Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1939-02-23
''Thev Never Learn

liz 1CNoA A~SsA H
Under the above caption, The
Minnesota Union Advocate con-
tanned an editorial last week that
should be lesson to any poll
tician. The Advocate reciteS
some of the errors and the arro-
gance of the last Farmer-Labor
administration, and then brings
out the ruthlessness of the new
state administration, the prom
iseS made in the campaign, and
how some of those promises seem
to have been forgotten. The Adj
vocate article follows:
Politicians constitute a strange
breed. Political success goes to their
heads, and whenever an upheaval
routes an administration the sue
ceSSor to that administration usually
fails to take any reckoning to charter
course that may avert a like trag-
edy. Politicians apparently cannot
learn a lesson.
The Roosevelt landslide in 1886
y
the topmost pinnacleS of political
success with the result that the adj
ministration leadership actually be-
ieved itself invincible. Two short
years of strutting like bantam roosters
on parade brought about a reversal
OF public opinion, and the Farmer
Labor party went into discard, its
leadership thoroughly rebuked, dis
credited and repudiated Almost half
million voters changed their minds
or admitted their mistake of 1886.
Now new administration is TAX
ing hold, and from all indications
the same old plumbers are being COM
mitted. By no twist of logic can
Governor Stassen claim that his cleo
ton was a personal triumph. Like
Governor Benson, who in 1886 was
the beneficiary of President Roose-
velt's popularity, Mr.. Stassen was
merely the beneficiary of a protest
vote against Governor Benson. Peo-
pie followed their usual course of
voting against someone, and when the
votes were counted-Mr Stassen
found himself elected. Not that he had
failed to contribute something to this
condition. He had. He campaigned
on platform equally as liberal as
the Farmer-Labor platform; he made
the usual pledges of more jobs for
Minnesotans, lowered taxes, greater
efficiency in government, fair treat
ment for labor, ETC. He was for civil
service. He favored a state Labor
relations act He gave his word that
the national guard would never be
used for strikebreaking purposes. He
assured rank and file state employees
that he would not take their jobs if
they were efficient, loyal and trust
worthy.
Within 48 hours after the inaugu-
ration most of the old charwomen,
elevator operators and telephone
switchboard operators in the capitol
and state administration building had
been discharged Then followed
wholesale discharges of other state
employees. Without an hours notice
the employees of the Soldier Welfare
Bureau were thrown out of employ
ment while loading vans backed up
to the headquarters of the bureau
to remove all records to another loca-
ton. A more ruthless and heartless
procedure has never been recorded in
the state.
Never has there been such a mad
scramble to claim the spoils of po-
litical victory. Never has there been
more wanton disregard of the human
equation represented in the meager
jobs of state employees discharged
without notice. And as though the
Republicans are not content to con-
fine themselves to Republican con-
trolled departments of state in the
distribution of political spoils-they
now want to dissect the State Rail-
road and Warehouse Commission and
take over some $50 employees of that
department as party booty.
Governor Stassen has an oppor-
tunity to make name for himself
He is young and the years stretch
before him. But he cannot hope to
achieve any higher ambitions than
he has already materialized if he
follows the usual course of so-calleo
practical politicians. His victory was
not a personal victory nor was it q
Republican triumph. His victory
came from a general protest against
the Incorporate leadership of Gov
ernor Benson and his laundering adj
visors. He will do well to draw q
lesson from the Benson defeat by
never losing sight of the fact thai
he was the beneficiary of revolt
That revolt can and may be repeated