The Progressive Party

              The Progressive Party
Compiled by W. F. Tankersley and published by P. V. Collins Publishing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the interest of P. V. Collins, of said city, Progressive nominee for Governor of Minnesota.

Sincerely P.V. Collins
MAY 6 1914
H. D. HARRICON
L. C. CROTTY
J. P. YOUNG
A. M. WEISKOPF
ALFRED WILLIAMS
A. M. NEWENS
W. A. COLLEDGE
MUSICAL BUREAU
NOMINEE FOR Governor of Minnesota



Who is P. V. Collins The Progressive Party's Candidate for Governor?
The nomination of P. V. Collins for Governor of Minnesota by the Progressive Party, was as much a surprise to himself as to anybody.  He had not sought nor wanted any office.  He knew nothing whatever of the move to make him the nominee until the nomination was made.

I have an office of greater responsibility and greater opportunity to help mankind than any political office, said Mr. Collins, and that is the position of editor of my paper.

But the demand that he head the Progressive ticket in Minnesota came with such unanimity, in the Committee of Fifty, that, as the chairman said, next day, Mr. Collins' nomination actually seems like an inspiration.

P. V. Collins is the editor of The Northwestern Agriculturist of Minneapolis, the man who undoubtedly is better known amongst the farmers of Minnesota and the entire Northwest than any other.  It was he who was selected by Colonel Theodore Roosevelt to make the speech on behalf of the farmers of America, seconding Roosevelt's presidential nomination in the National Progressive Convention last August.  It was through a letter from P. V. Collins, early in February, 1911, that Colonel Roosevelt's attention was first called to the inequality and injustice to farmers contained in the Taft Reciprocity Pact, and this is shown by Colonel Roosevelt's personal letter to him dated February 27, 1911, and Roosevelt's first public declaration on Reciprocity was through a letter to Mr. Collins expressing the same views, February 29, 1912.

In the meanwhile, P. V. Collins, had been active and influential in crystallizing the sentiment against the pact.

Seventy members of the Legislature called a mass meeting in St. Paul, April, 1911, to hear an able address by Mr. Collins, exposing the Taft Pact, and at that meeting a delegation of farmers was appointed to go to Congress and fight the pact, and Mr. Collins was made the official spokesman of that delegation.  In advance of the State Fair, 1911, he announced a meeting of farmers, and he called to order at the Fair, an assemblage of over ten thousand farmers, to organize The Farmers' League of Minnesota to defend farmers' interests in legislation, and he was made state secretary of the League.

Mr. Collins' paper circulated two monster petitions of protest to Congress against the Canadian Reciprocity Pact, each of which was signed by between 30,000 and 40,000 farmers.  The first was a protest against Congress passing the law, and this enormous petition (as big as a bass drum) was carried to Washington by Mr. Collins when he headed the delegation of farmers.  The other petition filled a barrel, and urged Congress to repeal the law before Canada accepted it.  These petitions created a sensation in Congress for they contained far more signatures than all other petitions combined.

In many other ways Mr. Collins has proved a powerful friend of agriculture, and during his last twenty years as editor of The Northwestern Agriculturist he has gained a national reputation.  He has been president of the National Agricultural Press League and of the National Editorial Association and vice-president for America of the World's Press Congress held in St. Louis in 1904.

P. V. Collins was born at Camden, Preble County, Ohio, in 1860, the son of Samuel and Abigail J. Collins.  He is therefore of American ancestry but with cosmopolitan experience.  He married Miss Mary Graves Rhoads, in St. Peter, in 1889.

Prior to coming to Minnesota, in 1886, Mr. Collins had been a newspaper writer in the East and in 1885–1886 he had been engaged in Paris.  France, as special correspondent of the New York Tribune and Boston Globe.  He came directly from Paris to St. Peter, Minnesota, where he purchased the St. Peter Tribune from Governor A. R. McGill.  Three years later he purchased Skordemannen, a Swedish farm paper, and in 1890 he sold the Tribune and brought Skordemannen to Minneapolis.  Although he could not even read Swedish, he showed his nerve in making a business success of the Swedish farm paper; of course he employed competent Swedish editors—one of whom afterwards became, and is now.  State Superintendent of Public Instruction.  Hon. C. G. Schultz.  Mr. Collins sold Skordemannen in 1893, and then bought.  The Northwestern Agriculturist, which at that time had only 9,000 circulation a month it now exceeds 150,000 a week, or over half a million a month.

