Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1937-01-21
POWER BEHIND THE THRONE
Editor Askov American:

POWER BEHIND THE THRONE
Editor Askov American:
have been a reader of your news
paper for sCme time and have liked
your open policy in regards to allow
ing the publication of varied opin-
ions on public questions and issues.
have noticed that you have given
space for opinions both for and again
your own policies and opinions and
have many times praised the serv-
ice you are rendering in thus being
so fair.
However, | cannot say the same
about all papers and one in partic-
ular has refused the following letter
which | am submitting to you. Soon
after front page editorial appeared
on the December Goth issue of the
which | herewith submit for public "a
ton in the AskOv American, but the
editor of that paper either refused to
publish it or did not receive it;
rather suspect the former. for it is
in line with some of his other poll
cies. The letter follows:
Editor, The Leader:
| have read the Minnesota Leader
during the past several years before
its change in name and since its
change in management. l have
noticed its gradual trend from that
of real party organ to that of being
factional. However | have passed up
the shortcomings of the past know
ing full we'll that we all have them.
but now after the December Goth is
sue l can pass them up no longer
without comment.
My reason is evident to those who
read the front page editorial attack
on Governor Hjalmar Petersen, en-
titled, THE Conservation Row." Now
if the editor of The Leader will only
permit, | will deal in as short man
ner as possible with tie editorial
which to my mind was filled with
poisoned barbs of hate rather than
true facts as one would expect from
publication which was organized
and placed in existence for the pur-
pose of disseminating truth which
was denied by other press of the state
This ediorital attack was all the
more fragrant because it was aimed
at one who has taken more than his
share of ''jolts," already, from the
powers that be in the party councils
during the past year and has gone
on undaunted in carrying out unset
fshly the program for the greatest
common good Hjalmar Petersen
could have used the term double
crosser" many times if he had de-
sired-and truthfully, but Editor Har-
ris would make his readers believe
that it was undeserved and dishOn
est. The term double crosser" means
according to Webster, lone who double
deals or in OTHER words plays with
both sides, and the writer knows HAL
mar Petersen intimately enough to
know that he too knows the meaning
of the word and would not utter it
unless it were true.
In regard to Editor Harris state
ment in the third paragraph as to
Governor Petersen gracing the guber
Material chair, not by vote of the
people but by accident of fate, we
would like to call his attention to
the vote when Mr.. Petersen was
elected lieutenant governor in 1884.
The actual figures of the 1894 cleo
tion show that the late Governor Oh
son received a plurality of 72,453.
while Hjalmar Petersen received 81
$50 votes more than his nearest OPP
ponent for lieutenant governor. In
fact there were only 39,915 more peO-
pie who voted for the late Governor
Olson in that election than there were
who voted for Hjalmar Petersen out
of vote of 1,064,332.
In this connection, therefore it is
seen that Hjalmar Petersen does &C.
cupy the governors chair by a vote
of the people and by a good vote of
the people. In the 1894 convention
of the Farmer-Labor Association when
Mr. Petersen was nominated to the
lieutenant governor place on the
ticket, it was the intention of the
party to get as strong candidate
as possible and likewise one who, if
called upon, was well qualified to
take the office and also if 1.-The ac-
cident of fate" should decide, to serve
| in the governors chair. 1t chose
Hjalmar Petersen and the people of
] the state voted for him in that capa-