The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, April 12, 1920, Page 3

In the interest of a square deal for the farmers Nonpartisan Teader A magazine that dares to print the truth Official Magazine of the National Nonpartisan League—Every Week e VOL. 10, NO. 15, WHOLE NUMBER 238 MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, APRIL 12, 1920 poavoralaor el PN e e it R B T WS B e v e e et sl bt el el e U $2.50 PER YEAR IN ADVANCE Victory Ticket Named in Minnesota People’s Forces Ready to Go Over the Top in Winning BY E. B. FUSSELL ICTORY for the people is certain in Minnesota this year. No other con- clusion is possible after watching the state conventions of the Nonpartisan league and of organized labor, after meeting the candidates agreed upon unanimously by the two groups, and after seeing the tremendous reception given these candidates in their first appearance before the people of the state. The Minnesota state convention of the Nonparti-. san league was held at Minnehaha hall, St. Paul, March 24 and 25. The state convention of the Working People’s Nonpartisan Political league, representing workers inside and outside of labor unions, was held at Hibernian hall, a block away from the. farmers’ meeting, on the same days. After two days of careful deliberations both farmers and city workers agreed unanimously on a complete list of candidates who will go over the top in the battle for democracy this summer and fall. These candidates are: For Governor—Doctor Henrik Shipstead of Glen- wood, identified with the progressive fight in Min- nesota for many years; former mayor of Glenwood and member of the legislature. For Lieutenant Governor—Captain George H. Mallon, one of General Pershing’s “100 war heroes” and leader in organiZed labor. For Secretary of State—Thomas Vollom, farmer and manager of farmers’ co-operative enterprises. For State Treasurer—Miss Lily Anderson, lead- er in the Equity auxiliary, a farm manager and Red Cross worker. For Attorney General—Thomas V. Sullivan, who led the farmer-labor ticket in the campaign of 1918. For Railroad and Warehouse Commissioner— Paul I. D. Ostby, farmer. For Justice of the Supreme Court—George Sie- gel, labor leader in the legislature. Candidates for congress were indorsed in a num- ber of districts and later farmer-labor conferences will ‘result in selecting a full congressional ticket. Both farmers and workers, after organizing their conventions separately, decided to follow this plan in selecting their candidates: KEach delegate was given opportunity to propose the name of any man for each office under consideration. Each man proposed as a candidate was then dis- cussed with the utmost freedom. HOW THE DELEGATES CHOSE THEIR CANDIDATES Each convention named a conference com- mittee, each conference committee being composed of one member from each con- gressional district. The conference com- mittees followed carefully the discussion on each candidate, becoming fully informed as to the attitude of the delegates in their own conventions. Then the conference com- mittees met together. The farmer members told of the attitude of the delegates in their convention and the labor members of the attitude of the labor delegates. The con- ference committees then reported back to their respective conventions, with recom- mendations, and in this way the ticket was selected. . . When the League convention started to consider candidates for governor names were suggested from all over the hall. A blackboard was brought forward and the names were written upon it for all the del- egates to see—the same plan that was fol- Doctor Henrik Shipstead, for Fight for Democracy lowed in North Dakota in 1916 when Lynn J. Frazier was chosen for governor. The same piece of chalk that was used to write Frazier’s name in 1916, carefully preserved, had been brought from North Dakota to be used in writing the name of the next governor of Minnesota. Who would that be? One delegate suggested Willis M. West, for many years head of the history department of the University of Minnesota, now a farmer at Grand Rapids. Another proposed for- mer Mayor Thomas Van Lear of Minneapolis, an- other former Congressman James Manahan, co- worker with George Loftus in the farmers’ fight. The proposal that C. A. Lindbergh, who gained 150,000 votes in his phenomenal campaign of 1918, be indorsed again, brought vociferous applause, but no greater than that accorded when the name of Henrik Shipstead was written on the blackboard with the same chalk that had written the name of Lynn J. Frazier. All afternoon the delegates debated the qual- ifications of one man after another. All had done valiant service in the fight of the people. But as farmer after farmer, personally acquainted with Doctor Shipstead, urged his merits, his sterling war record and his powerful grasp of public affairs, it could be seen that a strong sentiment was grow- ing in his favor. No vote was taken at this time, but when the conference committees assembled that night the farmer conferees decided to submit Shipstead’s name as one most strongly favored by their con- vention. Meanwhile the labor conference commit- tee, which had been holding a preliminary meeting alone, had taken a ballot which showed that of their 10 members, Shipstead was either the first or sec- ond choice of nine. With the two conference committees together the sentiment for Shipstead was found to be so strong that it was determined that he should be called be- fore the committee. For nearly two hours the committee members examined him and at the end of that time the vote of the two committees was unanimous for his selection. In the two conven- tions the next day the announcement that Henrik Shipstead had been recommended to head the ticket was greeted with applause and cheers and the rec- ommendation of the committee was adopted by The Next Governor and Lieutenant Governor of the State of Minnesota governor. ‘Captain George H. Mallon, for lieutenant governor. PAGE THREE * an overwhelming vote in both of the gatherings. In this way all candidates were selected. Anti- League daily papers of the Twin Cities, unable to bring charges against any of the candidates, cook- ed up the ridiculous assertion that the ticket was “hand-picked” by A. C. Townley for the Nonparti- san league and William Mahoney for labor. The day after the charge was made both conventions laughed the charge to death. The delegates to the League convention knew that Mr. Townley had not talked for or against any candidate and the members of the conference committee said that they had asked him for his opinion as to two can- didates and he had declined to give it, stating that it was the duty of the delegates to' decide. And in the labor convention Mr. Mahoney was chairman and thus had no opportunity to talk, being kept busy at the job of presiding. ' TREMENDOUS OVATION IS GIVEN PEOPLE’S CANDIDATES The absolute harmony that prevailed between the two conventions at all times may have seemed to some people to be proof that one master mind was guiding them both, but no one who saw the dele- gates and heard them in action would think so. The conventions were harmonious because they were composed of honest men, with no one trying to get any advantage over any one else. And their selections were virtually unanimous because every candidate was discussed so thoroughly that when all was over there was little or no room for dif- ference of opinion. But how would the public feel about it? And the other men proposed for governor—would they continue as firmly in the people’s fight as if they had been chosen to lead it? These questions were answered at the meeting in the St. Paul Auditorium the evening of March 26. There was no display advertising of this meet- ing and no band to bring out the crowd. But a half hour before the meeting was scheduled to com- mence the lower floor of the Auditorium was filled with people who had come to see the next governor of Minnesota. By the time the meeting started the balcony and galleries of the great building were filled to capacity and scores were standing. And waiting at the back of the stage, to greet Doctor Shipstead when he should arrive to cgngratulate him on his selection to lead the ticket and to pledge support and help in the winning fight, were Willis M. West, James Manahan and Thomas Van Lear, the other men who had been considered most strong- ly, next to Shipstead, as farmer-labor can- didates for governor. The great stage of the Auditorium, hold- ing nearly 200 people, was half filled when Doctor Shipstead and his wife made their way out from the wings, unannounced and unescorted. But the crowd recognized him immediately. “What’s the matter with Shipstead?” a labor delegate shouted. . And the cheers and applause of the 4,000 people mingled with the answer: “He’s all right.” Once more during the meeting the same question was asked. It was after Doctor Shipstead had concluded his masterly speech of thanks and acceptance. Space is too limited for the speech to be reproduced in full or in part. In it Doctor Shipstead drew from the history of the world the les- sons that should be taken to heart today. The progress of mankind is always step