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Farmer-Labor, Minnesota) Senator Lundeen Gave This Speech Detailing the History of the Minnesota Farmer Labor Party on August 15, 1940

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Farmer-Labor, Minnesota) Senator Lundeen Gave This Speech Detailing the History of the Minnesota Farmer Labor Party on August 15, 1940 Speech before Congress by US Senator Ernest Lundeen, (Farmer-Labor, Minnesota) Senator Lundeen gave this speech detailing the history of the Minnesota Farmer Labor Party on August 15, 1940 Lundeen served in the United States Army during the Spanish-American War. He served as a Republican from Minnesota in the United States House of Representatives, from March 4, 1917 to March 3, 1919 in the 65th congress. As representative, he was one of 50 Congressman to vote against the declaration of war against Germany on April 6, 1917.v He served as a Party member in the House from March 4, 1933 to January 3, 1937 in the 73rd and 74th congresses. He was elected to the Senate in 1936 as a member of the Farmer-Labor Party. He served from January 3, 1937 in the 75th and 76th congresses, until his death. On the afternoon of August 31, 1940, Lundeen was a passenger on Flight 19 of Pennsylvania Central Airlines, flying from Washington to Detroit. The plane, a Douglas DC-3, flew into turbulence from a thunderstorm. The plane crashed near Lovettsville, Virginia and all 25 persons on board were killed, including Senator Lundeen. FARMER -LABOR PARTY-- A POLITICAL PATTERN FOR AMERICA Mr. LUNDEEN. Mr. President, we have listened to Demo- cratic and Republican doctrines. We have heard the plat- forms and programs of both parties. The national conven- tions and the speeches delivered there have found a place in the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD. Yet unemployment continues. The crisis is still with us. It seems to me that at this time a few words about the Farmer-Labor Party of Minnesota are timely and proper. Let me say in that connection that at the present time I happen to be the only representative of the Farmer-Labor Party in the United States Senate. I therefore feel that I should present its creed, its program, and its platform for the information of the Senate and the Nation. - - - HSTORT AND PURPOSES OF TFIE MYN-NESOTA POSZS3.CLL MOV12AM t'T OF WORKFRS, FARAII^S, AND tNDEFE.\'DE T BUSIN S AND PROFF-Sfi2ONAL GROUPS '" .^... The Farmer-Labor Party is the answer of the' common people to the challenge of monopoly and special privilege. Although there are political efforts recorded in the history of this country of movements similar- to that" which took . , place in the Northwest, these were feeble and sporadic; and lacked "staying" powers. But they were straws in the wind and pointed toward the formation of a great liberal party. = - " a party destined to see its birth in Minnesota Our party, represents the first successful political- venture of its kind.-`. It is no longer an 'experiment-4t has cone of age and-, points the way to the political future of America. a' protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code) Notice: This material may l 1940 CONGRESSIONAL.-RECORD--SENATE-', T5907 - tHZ AxEer -A- Wiz The Grange was developed by a'Mfnnesota farmer with a Ae Farmer-Labor Party is the most truly American party genius for organization--Oliver H. Kelley, of Elk River. in the political arena today. It combats the forces which- From his Sherburne County farm Kelley caroused his fellow are destroying the American way of life--the way of life as farmers into taking the lead against the growing monopolies, the fathers expressed it in the Declaration of. Independ- of which the railways were the worst offenders against the . ence--the -right :of the people to "life, liberty, and the pur- public interest in the West. The Grange .-farmers demanded- suit of happiness," and the guaranties contained in the readjustment of the tax burden soy that the trusts and cor- Bill of Rights-the way of life as the immortal I.incoln con- porations would pay their share; regulation of freight rates, and an increase in the currenc ceid it, "government of the people, by the people, and y supply .Wrt _ - for the people." ADOPT POLITICAL ACTION LMI ICAN WAT OF LL°E CU Ar • ENGM The Grange went directly into politics with its own State Only one deliberately blind-one who does not want to party, and was successful in securing the balance of power in see the truth-Rill dispute that the American way of life the legislatures of the early seventies. These bodies passed is- gravely challenged today, not only by foreign ideologies, the first State laws regulating the railroads, and the debates but by powerful forces within our own land. - on this legislation did much to acquaint the public with the The fact that there are more than 10,000,000 able-bodied true facts concerning railway stock