Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1932-03-24
NICE PLATITUDES

Minnesota Republicans at their
state convention in st. Paul Satur-
day unanimously endorsed Earle
Brown. millionaire head of the state
highway patrol as their candidate for
governor. Previous to his becoming
head of the highway patrol nearly
three years ago. Mr.. Brown was sher-
if of Hennepin county for nearly ten
years. He will oppose Governor
Floyd B. Olson who without doubt
will be endorsed by the Farmer-Labor
party at their state convention next
week. The Democratic choice for
governor is not vet known.
In an editorial on the choice of the
Republican party to head their state
ticket The Minneapolis Tribune says
in part: The fight which looms
ahead will not be an easy one. and
Minnesota Republicans will do we'll to
recognize that fact. but Mr.. Brown
has made the prospects for ultimate
success infinitely brighter than thew
were. The party, at least, has found
the man who. more than any other,
seems able to rally the various ele-
ments within it and give it strength
and purpose
The platform presented to the con-
vention. the first one drawn by a Re-
publican state convention in decade.
was accepted without change eX-
cept for scuffle over the wet and
dry issue.
This platform contained a number
Of high sounding phrases such as:
I'VE commend TO the people the wis
dom. courage and integrity of the ma
tional Republican administration. past
and present: we commend to the peo-
pie Of Minnesota the high ideals and
statesman-like government of the Re-
publican party in Minnesota: we
pledge ourselves to all policies which
will control the public debt and in
time completely eliminate that debt"
etc. etc.
Controlling the public debt and in
time eliminating it is mighty good.
But look up the past record of the
party as far as debt goes and COM
pare with other states.
The platform shows that leaders of
the Republican party in Minnesota
fail TO comprehend the plight of agri-
culture and the economic condition of
thousands of unemployed in the state.
Apparently it was drafted by men who
do not have the viewpoint of the
average citizen, the farmer and the
home owner
The state income tax will be one
OF the major issues in the coming
campaign. Instead of the Republican
party coming out strongly for this
remedial tax legislation at the con-
vention it pledges itself to encourage
legislation of further constitutional
amendment which will make the in
come tax a replacement tax" One
might ask: How much more delay
is desired on this equitable form of
taxation which has now been adopted
in just half the states of the Union
"a states? Pretending to be for it.
but delay, delay is the game that is
being played. Close observers know
~ sparring for more time.
State Senator Robert C. Bell of
Detroit Lakes, a progressive Demo-
crat, showed up this Replacement"
bogy in statement some time ago.
which follows:
You are being told that the amend
ment does not contain replacement
provision. Do you know of anyone
who has ever devised a constitutional
provision guaranteeing that the reve-
nue. derived from an income tax will
replace other taxes? Twenty states
have an income tax and not one of
them has such a provision. No law
yer has yet been discovered who has
sufficient ingenuity to draft such a
provision and many of the greatest in
the country have tried it. An effort
to do so promptly discloses that any
effective provision would be danger
Gus to the public welfare; and if not
effective, it of course would result
only in expressing a fond hope and
would be utterly useless 1t should
be noted that those who talk about
replacement never offer a tangible
suggestion of how 1t can be done.
The word replacement is merely a
'bogyman' conjured up to mislead and
deceive the voters and to defeat the
proposed amendment. OF course ev-
eryone expects and desires the reve-