Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-07-12
PETITIONERS ASK
FOR NEW PARTY
One Hundred Twenty Thousand Sig
natures Obtained I'm Badger State
by PrOgreSSiveS.
BY HENRY G. TEIGAN

BY HENRY G. TEIGAN
wisconsin Progressives have got
ten their new party plans well under
way. More than 10000 signatures
of voters in that state have been af-
fixed to petitions asking for the es-
Enlistment of the new Progressive
party.
THE gathering of these thousands
OF names, viewed as a matter of me-
chanics, was a tremendous task cal
ling for hard and sacrificing work
on the part of loyal progressives,"
says the party organ, The Progress
sive. There was no money for paid
wOrkers-those who saw to it that
petitions were made available to en-
thusiastic signers worked from devo-
ton to progressive principles and
progressive cause without recon-
pense."
The Progressive Party will have the
support of the old LaFollette organ
ization and of the newly organized
"Farmer-Labor and Progress sive
League" There are, of course, other
their support to the Progressive Party
and its slate of candidates both at
the primary in September and again
in the November election.
Jimmy Higginses on Job.
Wisconsin Progressives are just
like their brethren in other states of
the Northwest. 1t is the devotion of
the thousands of Jimmy Higginses
throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota,
North Dakota, and other states that
has made the progressive movement
the power that it is today. There is,
of course, no discounting the import
ance of leadership. The leaders of
the movement deserve due credit for
their great efforts, and yet without
the aid of local boosters, leadership
of the most remarkable sort would
meet without success.
A second convention of the Progress
sive Party was held at Fond du Lac
week ago. The delegates adopted
a fine platform on which the candi-
dates of the party will wage their
campaign. In substance it is much
the same as the platform of the
Farmer-Labor Party of Minnesota.
Fourteen PlankS.
The platform consists of fourteen
planks as follows:
Government sale of arms, and mu-
nitions.
Public ownership of public utilities.
Complete ownership of country's
banking system.
A job for everyone who is capable
of working.
Financial and old age security
ton creating unemployment insur-
ance, sickness, and accident insur-
ance, and old age pensions.
Legislation guaranteeing workers
the right to organize as they choose.
Opposition to sales, taxes; Opposi-
tion to the exemption of securities
and governmental salaries from taxa
tiOn.
Support of tax on corporate divi-
dends.
Immediate payment of the soldiers
bonus.
Adequate legislation to secure the
tenure of land for those who own it
through moratorium laws.
Opposition to the destruction of
wealth while the people are in need.
Support of cooperative marketing
to reduce the spread between prices
received by the farmers and paid by
the consumers.
Abolition of speculation and profit
eering in food.
Cost of production for farmers.
LaFOllette Candidate for Senator.
Senator Robert M. LaFollette, Jr.,
will head the new party ticket. Can
didates for other places on the ticket
have not been selected. Phillip La
Toilette, brother of the senator and
former governor, has been mentioned
as possible candidate for the COVER
norship. Another prospective candi-
date for governor is William T. Evjue,
editor of the Capital Times.
Fly in Ointment.
The only fly in the ointment is the
apparent Discrimination of the Social
lists of Wisconsin to join hands with
the progressives in thier fight. $50
cialists worship dogma rather than
reality" is the charge made by The
Progressive in an editorial in its
July Z issue. There is much COM
mon ground between Progressives and
Socialists. Both believe that the God
given resources which have been so
lavishly conferred upon this country
should be used to promote a fuller
life for the masses of the people rath-
err than to be used in serving selfish
greed and power. Why then are not
these groups standing shoulder to
shoulder in making the fight for
better state and nation?"
1t will be most unfortunate indeed
should the Socialists of the Badger
state see fit to go it alone when they
might join hands with the Progress
sives and make victory for COM
mon cause all but certain in the
November election. Let us hope that
Wisconsin Socialists will aid the
Progressive Party as the Socialists of