The nonpartisan leader. [volume], April 12, 1920, Image 3

About The nonpartisan leader. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1915-1921

Image provided by: State Historical Society of North Dakota

                
In the interest
of a square deal
for the farmero
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 organised 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: Each 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
Official Magazine of the 'National Nonpartisan League—Every Week
VOL. 10, NO. 15. WHOLE NUMBER 238 MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, APRIL 12, 1920 $2.50 PER YEAR IN ADVANCE
Victory Ticket Named in Minnesota
People's Forces Ready to Go Over the Top in Winning
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 tfiat 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
Doctor Henrik Shipstead, for
governor.
Captain George H. Mallon,
for lieutenant governor.
PAGE THREE
A magazine
that dares to
print the truth
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
congratulate 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