Mr. Collins is a member of the Commercial Club and the Civic and Commerce Associations of Minneapolis, and a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church.

This wide cosmopolitan experience both in agricultural and city matters insures in Mr. P. V. Collins a breadth of view, and a grasp of affairs that is unusual.  He has never before been a candidate for office.

In personal character he is absolutely fearless.  He is bold and outspoken in his fight for a square deal to all classes of citizens and to all parts of the state.  He denounces brewery meddling in politics, and that of any other special interest.  He stands for a business policy in development of the unoccupied lands of the state, improvement of roads, agricultural education, reapportionment of legislative representation, and, summing it all up, he says:

I stand squarely upon the national and state Progressive platforms and for a developed Minnesota.



Answers to Criticisms
Of the Committee's Action in Nominating a State Ticket
P. V. Collins, third party nominee for governor, takes issue with Governor Eberhart, over the action of the committee of fifty in naming a third ticket.  The governor was quoted as saying that the action of the committee was a high-handed form of dictatorship since the people had already expressed their choice at the primaries.  Mr. Collins defends the committee and says that it was simply following out the instructions of the Progressive State Convention held in St. Paul July 30.

Mr. Collins sent the following let-to The Tribune last night:

Editor of The Tribune: In a dispatch from Grand Rapids, Mich., published in today's issue of The Tribune, Governor Eberhart is quoted as follows:

'The naming of a third party candidate for governor by a few members of a committee is not only the most high-handed form of dictatorship ever exercised in the state, but also is a direct violation of the most important principle of progression, namely that of permitting the people themselves to determine the nomination of a state officer.  By a substantial plurality in nearly every county the people have settled the question as to who shall be the nominee for governor in that contest.'

This is an inaccurate statement.

Will The Tribune, with its usual spirit of fairness, permit me, as the Progressive gubernatorial nominee at whom Governor Eberhart is striking,
 to correct his prejudice against the action of the Progressive State Central Committee?

This committee of fifty was appointed by virtue of the Ellsworth resolution, which was passed unanimously at the State Progressive Convention, and the special function and mandatory duty given it, by that resolution, was to do exactly what it has just done—first to determine whether the Republican or Democratic nominees at the primaries were sufficiently progressive to stand with Roosevelt and Johnson on the Progressive platform ticket.



Other Candidates Non-Progressive
At its meeting last Friday, therefore, this committee declared that Governor Eberhart and Mr. Ringdal were not Progressive, and decided, in accordance with its obligation to the state convention, to nominate an opposing candidate, who would be distinctly a Progressive, in harmony with the national Progressive candidates and platform, and with the state Progressive platform.  To have decided otherwise would have been a cowardly betrayal of the obligation given it by the State Progressive Convention.

There were five members of the committee who, acting upon their own ideas of expediency, instead of upon the plain instructions of the state convention, voted against complying with the obligation put upon the committee by the resolution which had brought the committee into existence.  These members voted against putting up a Progressive ticket, in spite of the mandatory instructions, and in spite of the urgent advice of Colonel Roosevelt, and the chairman of the national committee, Joseph M. Dixon, and the vice-chairman, Medill McCormick.

These same five members consistently voted against all nominations, but the rest of the committee of fifty went ahead and nominated a ticket.  By this course is established the foundation for a state Progressive party organization; without it our friends, the enemy, would have clear control of the machinery of both the Republican and Democratic parties, and thereby might jeopardize the state for Roosevelt and Johnson.  It is the purpose of the candidates of the Progressive party to stand squarely upon the national and state Progressive platforms, and to make an aggressive and determined fight to rid Minnesota of political bossism, brewery and railroad control.



