The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1936-10-08
In the State Political Arena


lease of control on November 3rd.
So instead of dealing openly and
fairly with the people, Candidate
Benson deals OBVIOUSLY with them.
He soothes them with soothsaying
but carefully conceals from them
the deadly purpose behind his per-
suasive drive for their votes.
The other peculiar omission in
Banker Benson's keynote is less
understandable.
The keynote opens with a pean
of praise to the memory of Floyd
B. Olson, "his spirit Is here to in
spire us....--his courage to drive us
onward--hfs wisdom to guide u.s."
1t closes with a fervid appeal to
make farmer-labor votes a men,
orial to the lost leader. Through
out the keynote is a throbbing
sympathy for the work, the pur-
poses, the detectives of Floyd B.
Olson.
What was the immediate objec-
tive of Floyd B. Olson? What was
he planning to do when the dread
hand of disease struck him down?
What was to be his main effort in
the campaign he was about to
make, a campaign which others
must now carry on? Did the cam
paign he was about to make,
campaign which others must now
carry on? Did Candidate Benson
grasp from his dying hands the
flaming torch of his purpose and
carry on?
He did not. He cast down the
torch; he stamped out it's fire; he
refused to carry on.
For a whole hour at the March
convention Of the farmer-labor
party, Governor Olson detailed his
plan for an amendment to the fed
eral Constitution to require z out
of 9 votes in the supreme court
to declare an act of congress void.
Eloquently the governor argued
that only so can the growing
autocracy of the courts" be check
ed, fervently he declared that he
would make this issue upon which
he would campaign for election to
the United States senate.
Shortly thereafter Senator Ben
son, Governor Olson being then
still living, introduced in the senate
a bill to amend the constitution
as the governor proposed. Now
that the great governor Is dead,
however, his puppet turns his back
upon the crusade of his master
Despite his throbbing zeal for the
cause of the lost leader, he has, in
his appeal for election to be chief
executive of Minnesota, not one
word for the purpose that was near
est and dearest to that leaders
heart.
Riddle this to the people of
Minnesota, if you can, Mr.. Can
didate Benson. Notwithstanding
all your schooling in sophistry, you
will find it somewhat difficult.
The complete omission by Can
didate Benson in his keynote ad-
dress Of these two matters which
have repeatedly been declared by
farmer-labor leaders to be basic
and fundamental as a matter of
party policy is more significant
than is the entire body of the ad-
dress as made.
One of the sly-dog tricks pulled
by Candidate Benson in his key
note was this: my opponent has
said, You cannot amend this
basic principle of American gov
eminent any more than you can
amend the Ten Commandments
I believe the United States Constt
tuition was intended to be amended
by its founders and changed from
generation to generation, as new
problems arise"
OF course 1t was so intended,
but it was never intended by its
founders of the American govern
ment that its basic principle should
be amended. To amend the basic
principle of the American govern
ment would be to destroy the
American government.
Candidate Benson is probably
intelligent enough to understand
this; he was simply INDUCING in
sharp practice to put over an un-
fair inference That the republican
party is opposed to any and all
amendments Of the Constitution.