St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-03-15
Minnesota
Political
Roundup
By Arthur Naftalin

ANVNAAUUP
By Arthur Naftalin
Talk Of Associate Justice Luther
Youngdahl as a COP candidate for
Governor, is causing some discus
sion as to the prOpriety Of his be-
ing a candidate without resigning
from the Supreme Court. His OPP
ponents can be expected to insist
upon his resignation as a condi-
ton Of his candidacy. They will
claim that his campaigning for a
partisan office is incompatible with
his nonpartisan judicial duties.
The discussion about Youngdahl
calls to mind among party old
timers the internal COP fight that
developed in 1904 when Associate
Justice Loren w. Collins was ad-
vanced for the party's guberna-
torial nomination. A fractional
clash between the supporters of
Collins and of Robert Dunn forced
Collins to leave the bench despite
the fact that the nomination went
to Dunn. In the general election of
that year, the Democrat, John A.
Johnson, defeated Dunn, thereby
succeeding Samuel X. Van SAINT as
Governor.
Maneuvering for control of the
DFL party is under way in earnest
this week with county conventions
set for Saturday. While the strug-
gle has not been brought complete
ly into the open, there is a definite
contest for delegates to the state
convention between forces of the
left" and right" Lining up with
the left" are the DFL Association
formerly the FL AssOciatiOn), its
newspaper, The Leader, and the
ClO-PAC. The other element is
loosely organized around the in
tluence of Elmer F. Kelm, who is
stepping down as State Chairman
following his confirmation as Col
lector of Internal Revenue.
The big prize in this struggle
will be the State Craftsmanship.
Both sides have been very cagey
IN announcing their respective can
didates for the top party job. 1t
is understood that Charles Egley
of st. Paul, the present vice-chair-
man, will be advanced as the can
didate of the left" and there is
talk of Representative Charles Hal
sted of Brainerd, liberal leader in
the House of Representatives, as
the candidate of the other forces.
AS middle Of the way candidates,
the names of Byron q. Barney
Allen of Detroit Lakes and George
p. Phillips, Chairman of the Min
neapolls United Labor Committee
and President of the Minneapolis
Central Labor Union, have been
advanced. 1t appears unlikely that
a compromise arrangement will be
made in advance Of the convention
to forestall fight on the floor. So
the state DFL convention is likely
to produce a good old-fashioned
party fight.
The Minnesota State Legislature
is one Of two in the nation which
is elected without party designa-
ton. Repeated efforts to re-estab-
lish the party basis of election have
been defeated This year, however,
supporters of partisan elections are
expecting to make some Roadway.
They are encouraged by the recent
Minnesota Poll which revealed 43
per cent of the states voters now
feel that the Legislature ought to
be elected on a party basis, 40 per
cent favor continuation of the non
partisan feature and II per cent
have no opinion on the question.
This is an amazing reversal of
public opinion since March, l945,
when 70 per cent Of the voters in
dicated a preference for non-parti-
san elections.
The switch in sentiment concern
ing the party designation feature
is believed to be due to the fact
that both Republican and DFL par
ties have gone on record as definite
ly favoring partisan elections. In
his l943 message to the State
Legislature, Governor Stassen said
he would look with favor upon the
re-establishment of the feature
and other party leaders have ex-