The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1932-05-13
THE FARMER-LABOR
CONVENTION And
PLATFORM
PROGRESSIVE" PHRASE MONGERING AND
FASCIST PRACTICE OF DEMAGOGIC
AGENTS OF WALL STREET
Continued from last week.
Socialist-Farmer Labor Incest

Continued from last week.
Socialist Farmer Labor Incest
Lawson's proposal was opposed
BY Sigmund SlOnin, a Socialist
from Duluth. SlOnin argued that,
while the Socialist Party had sold
its soul on a state basis in Min
nesota to help the Farmer Labor
marty, it would not do 50 on ma
tional scale. Slonin realized that
while the attempt to mislead the
masses in Minnesota was well tax
en- care of by the Farmer Labor
marty, and that therefore the So
ciaist party could temporarily sub
merge it's identity on state basis,
this should not take place on a ma
tional scale because the capitalist
class has need of the Socialist Par
ty on a national scale to deceive
the militant elements among the
workers and farmers. R. S. Wig
gin, also opposed the proposal, not
because he disagreed with it fun
damentally but because it was ne
cessary to be cautious about this
horse trading which might cost
the Farmer Labor party the sup
port of many workers and farm
ers.
"The proposal is not Oppor-
tune at this time. Bear in minC
what Governor Olson said wher
he was in Washington last year
He told the old party leaders
that unless one or the Othel
selects a progressive candidate
fer president, there will be
third party ticket in the field
Let's wait and see what the!
do. The state executive com
mittee has the power to selec
a slate of presidential elector
and let them take care of that.
The Farmer Labor party vii
wait to see the results of the Re
publican and Democratic conven
tons and then decide on which o
the old candidates it can use mos
effectively as a progressive"
its demagogy, leaving the door OF
en- meanwhile to support thir
major party candidate under tn
progressive" label.
The matter of trading off tn
support of the Farmer Labor pa
ty on a national scale was left t
a horse trading committee of tel
Farmers Union Supports F-L-F
The Farmer Labor party ha
of course, not only the support I
the labor lieutenants of the cap
talist class but also the support 4
its farm agents. The Farme
Union Herald quotes with apprO
al the platform statements of Il
Farmer Labor party on "agricu
tural relief" and finds they a
"clear, concise and specific"
compared with the Democrat
state platform which is "symp
thetic, but vague and indefinit
and the Republican state platfol
which is "evasive" and devoid
Specific meaning"
What the Farmers Union fin
Of real praise in the Farmer Lax
party is that it is a third capital
party. The Farmers Union is
the opinion that this is the mC
effective means to mislead t
militant workers and farme
While the Minnesota Farmer /
Dor party is restricted by hol
trading in its support of matte
al third party the Farmers Uni
finds no such restrictions, 1t
support individual progressive
and demand "progressives" p
ty nationally. This reads as
lows in the language of the Far
ers Union Herald:
"Tbe party in Minnesota
waiting for the prOgressives
the other fOrty-seven states
realize the necessity of a
national party resting its
port on organized labor and
ganiZed agriculture as an eC
Omic base and making its
peal to the progressives of
other walks of life.
YAH forward looking PEI
we think agree that such
ty must come in existence
the United States if we arr
have constructive reform
avoid revolution.
eve repeat that some
the forces of organized agri
ture, of organized labor and
other prOgressive-minded
zens will come to a realiza
OF the fact that they must 4
control and finance a poll
party Of their own, which p
will be frankly and boldly
posed TO the economic syl
which has concentrated SO
cent of the wealth of the M
IN the hands of per cent
the population"