Askov American., 1941-01-23
jefferson Principles
Must Dominate

JCllCI sui l. l1IlCIpACS
Must Dominate
Speaking before the Minnesota
Jefferson Club, Inc, in st. Paul
on January Is, Hjalmar Peter
sen, railroad and warehouse COM
missioner, stated that the princi-
pies of Jefferson must dominate
the united liberal forces in Min
nesota and went on to say that
the members of the Farmer-La-
bor party have been among the
exponents of tn ose principles
since the party's birth.
Discussing the ideas of the
author of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence as applicable to mod
ern problems, Petersen said that
while not all could be carried into
practice in detail today, the prin-
ciples still hold good.
The address in full follows:
The Minnesota Jefferson Club car.
ries a great name. Thomas Jefferson
was the founder of the Democratic
party and stands out as the foremost
liberal in American history. Hi:
principles are the principles of the
Democratic party. The American
people have deserted the Democratic
party at times because the Demo-
Gratis at times deserted the principle:
of Jefferson.
The principles that guided Lincoln
were the principles enunciated by
jefferson, as Lincoln himself said
The Republican party today, how.
ever, has deserted the principles Of
jefferson and Lincoln as completely
as some, so-called Democrats, de-
serted those principles when they lef
Roosevelt and joined the Martin, Bar.
tin and Fish crusade.
Jefferson's guiding principle wa.
the right of the common man. Farm
er-Laborites are glad that the prin-
ciples of Jefferson-which are the
principles of the Farmer-Labor party
were revived by President Roose-
welt when he took office. That i:
why Farmer-Laborites have supported
m-when reactionary Democrat:
opposed him.
Here in Minnesota the Democratic
party has not always been a Jeffer.
son party. At times the Democrat:
have been so conservative that il
required label to distinguish then
from the conservative Republicans
That is not true in Minnesota today
of those Democrats who supported
President Roosevelt. The so-callec
Democrats that supported Mr.. Willkie
should never call themselves Demo
Gratis unless they see the error o1
their ways, and, like the prodiga
son, repent and return home.
Some of you may not agree with
me, but for many years the Farmer
Labor party has been the real Demo
cratic party in Minnesota. 1t was
our leaders who preached the doc
trine of the rights of man above the
rights of property. 1t was our lead
.ers that were in the front ranks Of
the fight for the forgotten man..
Americans are essentially liberal
and progressive. Conservatives have
gained some victories when the pro-
.gressive forces have been divided
4 speak frankly when 1 say thai
1t is because we Farmer-Laborites
have been among the real Jefferson
Democrats in Minnesota that the vot-
.ers have for the past 18 years sup
ported us more generously than the
party that carries the Democratic
label.
Farmer-Laborites welcome unity
among liberals. United we would
have won in the recent state cam.
;paign. United we could win in mos
of the state campaigns. Our enc
mics work hard to keep us divided.
The Farmer-Labor party was ne.
cessity in Minnesota. Many Demo.
Gratis had become Republicans with.
out realizing it. Jefferson and hi!
principles had no real party in Min
nesota. The Farmer-Labor party wa!
founded by Jeffersonian Democrat
and Lincoln Republicans.
Liberals must join hands and CO.
operate to fight the common enemy
AS layman, sometimes wondered
during the recent national campaign
why it is, that certain conservative
lawyers who have for years beer
speaking so highly of our constitu
ton, suddenly tried to tell us tina
the constitution was wrong on th'
question of the third term. 1t wa
amazing to observe them placing ira
dition above the constitution.
But these conservative lawyers
and I am sorry to say, some here II
Minnesota who call themselves Demo
crats-tried to tell us that their ad