Gives Forceful Address At

Turner Hall On Issues

Of Campaign

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STANDS SQUARELY ON

PLATFORM OF PARTY

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Roundly Applauded Whenever He Drove His Argument Home

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In a forceful address Tom Davis, gubernatorial candidate on the Farmer-Labor ticket told his audience at Turner Hall, Saturday evening what he stood for and what the party he is affiliated with believes in politically and economically. Only a fair-sized audience greeted him, due to a heavy rain which visited this section of the state. Dr. L. A. Fritsche presided at the meeting and hailed Mr. Davis as our deliverer from the drought. On the platform with him were some of the state leaders in the progressive movement.

In his opening remarks Mr. Davis said that rain and sunshine will not solve Labor’s problems and that not until laborites sit in the legislative halls, would Labor be able to put over a legislative program which would ameliorate the conditions which confront the farmer and laborer today.

In Progressive

Movement For Years

Continuing, the speaker said that he first became interested in the progressive movement eight years ago when he was called upon to defend three Nonpartisan League organizers who had been arrested at Redwing, not for any real offense that they had committed, but because they had called attention to the profiteering that was going on at that time. His defending these men proved highly unpopular with his friends and when he later on spoke from the same platform with Dr. Henry Shipstead at Marshall, he found himself practically ostracized by his former friends. He realized then that it was more necessary for him to fight for free assemblage, free press and free speech, the constitutional rights guaranteed the citizens of this country, than to try to curry favor with his friends and neighbors. He has been in the movement ever since, has spoken in every campaign and has had the experience of being thrown out of halls and mobbed.

Favors Primary Election Law

On the issue of the primary law, he came out flat-footed in favor of its retention. He said that the rank and file of the voters could be trusted to pick out their own candidates for office and that the voters would never con sent to a return of the political dictator and packed political conventions. He stated that in his opinion the farmers should have their own organization and that labor should retain a separate organization and that conferences should be held between these two groups and agreements reached on issues vital to both of them.

Human vs. Property Rights

There have always been two schools of thought he said, one believing in the divine right of kings to rule their fellowmen. The autocracy of kings had given way to the autocracy of the money power which rules the world today. The other school of thought believes that the first duty of government is to serve and that human rights rank higher than stocks and bonds and he said that he believes in human rights rather than property rights.

Farmers Deflated

During the World War the farmers were told to buy more stock and more land and to increase their production.The farmers cheerfully followed the instructions of the government and then over night the federal reserve bank deflated and bankrupted the farmers. With the bankruptcy of the farmer came the bankruptcy of the banks and the merchants in the small towns and this process is still continuing. This was due to the fact that the farmers and those dependent on the farmers were not organized. There will be no real prosperity until the farmer is reestablished on a safe economic basis and to reach this goal the farmers and others must organize.Because they are organized, the industries are able thru a high protective tariff to make millions of profit at the expense of the consumer and the railroads have been able to make huge profits, because of unjust freight rates. Altho for four years the farmers have tried to obtain relief at the hands of Congress, they have failed, because of lack of organization. Nothing can be expected from Coolidge and the present administration, unless the farmers and laborers in the June primaries register a voice of protest sufficiently strong to carry their message to Washington.

Refutes Economy Program

There has been a great deal of talk of the economy program that is being carried on in the nation and in the state. The economy program at Washington consisted largely in a loan of $100,000,000 to the railroads and a refusal to do anything for the farmers, because it was the policy of the government to practice economy and lighten the taxes of the people. The same kind of economy is practiced in the state. Governor Christiansen vetoed the rural school aid bill on the plea of economy and turned right around and signed the bill decreasing the taxes of the banks.

Favors Water Power Conservation

Mr. Davis came out strongly in favor of developing the state. He called attention to the untold mineral wealth in the northern part of the state, the thousands of beautiful lakes and the fertile lands of southern Minnesota. In this connection he pointed out the waste of the natural resources of the state in past years and declared that the state should at least conserve the water power of the state and not allow it to get into private hands to be used as a means of exploiting the people. He also said that there is no issue as far as great as the Great Lakes waterway because everybody in Minnesota favors it. He gave it as his opinion, however, that before this project would be completed most of those here today would have either gone to heaven or the other place.

Mr. Davis came out strongly in favor of a bank guarantee act. He said that banking is a privilege and not a right and that the depositors should have their savings placed in banks safeguarded. The opposition he said comes from people who are financially interested in having present conditions continue.

People Should Rule

The speaker stated that the people should rule. He called attention to the fact that while in the Legislature, the present governor opposed and voted against submitting to the people for their approval or rejection the terminal elevator proposition and also a state owned cement plant.

In the eight years’ fight carried on by the progressive forces, they have been so successful that they now have one U. S. Senator and three representatives in the halls of Congress. Mr. Davis paid a high compliment to Senator Henrik Shipstead for the splendid record he is making in the Senate, not only for the party he represents but also for the entire state.

Capper Bill Discussed

The encroachment of the federal government on the rights of the states also received attention at the hands of the speaker. In this connection he read the Capper bill which would give the President of the United States the most autocratic powers ever given to any executive, giving him power in any emergency and he to be the sole judge whether or not such emergency exists to commander the fighting forces and the industrial forces of this country.

New Ulm Review

May 12, 1926