor move
ment is out in front fighting for the
interests of the workers. The Trades
and Labor Assembly at its meeting on
Friday of last week selected a COM
mittee TO make a thorough study of
the problem Of unemployment. Need
less TO state, unemployment is the
greatest Of all terrors to the members
Of the working class. The constant
Of labor saving machin-
cry and devices to supplant workers
and the flocking of thousands of farm
ers to the industrial centers, are
making the problem a more serious
one as the years go by.
The resolution adopted instructs