Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-11-01
Impressions of the
Chief Executive in
Speech at Askov
CONTINUED from Page -

(COnClnucu rage -
golden richness of his voice, occa-
sionally drops to softness attesting
WEAKNESS, which his spirit will
not yield to.
verify of his just announcements of
poverty and human distress. How
attentive his auditors are! The
mastery of his gift as speaker holds
them on a wind swept bridge but so
does his rare compassion for all who
are heavy laden.
A Debt to Mothers.
A drab faced woman with an in
FAINT at her breast suddenly takes on
renewed beauty as the governor says
I'VE owe it to every mother. A
hospital of her own choosing-a ply
stefan of her own choice. to be paid
for by the state If her husband has
not the means. In the hours Of CIV
ing new life to the race. the race
owes her every consideration"
A weather beaten farmer, white
haired, bent backed and wrinkled.
suddenly straightens as the governor
discourses upon old age pensions.
I'VE treat our horses on the farm
better than we do human beings. For
instance-we work our teams through
out the summer and we'll into the
fall of the year. Then snow, ice and
ment. What if we said to our farm
horses--'We can't use you now. Since
there is no work now for you, no more
warm stable for you, no more oats
and hay. Get out to the frozen pas
ture. Try to get along with what
you can find under the snow But
we don't. We shelter and feed them
during the cold winter. What about
the unproductive period of human
beings? Aims houses! Poor houses.
Pauper farms. That is inhuman!
An adequate old-age pension is an
unacceptable duty
Little wonder the balm of hope
ironed out many wrinkles in many
an aged face as those words fell from
the governors lips. And here 1 must
pause to explain that in quoting parts
of the Askov speech l rely on men,
DRY alone so the transcription conse-
quently is far from verbatim one.
City Newspapers are Big Business.
And now Hjalmar Petersen smiles
broadly as the governor declares
Editors are not for me. How could
they be? City newspapers are big
business-several million dollars big
and big business is disturbed by
our fight in behalf of the consumer.
Instead of paying dividends to stock
holders we say pay dividends to the
one who buys-the consumer-in the
cooperative way"
And then l recalled sentence I
had found in a book which is not
found in many college libraries
Journalism is often an enterprise
that lives by Justification and profit
able concealment, whose honorable
aim is to lift lying to the plane of
fine art
Governor Shows Strain.
Now the load, the strain, the ter
|
struggle against the vested interests
shows in the lines of his face. Com
miseration and compassion bequeathed
to his contenance a rare beauty. His
voice is organ like.-'Day after day
| listen to the recital of human mis-
cry. Robbed of buying power, they
come. Robbed of economic security.
Despair! Wretchedness! And a re-
lief bill fought to the last inch by
our opponents" His eyes are closed.
His arms stretched out Govern
ment must be protecting arms" A
cathedral hush pervades the gather
ing. The fluttering sound of Old
Glory-red, white and blue, over his
head, the sob like murmur of the
river against the bridge bases-the
chatter of birds in the maroon, gold
and green of the river banks is plain
ly heard weaving into the beautiful
tonality of the governors voice. "The
state for the citizen, every family a
home owner, an end to economic and
social injustice. That's the bridge
we're building. Human happiness.
Human Welfare!
He thanks his auditors and sits
down. Without notes or manuscript
| he has spoken over an hour and yet
it seemed to us but a minute. 1t
was with reluctance we realized he
had concluded his speech. His charm,
his personality, his sincerity, his in
tellect, his practical idealism, his
kindness, his gentleness.
The bands are playing again. The
crowds are pressing to shake his
hand. The mush of autumnal fires
scent the late October afternoon.
Powder blue smoke watts up through
the pine tops. Men, women and chill
dren, hope again. The dream, the
music, the vision, has been kindled
anew in every heart. He, like Roose-
welt, has been born for this Hour.
Humanism is on the threshold!