Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-01-06

ldIllCIlLCu Il. I. !. ~ P4OPOooAt
this week to begin working on
tive commonwealth plan.
20 be in doubt, judging by the
derS, for at least one House and
y conservatives.
!. Meanwhile Gov. Floyd 3. Olson,
who has just left Minneapolis hos
pital, where he submitted to major
surgical operation, remains far in the
background and has given no inkling
whatever of the form his biennial
legislative message would take.
However, in a New Year statement
the chief executive indicated the con-
tinued belief that only drastic alter
atoms in government will avert chaos.
Says Year to Be Potent.
From an economic and social
standpoint" his statement said, 1.-The
year 1885 promises to be one of the
most important since the beginning
of our modern civilized era.
1.-THE present economic order has
reached state of crisis throughout
the world. Its very fundamentals are
threatened. In many of the European
countries democracy is fighting for its
very life.
THE trend Of economic and social
events in this country has developed
into a challenge Of the doctrine that
property rights are sacred and SUI
preme.
"a new order is Springing up that
says that human rights and human
welfare are paramount, that the first
consideration of government is to pro-
mote the happiness of the great masses
of its people and that property rights
are secondary.
THE year 1885 is approached with
great hope on the part Of the social
and economic philosophers. This hope
is for a permanent prosperity in which
the fruits Of commerce and industry
are distributed among the masses and
not among a few who feel that they
are entitled to rights and privileges
not enjoyed by the majority OF our
people"
Speech Key to Plans.
That certainly makes it clear
enough that Minnesota's young chief
executive is determined to keep
pounding away on the radical changes
that provided the bulwark for the
Farmer platform on which
Olson was reelected for his third
term.
While Olson was being returned to
Office in a closer race than even his
stunchest foes had anticipated, the
voters reaction to the drastic admin
istration proposals cut heavily into
Farmer-Labor legislative strength ana
ruined the Governors fond hope to
control both branches of the States
lawmaking body.
The State Senate is definitely lost
to the Farmer-Labor cause, and Will
continue conservative apparently by
even a greater margin than hereto
fore. This means that while an adj
ministration henchman, Lieut.. Gov.
Hialmar Peterson, will pound the
gavel, he will do little else.
When the Farmer Laborites elected
their first Governor and lieutenant
governor several years ago, the hard
bitten Republicans in the Senate cast
tradition aside and stripped the lieu
tenant governor, presiding oftlcer IN
the Senate, of his powers to organize
that body.
Control Plan to Prevail.
The Republicans, Joined by several
old-time Democrats, empowered
committee to set up the Senate ma
chinery, and thus the administration
was deprived of a potent force In the
Upper House. This arrangement again
will prevail this session, poll Of the
81 Senators showed.
The House, which backed the adj
ministration last session through
coalition of Farmer-Laborites and
New Deal Democrats, still mindful Of
the third party support which helped
Roosevelt carry Minnesota in 1882, to
all appearances will be guided by
combination of Republicans and
Democrats who reached office mainly
due to protests over criticism OF the
national administration by some
Farmer-Labor leaders.
So the path ahead for the co-opera-
tive commonwealth would appear to
be heavily matted with the most for
midable kind of obstacles.
Yet it seems unlikely that the Gov
ernor will change his mind about
the party's ambitious program to So
cialize industry and swing the States
key industries under party control.
Fight No Hurt to Olson.
Some political strategists believe
that Gov. Olson personally will not
suffer a great deal if the Legislature
does turn against him and kill the
drastic cooperative commonwealth
proposal. These observers contend
that the Chief Executive would hope
to capitalize on such a reversal. with
the belief that splendid campaign ma
terial would be provided two years
hence, with the argument that condi-
tions were unchanged because the
conservative Legislature blocked his
remedial measures.
This suggestion is predicated on the
theory that Gov. Olson will run
against that great New Deal foe,
United States Senator Thomas D.
Schall, two years hence.
In any event, the coming session
promises to become memorable one.
Should anti administration forces
govern the two branches and harrass
the administration program, there I'M
doubtedly will be frequent protests
and demonstrations by the farmers
holidays associations and allied groups
Of chronic complainers which provided
considerable heckling at the last ses-