A Gigantic Obligation
We recognize that we have assumed a gigantic obligation, but we have faith in the instinct of Minnesota's patriotic citizens to stand with us, for, like our mighty leader in the national fight, we too stand at Armageddon and we battle for the Lord; battle for the rights of home against the encroachment of the corrupt, the rights of the citizens to govern themselves against the usurpation of brewery bosses and corporation dictation.

Governor Eberhart boasts that his nomination is made by the primary vote of the people, and my own, as his opponent, by a committee of a few men.  He leaves the unfair inference that this was a self-appointed committee representing the authority of none but themselves.  This is untrue and misleading.  The committee held power that was delegated to it expressly by a convention representing Progressives of the whole state.  It would be inconceivable, therefore, to constitute a more democratic representation.

But aside from that, the action of the committee of fifty is simply initiative to be followed by a referendum to the voters by petition and no candidacy will be complete unless it be signed under oath by thousands of voters who did not participate in the Republican or Democratic primaries.  There has been no Progressive primary election; this is the only way a Progressive could get upon a ticket at all under the new law.



Governor Eberhart Criticised
Governor Eberhart is not frank nor sincere in saying that this nomination by a few members of the committee is merely an attempt to dictate to the people of the state and to nullify the will of the people as expressed at the primaries.  That could be true only if it assumed that the standpat Republicans are 'the people.'  The Progressives could not possibly express their will at the Democratic or Republican primaries, but next November they certainly will express themselves, as did Colonel Roosevelt at the West Hotel this month, in condemning the theft of the will of the people at the Chicago Republican Convention, condemning any beneficiary of that theft and any one who today condones that thievery—and the speaker was facing squarely the very leader of Minnesota condoners when he used the stinging denunciation.

I trust that our governor will deem it expedient to reflect further upon the action of the Progressive committee as not being authorized by the progressive party.  It was not in Progressivism to have any central committee arbitrarily to unseat delegates duly elected by the voters, and at the dictation of two or three bosses to create puppet delegates; and every nomination made by the committee will be endorsed by thousands of electors before it goes upon the ticket.

It will be remembered, too, that not until the Progressive controlling the State Republican Convention last spring demanded a popular primary vote on the nomination for governor did 'His Excellency' make a move to call the Legislature to establish a primary law.  The primary is the child of the Progressive party, but under legal restrictions they were barred from entering it this year and their only available course is the one adopted.

P. V. Collins, Progressive Party Nominee for Governor.



THE PROGRESSIVE PARTY TICKET

Governor—P. V. Collins of Minneapolis.
Secretray of State—M. S. Norelius, of Redwood Falls.
Railroad and Warehouse Commissioner (four-year term), T. J. Sharkey of Staples.



CONGRATULATED BY COLONEL ROOSEVELT
New York, Oct. 3, 1912.

P. V. Collins, Minneapolis, Minn.

I congratulate you on your nomination on the Progressive state ticket for governor.  I feel that in the name of Progressive principles, and in the name of decency and honesty in politics, we have a right to appeal to all good citizens, to all upright and fair-seeing men and women to support the national and state Progressive ticket in this campaign.  Let me add that I am particularly glad that the Progressives of Minnesota, and that the Progressives of Illinois have nominated a farmer, have nominated a man who represents the great farming element and is able to speak for the needs of the men and the women who live in the open country, no less than the men and the women who live in the cities.

Theodore Roosevelt.

I am a farmer and want to see you in the governor's chair.  There may be better men in the state for that office but I have not run onto them yet, and we know from experience that there are worse.

A. H. Morrill.

I am a farmer and have always admired you for the stand you have taken against Canadian reciprocity.  I believe the Progressive party is the only one which the great mass of common people ought to support, and you may figure on me at election time.  Hope to see you elected.

Oscar Stordahl.

You most assuredly will get my support at the coming election in November.  I believe in progressive principles.  Initiative, referendum, and recall, I believe, are what the people need.  Eberhart, with Judge Gray, turned us down on the two-cent passenger rate, so I am sure we do not want to vote for him.

