Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-11-01
Deeds, Not Words


in having during these depression
times a man in the chief executive
office with the courage, ability and
forcefulneSS of Governor Floyd B.
Olson. He was elected to the office
of governor in 1880. reelected in 1882,
and from all appearances will be
elected to third term next Tuesday
with an even larger plurality vote
than in the two previous campaigns.
The writer, as member of the
Minnesota Legislature during the adj
ministratiOn of Governor Olson, and
during the 1888 regular and special
sessions chairman of the House COM
mittee on Taxes and Tax Laws, has
naturally had many conferences with
the governor on legislative matters
confronting the state. And, now as his
running mate in this campaign,
speaking with him in various parts of
the state, the associations have be-
come even more intimate and friendly.
Likewise the understanding and APP
probation of Minnesota's great leader
has been enhanced.
The governor has been speaking to
crowded halls, armories, and audi
forums. practically everywhere. Even
in conservative southern Minnesota,
the halls have been filled to over
flowing-in communities like Albert
Lea, Owatonna, Fairmont, Waseca.
Winona, Rochester, and others. At
Austin, the home town of the Repub-
lican opponent, NJ. A. Nelson, the ar
mOry was filled to capacity so that
standing room was at a premium, and
in addition to that, loud speakers were
set up in another building. and on the
street, 80 that nearly 1000 people heard
the message of the governor. A crowd
of approximately 5000 filled the audi
forum at Virginia on the Iron Range,
which by the way is a huge building
for a city of about 10000 people. The
Shrine auditorium at Duluth was filled
to the doors and several hundred had
been standing for two hours before
the governor spoke.
There is plenty proof that Cover
nor Olson is a popular official and
that the people herald him as a great
leader, for there has been no time in
the history of Minnesota, according to
old time political leaders, that any
candidate for office in this common
wealth has attracted such crowds.
There is a reason for the popularity
of the governor. 1t is not what he
and his party promise or propose to do
but it is on the basis of past perfor-
mances that he has gained the conf
dence, respect and admiration of the
people.
The mortgage moratorium law
passed by the 1888 session of the Min
neSota Legislature through the able
leadership of the governor, though
the Legislature had a minority of
Farmer-Labor members, was an act
that was humanitarian and gained
wide and very favorable publicity for
the state throughout the land. The
law was carried to the United States
Supreme Court where it's constitution
atty was tested, and it was upheld.
That gave a breathing spell to owners
of farms and homes who were about
to lose their properties through mort
gage foreclosure.
The net graduated progressive in
come tax was passed in the 1888 ses-
sion, despite the tactics of conserva-
tive and reactionary forces for delay
and delay, for constitutional amend
ments, and what not. The aggressive
Farmer-Labor block in the Legisla-
Iure, so to speak, took the bull by the
horns and passed this much needed
legislation which would have been the
law in Minnesota years ago had there
been more members of the Farmer
Labor and progressive type in the
Legislature 1t is a tax based on the
ability to pay and paid by persons
and corporations who earn more than
the average The revenue derived
thereform goes to the public schools
all over the state, a replacement tax
which will make for lower general
property taxes. About three million
dollars is being collected on 1888 in
comes, payable in 1884. In normal
times, if the wheels of industry were
moving even with the same exemp
lions and rates of taxation now en-
bodied in the law, the revenue from
the net income tax would amount to
between five and ten millions of dol
lars annually.
The homestead assessment law was