Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-11
If Party Fails to Elect Can
didateS This Year 1t
May Fade Away.
WARMEST CONTEST SEEN
IN INTERNATIONAL RACE
Olson Is Vigorous Opponent of
G, 0. P. ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Chances Slight.
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN,
STAFF Correspondent OF The Star.

|NNAAe
MINNEAPOLIS, MINI, October H.
The fate of the Farmer-Labor party in
Minnesota is bound up, to no small
degree, in the November elections. II
the party's candidates at the polls this
year fail to make good showing, there
Is a likelihood the party as an organ
iZation, viii fade. The Farmer-LabOr
ties are pinning their hopes largely in
this campaign on their vigorous young
candidate for Governor, Floyd b. Olson.
In the senatorial election two years
ago. the Farmer Laborites won u
smashing victory, re-electing Senator
Henrik Shipstead Shipstsad's vote In
that election was greater than the vote
given to any other candidate for office
at any time in the State. He ran
more than 5000 votes ahead Of
President Hoover. Shipstead's Re-
publican opponent, Nelson, received only
342.992 votes, as compared to IS, 1863 for
Shipstead.
Victory Was Personal.
But Shipstead's vote was cast two
years ago, not by Farmer-Laborites
alone but by Republicans and Demo-
Gratis. He received thousands of Re
publican votes in that election. Indeed,
his victory was personal. rather than
party triumph. In Minnesota the
party label sits rather lightly on the
voters shoulders. Under the State
law, members OF the Legislature, judicial
Offices and all county officers are NOM
mated and elected without party deSig-
nation. which helps to eliminate par
tisanship in the election OF all officers.
For it Is well understood that the de-
sire on the part of voters to elect local
officials helps to carry a party ticket
through 10 success i'll other States.
In the gubernatorial election in 1928
the Republican candidate, Gov. Chris
Hanson. received 549,S57 votes the
Farmer-Labor candidate. Ernest Lun-
deem. now candidate for Senator re-
ceiyed 227 1913, and the Democratic
candidate, Nelson. 213,734. If the Ship
stead election was triumph for the
Farmer-Labor party that year. the
gubernatorial contest certainly gave the
Farmer Laboritss no balm. The Re-
publican vote in the race for Governor
was lO8 $50 over the combined Farmer
Labor and Democratic votes.
1t would appear, therefore, that the
Republicans. i'll the race for Governor
this year. start with a lead of more
than 100 900 over the combined opposi-
ton.
Chase Is G. o. P. Nominee.
The Republican nominee for Governor
is Ray P. Chase, State auditor for many
years. He won his nomination in the
primary in a race with flye other can
didates. The Democrats picked Edward
Indrehus as their candidate for Cover
nor. He had no opposition Tor the
nomination:
The Democratic candidate for Gov
ernor 1t is said, Is not likely TO figure
greatly IN the balloting in November.
An analysis of the situation shows that
If Olson should receive all the Farmer
Labor and Democratic votes that were
cast for Governor in 1928 he would
Still have to pick up $4,000 Republican
votes, roughly speaking, TO win over
Chase, the Republican. II the Demo-
Gratis stick to their own candidate, OIL
son will have to get many more Repub-
lican votes
II is possible that Indrehus, the Dem
ocratic nominee for Governor, may
withdraw Efforts looking TO a fusion
votes In this race are being made. But
even If Indrehus should Withdraw it
is still q puzzle to determine just where
the bulk OF the Democratic vote will
land.
Race Called Important.
The gubernatorial race in Minnesota
this year is OF more than usual inter-
est because of its possible bearing on
the future OF the Farmer-Labor party,
The party, which i'll the past had sever
al seats in the House from Minnesota,
IN the present Congress has only one
seat that held by Representative Kvale.
1t is generally expected that Kvale
will be returned to Congress. The
Farmer-Labor party has candidates for
the House in all the other congressional
districts also, except in the ninth,
where Conrad e. Selvig, Republican.
appears to be unopposed II has put
forward. too. candidates for all of the
State offices in addition 10 Governor.
Mr. Chase. Republican candidate for
Governor, has aroused the anger of the
Farmer-LabOrites by saying, in his key
note speech, that the Farmer-Labor
party IS dead; that it is but a husk OF
its former SELF and that it has ADAM
doned the principles for which it stood
when it came into prominence in 1920.
The party had its birth following
the "deflation" of agriculture after the
war The farmers Of Minnesota were
up in arms and turned on both the old
parties The FarmerLabor party was
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