J. O. Stanchfield.

I feel that you are entitled to all the support we can give you before and on November 5.  As you stand closer to us farmers than any other candidate, you being the man who headed the farmers against reciprocity, you should be entitled to a cross from every farmer our state.  I wish you to become our next governor.

Wm. W. Westman.

I feel much pleased to know that I have a chance to vote for you for governor.  It is a real treat.

Jas. F. Brady, Jr.




The State Progressive Platform
We, the Progressives of the State of Minnesota, in convention assembled, do condemn the unjust, fraudulent and dishonorable method by which President Taft was renominated at Chicago, and we hereby approve the action of the Minnesota delegates in refusing to participate in this fraud.

The records of the proceedings at the Republican National Convention at Chicago, show conclusively that the Republican party is now controlled by a pernicious combination of discredited political bosses and special interests.

The National Republican and Democratic organizations have each become subject to the domination of sinister financial influences, anxious to combine with political bosses of these parties to attain their own private ends, for the benefit of the few and at the expense of the many.  This has brought about a political trust which is the controlling factor in each party, and works entirely for the benefit of the great financial interests of the country.

Courageous men of conviction, regardless of past party affiliations, demand the organization of a new and independent national party which will work for the sole interests of the American people, and which will cut loose from political and financial alliances inimical to American citizenship.

We do hereby favor the organization of the National Progressive party which will depend upon the absolute rule of the people.  Such rule is best secured by:

Direct primaries.

Popular selection of United States senators.

Presidential primaries.

Initiative, referendum, and recall.

Thorough-going corrupt practices act.

We regard the solution of high cost of living as one of the vital questions of the hour.

We strongly declare for the appointment of a non-partisan national commission to investigate conditions which bring about the high cost of living in this country, and we favor a thorough investigation of the conditions of country and city life which will aid in bringing the farmer and wage earner closer together.

One of the principal causes of the high cost of living is unscientific distribution.  We pledge the constructive statesmanship of the Progressive party to the study and solution of the vital problem of scientific distribution, to the end that the producer shall receive a fair return for the product of his labor, and that the consumer shall receive such product without having added to its cost the exorbitant charges of the present unscientific methods of distribution.



Tariff
We favor such downward revision of the tariff as will consider only the difference between the cost of production at home and abroad, keeping in view the American standard of wages.

That no trust or special interest should be in any way favored by the tariff.

We favor a non-partisan tariff commission empowered to ascertain the cost of production in this and other countries.  This commission should make frequent reports of the information gained, to Congress, and Congress should revise different schedules independely of each other, and not through a general revision.

We favor the enactment of such legislation as will absolutely control the trusts and great money-powered interests of this country.

We demand the enactment of laws which will bring punishment upon the officers, promoters, and financiers or corporations for the violation of the law instead of innocent investors suffering for their wrong doing.

The action of special interests, including brewery, railroads and other corporations of all kinds in this state, who seek to control the nomination and election of candidates for public office is unqualifiedly condemned.

We favor the conservation of natural resources.

We pledge the enactment of laws for the improvement of highways, and under state supervision and state aid.

Employer's liability and workmen's compensation laws are necessary for the welfare of the citizens of this state.

Excessive hours of labor for women and children are a meance to the health, intelligence and industry of the state.

Investigation of conditions that will help the wage laborer throughout the state should be made from time to time.

We favor national income and inheritance taxes.

The civil service law should be strictly enforced.

We favor the repeal of the reciprocity law on the statute books.

We condemn the action of the Democratic Congress and the Republican President in passing a law putting all farm products on a free-trade basis while leaving all other industries amply protected.

The right of suffrage should not be restricted to men only but accorded to women.

We recommend the regulation of public service corporations by a state publicity utility commission.

We favor prompt and effective measures to be taken by this government to protect the lives and property of our citizens in foreign countries.

We instruct the Minnesota delegates to the National Progressive Convention to be held at Chicago on August 5, to vote for the nomination of Theodore Roosevelt for President—first, last, and all the time.