Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1938-10-27
AGAINST REPUBLICANISM
itor ASkov American:

Editor Askov American:
Among the many things Patrick
Henry said by far the wisest was:
1.-The only way to judge the future
is by the past" The only way to
judge party run by the same men
is by its past. This applies to the
Republican party. 1t is, however,
not necessary to go back very far to
ascertain the type of men who are the
leaders of the Republican party in
Minnesota.
Mr.. Dunn of Pelican Rapids, over in
Ottertail county, is the Republican
National committeeman for Mime
sofa, also he had been the bulwark
in the lower house of the Minnesota
Legislature for years past and today
is the unquestionable leader of the
Republican party in Minnesota and
active in the reelection of all its
candidates. In the publicity given
a certain letter seized by the U. S.
government it appears that Mr.. Dunn
was used as front for certain inter-
ests who were trying to defeat a
prison machinery bill which was sup
posed to be beneficial to the farmers.
While Mr.. Dunn worked and voted
for the bill, it was so manipulated
by the conservative house under
Dunn's leadership, that it did not have
time to pass in the Senate, but died
there. Mr.. Dunn was mentioned in
this letter favorably by the concern
who wanted the bill defeated. It
is not intended here to go into the
merits of the bill. Also in justice to
Mr.. Dunn it can be said that he was
playing the good old Republican game
of fooling the people back home. He
is highly respected in Republican
circles and is a thorough-going Re-
publican such as most of us have
seen for the past 80 years; pulling
all kinds of stuff right under our
noses and laughing at us.
A number of Ex-Farmer-Laborites
who for one reason or another, usual
ly losing that state job, are running
around the state blackening their fell
low workers of years gone by and
recommending the return of Repub-
licanism. Many of these held the
best jobs they ever held under the
auspices of the Farmer-Labor party
and some at least never did anything
constructive for the party. These
takers are telling their former fell
low workers to defeat their own
party. 1 have as yet not heard one
single one condemning the rottenness
in the Republican party, which ap-
parently still exists.
By defeating our candidate for
Governor, Elmer A. Benson, we auto
matically defeat the Farmer-Labor
party. The Republican machine, as
led by Mr.. Dunn, will take over the
state patronage and build up a ma
chine with which to defeat the Ma
tional Administrations New Deal
in 1910. The Republican party has
only seven Governors in the entire
United States, and if it is to come
back in 1910, it must get control of
the patronage of the states, hence the
effort to get in Republican governors.
Harold Stassen is a bitter enemy
of President Roosevelt in 1886 this
young man severely denounced Presi-
dent Roosevelt The attack was so
bitter that it verged on an attack
on President Roosevelt's American
ism and character.
The farm situation is still bad,
but it could be worse. The only way
that Minnesota can prosper is through
good prices for farm products. The
Republican party all over the coun-
try is severely criticizing President
Roosevelt and Secretary Wallace on
the farm program, the same as all our
Republican Congressman who fought
and voted against the farm bill of
1888 and were instrumental in no
farm bill being passed in 1887. Mr.
Stassen, if elected Governor, would
hardly cooperate with the National
Administration and without coopera-
ton the farm bill will not be very
effective. The strategy of the Re-
publican party is to misrepresent the
farm bill and cause hard times in
order to get the farmers disguised
To a certain extent they have sue
ceeded in this. Without the North
west the Republican party cannot
win in 1910. In South Dakota where
they were ill-guided enough to elect
a Republican governor, the Secre-
tary of Agriculture is trying to dis
credit the benefits of the farm bill
Here in Minnesota Mr.. Stassen would
do the same thing and make the
state safe for the Republican candi-
date for President IN 1910, who will
probably be Mr.. Wadsworth of New
York, or some other reactionary from
the East. Then we will have Hoover
prices back.
Those of us who were cleaned out
during the Hoover deluge, of course
of Dr,fl