Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1932-11-24
MUM LEADS
FOR SPEAKER
Progressives and Independ-
ents Are Expected to
Choose Him Saturday..
ReactiOnarieS Got but S.
Out of A Necessary 10
Votes for FinStuen.

votes IOT + 1nSluclI.
The voters of Minnesota this year
elected four progressives out OF the
six state office positions to be filled
namely the governor, lieutenant gov
ernor, attorney general, and railroad
and warehouse commissioner. The
offices of secretary of state and state
treasurer went to the Republicans,
the latter by a narrow margin.
Minnesota voters also chose five
Farmer-LabOrites for seats in Con-
gress. One congressman-elect is a
Democrat and but three are members
of the Republican party.
This demonstrates plainly what the
people want and that there is great
desire for progressive legislation es-
pecially so in the vote rendered Gov
ernor Floyd B. Olson for reelection.
His plurality was greater than two
years ago in spite of the fact that
this year he had the militant opposi-
ton of both Republican and Demo-
cratic candidates for governor.
The lower House of the Minnesota
Legislature also has much greater
progressive complexion than formerly.
The session of two years ago embo lied
Al members elected with Farmer
Labor support while this session will
have SO with that label. There is a
total membership of 131 in the lower
House, but with a number of indie
pendents such as progressive Demo
Gratis and Republicans voting with the
Farmer-Labor organization, there will
be a majority to elect the speaker
and organize the House.
Norton Lines Up ReactiOnaries.
The reactionary forces led by Rep
resentative w. |. Norton OF Mime
apolis, a member the past twenty
years and defender of the street car
systems of Minneapolis, st. Paul and
Duluth through the Brooks-COleman
act, and other vested interests, had a
caucus in the Ryan hotel at st. Paul
last Friday and tried to organize with
Representative Andrew Finstuen of
Kenyon, as speaker. They chose a
man for their candidate who has a
liberal leaning in order to muster
more votes in an effort to organize
the House to their liking. From a
progressive standpoint Mr.. Finstuen
ranked as No. 40 out of the 131 House
members in the 1881 session and his
score was 67 per cent. The highest
score was of course 100 per cent and
the lowest score held by Representa-
tives Norton, DAZZLE and Kern was 80
per cent.
The conservative and reactiOnary
forces received but SO votes of the
necessary &c for Finstuen at their
caucus Friday. Since then few of
the members who were not present
but had sent proxies have withdrawn
their votes on account of the caucus
having been represented to them as
being progressive.
Mum Is Choice Of PrOgressiveS.
All the members of the lower House
have been invited to the caucus to
be held at the Lowry hotel in ST.
Paul on Saturday, Nov. 26th, when
the Farmer-Labor members together
with Independent Democrats and Re-
publicans who appreciate the man
date from the people in the recent
election are expected to name Chas.
Mum, farmer from Osseo, as the
next speaker of the House. Mr.. Mum
has served three terms in the legis-
lature and was just reelected to a
fourth term from a conservative dis
trict. His record is very progressive,
he is a tiller of the soil, knows par
liamentary law, and is very accept
able to Governor Olson. He Is strong
for the program of Governor Olson
and the Farmer-Labor platform. On
a check-up of members the progress
sives figure they have 70 votes for
Mum which is six more than neces-
sary.
The reason for organizing the
House before the session actually
starts on January Sd, is to facilitate
the work and so there will not be so
much delay. When the speaker-the
chairman of the House-is known he
can go ahead and select chairmen for
the various committees and make all
the other committee assignments
which is a considerable task involv-
ing much thought and time. Like
wise there is much work for the chief
clerk ahead of the actual converting
of the Legislature.
Decrying the move on the part of
conservatives and reactionaries to
elect a speaker who may be antag-
onistic to Governor Olson, Dewey W..
johnson, Minneapolis representative,
issued a statement in which he urged
a return to the party designation plan
for electing members of both houses
of the Legislature.
Dewey johnson Raps "Gang."
Il wish to call attention to the ap-
parent need of putting the legislators
Continued on Pare ~