Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-10-19
IT'S A BATTLE

History tells us that it is a slow
process to build better conditions for
the masses. Much has been endured
for the public benefit, and advance
ment has not been achieved without
great effort and without patience.
Changing political affiliation or being
labeled different does not make a diff
ferent man or woman out of the indi-
vidual over night. 1t is a matter of
education-thinking and striving.
Ideals may be beautiful but just to
adopt them does not alter things.
They must be lived up to-there must
be consistency-pra what we
preacher the adopted ideals do not
stand for much in reality.
There are folks amongst the masses
the common people-who will take
advantage of their fellow men just
as there is that type of men amongst
the real wealthy. The only reason
they are not as big crooks is because
they do not handle so much money.
The incentive is there. 1t is in the
makeup of the man.
A fellow may rent five acres of land
from his neighbor, the renter to take
care of it and put up the hay, each
to get half of the crop. The renter
cuts only half of the acreage-the
best part-and then reports to the
owner, after dividing that portion,
that he has all the hay he cares for
himself and will not cut the balance
which has smaller yield. The own
er was entitled to half of the hay crop
on the balance of the plot, even
though the crop was not so good, with
out cutting it himself, according to
the verbal agreement. But the renter
got the cream of it, that requiring the
least work, beat his neighbor who is
not a wealthy man at all, and thinks
he did smart trick. That's a small
deal, but if a person will do it to a
good neighbor he will certainly do it
on bigger scale, especially to stran-
gers, if he becomes more wealthy.
This is not said because we think
that conditions can not be improved.
They can be improved and must be
improved. The system can also be
improved. But just to change politi-
cal labels is not going to give us the
long-looked-for Utopia. Only idealists
to whom a good program appeals, in
nocents, and raw recruits in the field
of politics and government, expect
great things to happen if there be a
change of political affiliatiCn. The
leOpards spots are not easily changed.
In the state of Minnesota the Farm
er-Labor party has become the dom
inant party because it has a good pro-
gram and its political platform repre-
sents TIE wishes and desires of a ma
jority of Minnesota voters. 1t has de-
velOped because it's elected repre-
sentatives have worked and have had
the ability to put over at least part
of that program. In other words, they
have been practical.
But for anyone to think that the
liberal and progressive party-known
in this state as the Farmer-Labor-is
all goodness, that it consists only of
the best men in the state, that it can
a racketeer in it's membership, shows
just so much innocence, provincialism,
and lack of worldly experience ON the
part of that Individual There is
plenty of greed. selfishness, and ego
tism in many individuals and chang
ing party label is not going to remove
those worldly possessions so fast.
The Askov American is an indie
pendent newspaper and can of course
support men for public office from any
party it chooses. The editor having
served as a member in two sessions
of the Minnesota Legislature and OBJ
served the work and vote of all the
members, irrespective of party, has of
course drawn some conclusions. No
political party has corner on truth
fulness, but summing it all up it is
very noticeable that members of the
Farmer-LabOr party as whole are
the ones who labored the hardest for
the public good-for the program of
the masses. The record vote will
also bear this out.
But the point that we wish to make
in this article is that it means a
continual striving to improve condi-
tions. No one has a corner on truth
fulness, and 1t Is only the innocent
lambs with a holier-than-thou express
sion on their faces who think that
way. They Just haven't thought long
enough or haven't had the experience.