Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1940-06-27

the Republicans who have nominated
candidates, and work for the election
of their friends, irrespective of their
political affiliations. Would such
course of political action tend to bring
harmony into our ranks? Is a polit-
ical victory under such circumstances
an honorable or dishonorable vic
tory?
A Blitzkrieg in Minnesota Politics.
Every day we read with horror war
events abroad. Blitzkrieg. The war
machines rolling over the fields and
plains, leaving lifeleSs forms and dew
astated property in its wake.
Well oiled political machines can
effectively carry on Blitzkrieg poll
tics and annihilate any opposition.
This was tried in several recent dis
trict and county conventions. Again,
let us stick to the record and ex-
anime the facts.
The Second district convention was
held at Mankato. The governor was
there. Plenty of refreshments, not
pink tea, were in evidence at local
hotel. Delegates were ushered to
the governors suite of rooms and
they were told that his prestige was
at stake. MIR. So and So should be
nominated as district delegate to the
national convention. The boys and
girls were told to jump through the
hoop For the purpose of putting
across his political program the gov
ernor, as statesman, descended from
his gubernatorial throne to the status
of political manipulation to force upon
the Republicans his dictatiOn as to
who should be elected
At that convention, like most
of the state conventions, the gov
ernOr was present during the en-
tire proceedings, casting his
watchful eye as the votes were
being recorded. Was it because
of fear or respect for him that
majority of twenty per cent was
received for the governors can
didate?
The delegates were told that the
governors prestige was at stake.
What about the prestige of the Repub-
lican party?
In Hennepin county, the governors
personal aides, some state employees,
spent days and weeks before the
county convention lining up support
for the election of county chairman
who was the governors choice. The
bait used there to catch votes was not
limited to pink tea" but real coin
was in evidence. Every artful device
known to the polished politician was
used. They had the money on their
side. They also had the governors
prestige and power. The methods
they employed proved to be their I'M
doing. They were repudiated. The
Republicans refused to jump through
the hoop.
We find that in the eighth district,
and particularly in st. Louis county,
the governors personal aides were
very busy lining up the so-called ad-
ministration's slate. These aides tried
to express the political power which
they claimed to hold in their hands
Those Republicans refused to jump
through the hoop.
What has been the effect upon the
Republican party where these i'm
proper attempts have been made to
control the local organizations by the
governor? It has stirred up bitter
ness, and aroused the feeling that the
governor does not trust duly elected
officers to act fairly and impartially.
Let the Republican party manage its
own affairs without any intimida-
ton or coercion and there will de-
velop a militant organization that will
function for the Republican party.
| The job of handling the affairs of
state government and the punctual
handling of mail ought to be sufficient
for one man-not leaving much time
for meddling in local politics.
DictatOrial Tactics.
Governor, by what right, under the
constitution or otherwise, do you
claim to have the right to dictate
to the convention its party officers
or national delegates at large? You
have no such right. How can you
as keynoter at the national con-
vention charge the Democratic party
with a disregard of the provisions
Of the national constitution when you
are willing to violate the provisions
of the party constitution, which you
were instrumental in having adopted
to revitalize the Republican party?
| When you insist upon naming the
party officers you do violate our party
constitution.
The Republican party has func-
tional purpose in the minds of the
citizens of this state. Such purpose
is not met by goose stepping for the
governor. 1t is met when we shall
have discharged our responsibility to
the citizens of the state in a sincere
effort to give relief to their burdens
and to make the state better place
in which to live.
Yours for real Republican victory
| in the fall