Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1932-11-17
WORKING ON
ORGANIZATION
PrOgreSSiveS Out to Elect
the Next Speaker of
the House.
ChaS. Mum is Prominently
Mentioned to Head the
Progressive Program.

The people have spoken. They en-
dOrsed the policies of Governor Floyd
B. Olson and the Farmer-Labor pro-
gram most emphatically on election
day and progressive members OF the
lower House of the legislature are
therefore busy getting things in shape
SO that the House can be organized
for the carrying through of this pro-
gram which the people endorsed on
Nov. Sth.
There are 131 members of the lower
House. The election of speaker Of
this House is important as he makes
the committee appointments. The
Senate will have as its chairman, the
lieutenant governor, X. X. Solberg,
Farmer-Labor. elected by the people.
Whether the conservatives and re-
dictionaries will treat him as they did
Lieutenant Governor Henry Arens in
the session of 1881 and take the COM
mittee appointments away from him.
is problematical but 1t is thought by
many that they will not be so chesty
this time and will leave the commit
tee appointments to the lieutenant
governor realizing that there is an
other election in 1894 and that the
people have expressed their desires
In the recent election.
The speaker is the same to the lower
House as is the lieutenant governor
To the Senate. With 131 members 1t
requires Sc votes to elect the speaker.
Many of the old conservative and re-
dictionary members were unseated in
the recent election and there are at
least 81 elected with Farmer-Labor
endorsement and support. A number
of Independents will join the Farmer
I4aborites in the organization of the
House, and even some Republicans
who have tired of the Norton and
utility-minded control for so many
years. will join with the progressives
in the organization.
A letter signed by three progressive
members of the House was sent out
Saturday, Nov. IL, to recently elected
members. This was to fOrewarn
against the usual quick work of the
reactionaries in having the new men,
bers pledged to reactionary speaker
of the House. A conference will likely
be held in the Twin Cities on Nov. 26
for the purpose of going over plans
to elect a progressive speaker and to
organize the House so it can and will
carry through the progressive progam.
The letter sent out to all progress
sives and independent members of the
House last Saturday, follows:
Letter to Representatives.
ST. Paul, Mimi.
Nov. IL. 1882.
Fellow House Member:
The voters of Minnesota have spok-
en-. The reactionary forces for many
years in control of our state govern
ment are routed.
Governor Olsen was reelected by "a
plurality that may reach 100000 and
indications are that the entire state
ticket has been swept into office with
him.
Reports indicate also that for the
first time in over forty years, the peo-
pie have elected progressive House.
The important job that now lies ahead
of us is to hold our forces in the
House together.
In previous years, many members
elected with progressive support have
been misled by the SeactiOnary forces
dominated by Willis |. Norton and d
small group of utility-controlled men,
bers. That probably explains best
why we have been unable in past ses-
sions to successfully organize the
House for the progressive cause.
Governor Olson and his administra-
ton have made certain definite pied
ges to the people, These pledges can
be kept if we progressive legislators
stand by our guns and organize the
next House. 1t is, therefore, impera-
tive that we stand together and that
we refuse to enter into alliances with
Willis l. Norton, r. w. Hitchcock. j.
r.. Sweitzer, and other utility-minded
legislators.
At the present writing the reaction
airy forces are leaving no stone I'M
turned i'm their desperate effort to or
ganize the next House. Their agents
are already busily engaged in lining
up the new Legislators.
The purpose of this letter is to fore
warn the progressive members who
will undoubtedly be approached by
these agents of the Norton machine.
Every sincere progressive should re-
fuse to enter into any alliance or
combination that would bind him to
Norton control.
A call for a conference of the pro-
gressive members of the House will
be issued in few days. At this con-
forouco WAYS and means of Orpanizin0