watering and land grab- men and women in America today, anxious and willing to do bing. - - useful work but unable to obtain employment, is evidence The lasting effect of the Grange agitation was assured when of how serious this challenge is. The fact that those who the State supreme court ruled, in 1876, that the legislature till the soil and raise the foodstuffs to feed our Nation are had the right to regulate rates and fares. In this outcome unable to attain even a semblance of economic security is the Grangers could hail a real victory, because the railroads evidence of the same thing. If we seek for further proof, it .had defied regulation. - is to be found in the lack of opportunities afforded our -_ - - - / EEASQN POE GRANGE PAII.IIEZ youth; in the slow economic strangulation of the inde- But because of the rather restricted views of the Grangers pendent merchant in unfair competition with chains and and the uncertain fortunes of their political parties on the . monopolies, and in our inability to create a standard of national field, this early farmers' movement faded away, until living even remotely commensurate with the vast wealth there were no locals left. Today the Grange has again found we are able to produce. its place among the rural organizations, but in no way com- OLD PASTIES HAVE rAII.ID - parable to the early years. Neither of the old political parties has shown either the The chief lessons of the Granger years were that farmers, willingness or the ability to meet this challenge--to tackle combined in their own political organization, could be the the problem in any but a superficial way. This is principally controlling factor in a State, and that they voiced the de- a: so because the forces depriving the people of opportunity mands of all the common people against the oppression of exercise positions of power within these parties. Wall Street. - jere is an old proverb which says, "He who pays the These lessons formed the basis for broad, political action. piper calls the tune.". Wall Street has been paying the FAST.^?FC ONITIa _. piper of both the old political parties most of the time, and Thus we find that liberal leaders such as Ignatius Donnelly the tune that Wall Street calls is not sweet music-to the wisely refused to let the farmers disperse. More action, more people. ears of the common reforms, more demands for a proper share in the fruits,},pf Pzoca sITE ASCENDENCY TE MPOSAET life, should be the aim, Donnelly insisted. It is true that occasionally the progressive forces in one With new oppressors in the form of grain gamblers funnel- of the old parties may gain the ascendency, but the control ing off the living of growers, and the great employers resisting they exercise during such periods is neither absolute nor all efforts by workingmen to make a decent living for their is it over any great period of time. .4 families, it was only natural that the people turned to inde- The progressive program cannot be carried out in full. pendent politics again. The records of the two major political Compromises with the conservatives and reactionaries in- parties made it plain enough that nothing was to be gained by variably result. Ultimately, the latter gain the upper hand. supporting the politicians in those camps-politicians who It is only when the common people obtain control through were already in the camp of the enemy. a political movement of their own that their aspirations will LABOR JOINS MILITANT PAF-MZ S be advanced in accordance with he finest traditions and The eighties therefore found the farmers back in the politi- ideals of our American democracy. That is the mission of cal field, and this time they were joined by the workers in the the Farmer-Labor Party of Minnesota. factory, foundry, mine, forest, and upon the boats and rail- rA.EMES AND W ORKER YtADITION roads. The farmers organized themselves into the Farmers' The tradition of joint farmer and worker political action- Alliance. The workers formed great industrial unions and the the Minnesota tradition-Ls of long duration. pioneer national federation of labor, the knights of labor. Ignatius Donnelly-that leader of so many of the people's These two great groups, who produce virtually all our struggles of the last century-persistently urged farmers and wealth, discovered that they were both being ground down by city toilers to join hands in independent political action. identical forces, and that these forces had pretty much to say Though he made his most fiery appeals for joint action in about how the Government should be conducted and for 1893, the tradition of the bond between these two groups of whose special benefit it should be operated. Whether it was the producing classes in Minnesota had already had a digni- tlle railroad speculators or the grain gamblers who fleeced the fied history.
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