Evening star., 1936-09-27
SWINGS BIG CROWD
0SUPPORT LEMKE
State Had Been Considered
by Some Already for
Roosevelt.
BY JERRY VESSELS,
snecial Cnrrespondent of The Star.

BY JERRY VESSELS,
Special Correspondent of The Star.
ST. PAUL, Mimi, September 26.-
The task of trying to second guess on
what Minnesota will do in November
has become increasingly difncult, for
the time being at least, all because
of this weeks one-day local stand Of
the fiery Father Coughlin.
Some veteran observers were just
about ready to wrap up the State and
hand it over to the Roosevelt man
ayers when the Royal Oak spellbinder
stirred up a fresh and more perplex-
ing problem for the experts.
In a scene without precedent in
Minnesota, Father Coughlin whipped
his State fair ground audience of 50,.
600 into a dramatic frenzy. The
strange event was climaxed with the
great throng standing and pledging
support to William Lemke, Union
party presidential candidate, and
promising, in the words of the Michi-
gan priest, ito destroy the sham bat
tie in Washington"
simultaneously. the vast audience,
by request of Father Coughlin, pledged
itself to support Representative Ernest
Lundeen, Farmer-Labor candidate
for United States Senate.
New Slant to Alliance.
Thus, besides the apparent impetus
10 the Lemke vote-splitting movement
was given a new and potent slant to
the fondly-developed alliance of
State Roosevelt leaders and Farmer
Labor chieftains.
Lundeen, staunch supporter Of the
Frazier Lemke program, has not
talked much about presidential pref
erences, but some time ago was quoted
as saying that Bill Lemke is good
enough for me-"
This was strange language. as some
viewed 1t, coming from the man
picked to take the place on the Farm
er-Labor ticket and on the party
board Of strategy of the late Gov.
Floyd B. Olson, who was credited
with having driven home the bargain
in 1882 that put Minnesota in the
Roosevelt column and strengthened
Farmer-Labor control of State govern
ment.
So there was Father Coughlin in
one breath lambaSting the New Deal
and in the next pleading for support
OF Lundeen. one Of the key third-party
men counted on by the Roosevelt high
command to make Minnesota New
Deal conscious.
The sensational development sent
the Farmer-Labor managers into a
hasty huddle. The best they could
do was to put into circulation for pub
iication IL hours in advance Of de-
livery section Of the keynote speech
Of United States Senator Elmer Ben
son, Farmer-Labor gubernatorial cam
didate.
This section, which had been given
newspapers and press associations two
days previously, quoted Senator Ben
son as strongly urging reelection Of
President Roosevelt with a stern
warning that protest votes" for
Lemke merely would serve to play
Into the hands Of the Wall Street
gang"
Quotes Olson Telegram.
I'VE cannot escape commitment of
the presidential situation and remain
true to the principles which we pro-
fess," said the Benson excerpt. Gov:
Olson dictated telegram from his
sick bed at Rochester to Senator
Robert M. La Toilette just few days
before he died. Our Governor said:
I'm this campaign we must choose
between President Roosevelt and Gov.
Landon. Progressives and liberals
cannot afford to divide their votes and
thereby place in the presidency re-
dictionary Republican. For the liberals
to split their votes Is merely playing
into the hands of the Wall Street
gang
In this pledge of our late Governor,
I am in hearty accord.
1T Is not that I subscribe to every
thing that President Roosevelt has
done or approve all policies which his
administration has promulgated. . B"
I am an admirer Of Representative
Lemke =" and Father Coughlin has
done a great public service in arous-
ing the public to the abuses of our
monetary system.
This is not an issue between Roose-
welt and Lemke, but between Roose-
welt and Landon. I have heard
presumed liberals say: I don't care If
Landon is elected am not that
kind Of liberal. I do care. I pro-
pose to do everything within my power
to help bring about his defeat. This is
not a year for protest votes"
Curtis Makes Keynote Speech.
Just few days before Benson
sought to Offset the effect of the
Coughlin plea, the Democratic guber-
material candidate, Fred Curtis, made
his keynote speech. He worked him.
self into great frenzy in referring to
reports Of the Democratic Farmer La
bor alliance.
Meanwhile. Patrick Delaney, the
Democratic senatorial candidate, has
DS~hA Va ALB w SOAlPCt llAo OpPOllClll,
Lundeen, to make his stand on the
presidency more emphatic. In a re-
cent campaign speech, Delaney, reiter-
ated his demand that Lundeen declare
himself, adding: 1T is obvious that
he is attempting to carry Democratic
favor on one side and the National
Union favor on the other"
The entire mess is providing consid-
cradle encouragement to the Repub-
ncans, striving to regain control of the
Governors Office and send Represent
ative Theodore Christianson to the
United States Senate. Landon man
ayers naturally feel that the Coughlin-
Lemke-Lundeen tie-up will react very
favorably to their cause.
Permanent Relief Seen.
DENVER, September 20 R.-Harry