Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1938-01-20
Hialnar Petersen
Begins Campaign
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faithful and efficient service shall be
protection to state employees, OF
whether their continued service shall
depend on party contributions and
lip service to those in control.
We must decide whether an i'm
partial attitude in labor's difficulties
shall govern the state administration
or whether taking sides in labor's
internal strife is to be our policy.
We must decide whether the party
platform adopted and approved is tc
be taken seriously or whether the
personal whims of the Chief Execu-
tive and his managers shall deter
mine the must" legislation.
In our modern civilization industry
is dependent on labor. By the same
token labor is dependent on industry
To be unfair to labor is to be un-
mindful of human rights. To be
unfair to honest industry is to cru
city labor
Relief lines will not disappear until
jobs are provided for labor. We
must encourage honest business in
Minnesota-not haraSs it. We must
make the establishment of industries
in Minnesota desirable to the end
that prosperity may return and labor
have an opportunity to be painfully
employed at decent American wages
Any other program is fatal to the
welfare of our state and dooms a
large portion of labor to remain per-
manently on relief.
The welfare of agriculture, indus
try and labor must be uppermost in
our minds. To unduly favor one as
against the other is merely to invite
disaster. Sound social progress such
as the Farmer-Labor party stands for
can and must be developed without
prejudice or unfair treatment of any
one of these three essential factors
that make for prosperity.
Intelligent cooperation between
labor, industry and agriculture will
be the ultimate solution of our eco
nomic difficulties. Government must
function to promote that intelligent
cooperation.
We must also realize that the ex-
penditure of public funds is public
trust The wastefulness and misuse
of public funds by the present adj
ministration is almost unbelievable
It is certainly not in accord with the
principles of our Farmer-Labor party
This reckless spending which is stag
gering property owners under un-
bearable tax burdens must be stopped
These are the issues, fellow citi-
zens, that are to be decided by the
Farmer-Labor party in the June
Primary election.
Merit System Needed.
The plank in our 1886 platform
calling for civil service was sabotaged
| by administration leaders when they
defeated good proposal by the Min
nesota Federation of Labor and the
League of Women Voters. What you
know, what you do, and how you
do it, is the basis of the merit system
and efficient governmental service
| Adoption of the merit system in Min
nesota would make it impossible to
maintain a political machine con-
structed on the basis of patronage
Elections would then become contests
based on issues instead of patronage
The spoils system puts mercenary
selfishness as the motive power fol-
political action in place of public
spirit and organizes that selfishness
into a dominant political force.
The spoils system converts state
employees into servants of party OF
faction and undermines the discipline
and morale in public service.
LaGuardia has cleaned up the worst
spoils and racketeer-ridden city gov
eminent in the country. We will dc
the same in Minnesota.
If l am elected, faithful employees
of the state, doing efficient work
need not fear the loss of their jobs
| because they have not bowed to the
will of the inside political machine
Freedom of speech and expression
of opinion will then be restored to
the men and women working for the
State of Minnesota, which during the
past year has been so viciously and
ruthlessly denied them.
Communism Not Wanted.
My record as representative in the
State Legislature, as Lieutenant Gov
ernor, as Governor and as Railroad
and Warehouse Commissioner, is an
open book. That record is submitted
to you as my guarantee that as Gov
ernor again, the Farmer-Labor party's
best traditions will be preserved and
that the welfare of all our citizens
will be my primary consideration.
I am not bringing dissension into
the Farmer-Labor party. Existing
dissension is due to the descriptive
leadership of those now in control.
The Farmer-Labor Association by
its constitution does not admit to
membership those who believe in the
overthrow of government by force