Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-09-27
THIRD PARTY
HOPES BRIGHT
Wisconsin PrOgreSSiveS Make Good
Showing in First Attempt at Re.
cent Primary Election.
BY HENRY G. TETGAN

The most important pOlltlcal news
during the past week was that re-
garding the primary election in the
State of Wisconsin. In that primary
election a new third party came into
existence. It's showing was indica-
tive of strength.
Perhaps no progressives In the ma
ton are better able to Judge of the
showing made by the new Progressive
party of Wisconsin than are the
Farmer-Laborites of Minnesota. In
Minnesota the Farmer-Labor party
has been in existence since 1918.
Judged by the record that the Farmer
Labor party of Minnesota has made
in past primary elections it must be
admitted that the Progressive party
of Wisconsin has made it's political
debut in a way indicative of great
strength.
ProgresSives Run Strong.
The returns as we have them from
the reports of the Associated Press
shows that the following vote was
cast for the three political parties
with about 1875 precincts of the 2916
in the state unreported Democratic,
215,OOO; Progressive, 10000; Repub-
lican, $4,000.
The leading nominees for the Of
fee of governor of the three parties
and their votes are as follows: Dem
ocrat, Gov. Albert Schemedeman, 161,-
$40; Progressive, Phillip LaFollette,
1875; Republican, Howard T. Green,
S3,4OS.
The newspapers, including the AS
sociated Press, attempted to propa-
gandize the people of the nation on
the outcome in Wisconsin. ''LaFol-
lette Vote Lightest in Wisconsin, was
headline in the Chicago Herald-Ex-
aminer. This was followed by Gov
ernor Schmedeman Polls 179,946 On
New Deal Platform; Callahan Lead
ing For Senate" Similar heads ap-
peared in daily papers of the Twin
Cities and elsewhere. The Associ-
ated Press propagandized the people
on the Overwhelming majority" that
Governor Albert G.. Schmedeman had
received and that 'The Democrats
made a better showing than either
the Republicans or new Progressive
party"
In an editorial which appeared in
the Chicago Tribune last Sunday the
showing of the Progressives was, OF
course, minimized. 1.-The LaFollettes
are making the most of the primary"
says the Tribune, "but they are lame
ly disappointed at the showing of the
new party"
Now, let us see whether the show
ing of the Wisconsin Progressives was
poor one.
| Campaign With Minnesota FL.
In 1880 the Farmer-Laborites of
Minnesota polled a total of 75,05O
votes in the June primary of that
year. The Republicans polled pri-
mary vote of 477,S16 votes. At the
general election, however, the Farm
er-Labor nominee for Governor, Floyd
B. Olson, polled 473,154 to 289,52S for
his Republican opponent.
It is, of course, true that the vote
| for governor was not entirely indica-
tive of party strength. For that rea-
son it is we'll to use the vote cast for
another office. At the general cleo
ton of 1880, Fred Miller, Farmer
Labor nominee for state treasurer,
polled 271,2 S6 to 375,946 for his Re-
publican opponent. At the same cleo
ton the Democratic nominee for state
treasurer received 1884 votes.
In 1892 in the Minnesota primary
election results were as follows: Re-
publicans, 267,6OO; Farmer-Labor,
Isl, zoos; Democrat, 105,919.
Strong Gains Over Primary.
At the general election the returns
on Governor were: Floyd B. Olson,
Farmer-Labor, 522,43S; Earle Brown,
Republican, 334,O81; John E. Regan,
Democrat, 169,S59.
While the Farmer-Labor nominees
| for other state offices did not fare
as we'll as did the candidate for gov
ernor, the average vote cast by the
Farmer-Labor party candidates was
greater than that cast for either one;
of the old political parties. The
Farmer-Labor party won the offices
of governor, lieutenant governor, at