Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1937-10-14
State Capitol News
BY A. I. HARRIS

President Roosevelt again has come
to Minnesota, delivered political
address in which he praised my old
friend Governor Benson" and "an-
other old friend who has passed on
FLOYD Olson" said some very COM
ELEMENTARY things about the liberal
political movement in this state
(meaning the Farmer-Labor party
and left with a definite promise to
return again.
Referring to the liberal political
movement here, the President said:
1.-The people of Minnesota have proved
in the past that you favor progress
and continued progress in govern
ment. You are not the wild-eyed
radicals that some people in Wall
Street think you are. You believe in
constitutional democracy as do. You
understand me when speak in ma
tional terms. You believe with me
that the businessman will most pros
Der as the workers and farmers pros
per-"
But the part of the speech which
political observers attached the great
est significance to was when he de-
clared: 1--WE have worked for COM
mon goal in the past and our cooper
alton is by no means at an end"
The desire of President Roosevelt
to maintain friendly relations with
the administration in Minnesota, when
one studies political trends today,
should not be surprising. The Presi-
dent has learned, in his fight for en-
actment of liberal legislation, de-
signed to benefit the great masses of
our people, that old party labels mean
nothing. He has found an abundance
of reactionarieS in his own party who
were willing to take the stand against
him when it came to such legiSla-
ton. 1t is no wonder, then, that
he seeks the support of true liberals
for his program.
The President also must be aware
of the fact that political alignments
in this country are fast changing.
Alignments in the future must be on
the basis of conservative, liberal and
radical PHILOSOPHERS on economic and
social problems. The democratic
bourbons of the south, for example,
fit perfectly into the conservative Re-
publican scheme of things and their
presence in the Democratic camp is
nothing short of incongruous.
Political alignmentS by 1910 are apt
to find these bourbons and other re-
or re
alive Republicans in one camp lined
up against the liberal groups who
believe that an economic system can
be evolved which will give the real
producers of our wealth a larger
share of the national income. RooSe-
welt in seeking to maintain friend
ship with the Farmer-Labor move
ment in Minnesota undoubtedly, is
aware of that fact
What will be the political effect
locally of the Presidents utterances?
1t is safe to say that it will make
impossible an alignment of liberal
Democrats and reactionary Republic
cans in a fusion movement in an at
tempt to defeat the Farmer-Labor
administration.
The farm conference held in ST.
Paul last week at the call of Gov
ernor Benson came up to and even
surpassed expectations. The house
chamber was packed with dirt farm
ers who did not hesitate to come for
ward with their earnest suggestions
Leading officials of every statewide
general farm organization and CO.
operative were present. Unity and
hope reigned.
A constructive farm program, not
forgetting the good portions of the
New Deal plan but going consid-
erably greater distance along the pro-
gressive road, was adopted. A broad
committee of substantial farmers and
farm leaders was left to work out
details of the general program laid
down.
But the conference was unwilling
to stop with the work only just
started. After praising Governor
Benson for calling this conference,
the farmers ask him to call another,
this time a broader one to include
farmers of neighboring states. 1t
will be necessary, they know, to rally
their brother farmers throughout the
whole country if the program is to
be put through Congress.
Nor did they forget their major ally,
labor. Minnesota farmers long time
ago learned the vital necessity of
these two groups working together