Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-03-06

ent attitude in this connection in
dicates that neither he nor his as
sociates knows nor cares about the
fundamental concepts of the Farmer
Labor movement, and will not Scruple
! TO pervert it into revolutionary chan
nelS.
ITO prevent the accomplishment OF
this fatal result during the next year
it is vital that every county maintain
! a vigorous organization of loyal
Farmer-Labor supporters, and be pre-
pared to redeem the association al
the earliest opportunity. In the
meantime, any extremist position
taken by the present state admin
istration of the association should be
promptly repudiated by local organ
izations."
Now, William Mahoney, vet
eran in the Farmer-Labor move
ment, in the above article in the
Union Advocate, states that the
party was brought to the brink
of moral and financial bankrupt
cy" during the administration of
1878. Too bad that Mr.. Ma
honey did not speak up at the
time. He was experienced enough
in 1888 to have known what
would happen to the party if
the then existing practices con-
tinued.
AS has been said before, if
there is any place where cour-
age is needed it is in politics,
and yet, too often in politics,
courage is most lacking.
This condition recalls to mind
an incident after the general
election of 1888, when the Farm
er-Labor party had been over
whelmingly defeated, and the
people at the polls had spoken
in no uncertain terms against
the abuse of political spoils. Then
a group of Farmer-Laborites,
called right-wingers, met at a
Minneapolis hotel and decided
that something must be done
about it. Those courageous
right-wingers, few weeks after
the 1888 election, were sure that
the Communists had to be kicked
out of the Farmer-Labor party,
that the fellow-travelers also
must go, and that tn e r
changes had to be made. They
knew what had to be done
after the people had spoken SO
decisively in the election, an
other case of locking the barn
door, after the horse was stolen
In the main the Farmer-La-
Dor party has had a good record
on legislation, and it was too
bad that a little group of selfish
individuals set themselves up to
dictate the policies and prac-
tees of the association and the
party in 1886 and following
years; and it was also too bad
that the rank and file was not
alert enough to check them in
time.
But having so many state job
holders, relatives and friends as
members of the association, those
few selfish individuals were able
to control conventions that en-
dorsed candidates. Only the i'm
mediate future could be seen by
those in the gravy; or the Mexi-
can Generals, in whose fertile
brains the scheme had been con-
cocted, told them what to do and
what not to do. Because of lack
of foresight and understanding
between right and wrong, the
narrow viewpoint prevailed in
1878, and the party went head
on to terrible defeat. Some OF
those running the show acted
like spoiled children. They were
irritable, they would not listen
to common sense and reason
they needed no dvice, they
knew it all.
Had more brains, experience
judgment, and honesty prevailed
and had there been more vision
and independence on the part
of thousands of state employees
most of them might still have
been working for the state. They
accepted the immediate political
patronage, they kept their jobs
for a few months, and lost out
for the years. In other words,
they did not see beyond the tips
of their noses, and what is real
ly important, the party lost its
opportunity to remain in power,
to enact good legislation, and to
be in a position of service. And
thus, the Farmer-Labor associa-
ton, which started out as edu-